Pakistan earthquake - two years after

On the second anniversary of the 2005 Pakistan earthquake, work to rehabilitate the affected communities continues. New facilities and educational opportunities are widening horizons for girls in the area.

Sadia, aged 17 from Upper Siran Valley, is a shy and reticent young woman. After attending primary school in a village far from her home, Sadia was forced to discontinue her studies as there was no secondary school available nearby.

Her family considered her to be an adult with responsibilities at home and she was not allowed to travel to another village for further education.

But when a Community Managed Girl’s School was opened in her village, she was one of the first students to gain admission. Put in Class 6 initially, she was at least 4 or 5 years older than her classmates, as she remembers:

“I was very embarrassed to come back to school as I was so old … all my class fellows used to make fun of me! I had even forgotten how to write, but my teachers were very nice, they coached me into remembering everything and within a week I was reading and writing again!

“After 6 months, my teachers decided that they would give me a chance by putting me in Class 8, which is the highest class in my school. I am doing well now as in this class the girls are closer to my age and they do not make fun of me, so I enjoy coming to school now!”

When asked why she had come back to school, she replied: “I love coming to school… to be educated, as I want to be a doctor and help people!”

Community Managed Schools have been piloted in Siran Valley with support from Plan since early 2007. In the short time since then great achievements have been made, with one school obtaining a 100% result and its students attaining the top three positions in the district.

Mehwish, aged 12 studying in Class 6, came 2nd in the district board examinations. Brought up by a widowed mother who supports her family by working as a health worker, Mehwish is part of an all female family with three sisters.

Mehwish’s father was killed in a family feud soon after the earthquake and her mother was left alone to bring up her four daughters. An interesting fact is that her parents were the only two members of their community who were educated; her father was a government teacher and her mother had finished secondary schooling before getting married at the age of 13.

Nighat, Mehwish’s mother, is a strong believer in educating her daughters and takes great interest in their studies. She also advocates girl-child education to other villagers in her daily rounds as a health worker. As Mehwish comments:

“I am proud of my mother, she goes around helping people from our village and I want to be like her when I grow up. My mother is very proud of me and so are my teachers as I got a very good position in my exams. Next time if God wills it, I shall come first!

“I want to study so that I can become a judge so that I can avenge my father’s death and help other people to get justice too.

“I know it is very important to study. In my area girls get married when they turn 13. I do not want to get married yet, I want to study and help my mother!”

The communities of Mansehra suffered a great deal of human loss and were left with absolutely nothing after the earthquake. Two years later, they are rebuilding their lives.

The earthquake has brought an awareness of the world outside their landlocked and conservative villages. Now with new opportunities and facilities available, girls like Sadia and Mehwish have the chance to achieve things which they could never have dreamed of.