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Pictured in Pakistan
John Perkins took these pictures on a visit to the Umeed Partnership-supported projects in Baluchistan, Pakistan. They show children - mainly girls - who are taught Urdu, English and arithmetic in the 15 education centres, and their teachers who have been trained by the funds raised.
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John Perkins, Bangor
I returned from Pakistan last week (December 2004), having spent a week with the Umeed Partnership Project in the tribal area around Loralai in Baluchistan and in Lahore.
There have certainly been considerable developments in the Project in the last 12 months. There are now eight Education Centres in the town of Loralai in Baluchistan, two in Duki (some two hours crazy drive through the mountains) and three in the slum areas of Lahore in Punjab Province. Following on the literacy skills, some 85 young women have undergone 9 months of training in embroidery and tailoring skills, and have since started producing embroidered items; they themselves have now begun training other women in these skills. There is a considerable demand amongst women for more centres to be set up; much now depends upon securing funding from this end.
The Education Centres are based in homesteads and run three hours daily for six days a week, enabling women of all three faiths (Hindu, Christian and Muslim) to interact socially in a way not experienced before; there is a sense of achievement in having learned a skill and gaining a small measure of independence.
A month ago we took delivery of the first consignment of embroidered goods from the Project - scarves, shawls, tops/shirts, waistcoats and cushion covers. These are now on sale in "Just Shopping" Fair Trade shop in Conwy, and from me in the University. I've already sent some money to Yousuf Jalal, the Project Co-ordinator, to enable him to put in hand a further order of the products.
Tue Jan 4 11:17:34 2005
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