Hoshyar provides grants, loans, and other distributions to further the work of educating girls and young women. In cases where Hoshyar lacks sufficient resources to fund a project, it works with local partners in preparing grant applications to appropriate international donors.
Current Activities
Al-Hamd Educational Girls' High School, Baagarian village, near Lahore, Pakistan.
- Al-Hamd was established by a local family in 2005 with the purpose of fighting illiteracy in their community. Supervised by the al-Hamd Citizen Community Board, the school provides free tuition, textbooks, and medical check-ups to approximately 225 students in grades K-10. Hoshyar also provides students with new uniforms and shoes every year at Eid.
- Hoshyar and al-Hamd have been partners since April 2007. In June 2009 we inaugurated a new eight-room schoolhouse on donated land, constructed with labor and materials paid for entirely by Hoshyar.
- With ever-increasing enrollments, there are now eleven teachers and more will be hired in 2012. An afternoon session was added in 2010 to serve working girls and women. There are currently two teachers and 32 students in the afternoon program.
- In spring 2012, we begin construction of a new Science Lab, F.A. classroom, and Library on the second floor.
- Teachers receive training through pedagogical workshops held during intersession. A majority of al-Hamd teachers are pursuing higher degrees or certifications, supported by Hoshyar.
- Al-Hamd graduates have recently gone on to pursue F.A. (post-matriculation) courses, and F.A. classes will be taught on the premises beginning in 2012.
- The Alif Leila bookmobile now visits Baagarian twice monthly, and its staff deliver books and read out loud to al-Hamd students.
Friends Pakistan is a local grassroots NGO that began in Mansehra, KPK, in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake of 2005. This partnership involves the sponsorship of girls' middle and high schools in remote villages of Mansehra District and Pakistan's northern areas.
Community Managed Girls' Secondary School, Jabar Gali.
- Jabar Gali is a large but remote village in the Siran valley about 55 kilometers northeast of Mansehra township.
- The NGO Plan Pakistan established this school along with other Community Management Schools in July 2007. The government suspended participation in September 2008 due to security threats in the region. However, the community wished to keep the school going.
- Friends Pakistan took over responsibility for the school in September 2008. Since April 2009, direct aid from Hoshyar has helped purchase desks, school books, and other supplies as well as pay teachers' salaries.
- The school has expanded to offer ninth- and tenth-grade instruction. The government recently upgraded the school to a high school, promising to build a permanent structure. There are 70 girls in this school, the first high school in the village.
Government Girls' Middle School, Kotri Sathangali.
- Since April 2009, direct aid from Hoshyar has paid utilities on the school building, helped purchase furniture, textbooks, and other school supplies, contributed to teachers' salaries, and provided daily transport for the staff to and from Battal, a town some 15 kilometers away.
- Hoshyar has also supported teacher training workshops, capacity building workshops, and bi-monthly monitoring and evaluation by Friends staff.
- Friends Pakistan oversaw the election and constitution of a Parent-Teacher Council for the GGMS and outlined its activities and responsibilities.
- Hoshyar support will continue until the Government Education Office can take over full support of the school, as promised.
Government Girls' Secondary School, Manda Gucha.
- In July 2010, Hoshyar entered into a partnership with the Government Girls' Middle School in Manda Gucha. This middle school has expanded into a girls' high school -- the first high school ever in the village of Manda Gucha.
- Arrangements have been made with the Government District Education Office for the girls to take their matriculation and Board exams at a nearby boys' high school. There are 14-20 students in this school, and Friends is working actively with the Parent Teacher Committee to increase and sustain enrollments.
Government Girls' High School, Paras.
- In July 2011, Hoshyar established a three-way collaboration with Friends Welfare Association and the Government Education Office to expand the existing government school in Paras by including high school classes for girls.
Primary Schools, Indus-Kohistan.
- Five primary schools in remote areas of Indus-Kohistan were repaired, remodeled, and reopened in September 2011. This included expansion of structures to include teachers' accommodation. This project was supported by a grant from the Waterloo Foundation (Wales), which was submitted through collaboration between Hoshyar and Friends.
- In January 2010, Hoshyar established a partnership with Kawish to open neighborhood literacy centers for working girls and women in three low-income urban and suburban localities of Lahore.
- Mariam Nishat Colony.
- Bhatti Gate in the Walled City.
- Shara Kot, Shahdara.
- The centers are provided by neighborhood residents. Hoshyar supplies textbooks, writing materials and furniture, and pays rent and utilities on each of the three centers.
- Hoshyar also underwrites literacy training for each of the teachers and pays their salaries.
- With a startup grant from Caridad Partners Giving Circle in San Francisco, the neighborhood adult literacy centers in Bhatti Gate and Nishat Colony expanded in February 2011 to combine literacy and vocational training. One hundred participants enrolled to learn machine-sewing and embroidery, in addition to literacy and numeracy skills. Graduates can rent-to-buy the sewing machines they are trained on, and new machines are purchased to replace them as the payments are made. Sustainability is thereby built into the program.
Other Organizations.
Hoshyar has distributed scholarship funds to Women for a Better World, based in California, which channels donations to an NGO in Kabul, Afghanistan, called Peace Circle of All Afghan Women's Union.
Future Plans
- Continue teacher training with workshops on child-centered pedagogical techniques bringing together al-Hamd teachers, teachers from Lahore Grammar School, and other Lahore colleges.
- Pursue scholarship opportunities for al-Hamd graduates to continue their studies beyond matriculation and F.A.
- Support teachers in their pursuit of higher studies and credentials.
- Continue to expand adult literacy centers in severely disadvantaged urban and suburban neighborhoods and communities around Lahore.
- Expand the medical vouchers program to include regular medical checkups for students at all partner schools.
- Introduce art classes where possible with volunteers from faculty of local universities.
To help us further our cause, please make donations and checks payable to:
Hoshyar
Foundation
P.O. Box #28502
Austin, TX 78755
For information, please call:
512-420-9649
Or email:
cpetievich@hoshyar.org