In the Pakistani province, the social arm of the Church has opened 15 centers. Throughout this year, 450 pupils enrolled. In the village of Amritnagar there are two, which since 2015 have educated 100 children. Parents included in employment projects.
Lahore (AsiaNews) - Free school classes up to the eighth grade and technical preparation for future jobs in the tailoring industry. This is what the 15 educational centers run by Caritas Pakistan in the Punjab province offer. The centers are located in five southern districts, which are part of the Multan diocese, where 450 pupils are currently enrolled. All of them come from poor and disadvantaged families, and despite their early age, they are already busy in the workplace. Thanks to these centers, providing them with free books and educational material, today's dream of a better life is possible.
This is the case of Imaran Shahbaz, a 10-year-old, who tells AsiaNews: "My previous teacher beat me and my comrades as soon as we made a mistake. I want to study and open my own business. Caritas is offering me this opportunity. " This little boy lives in the village of Amritnagar, where his father works as a farmer. He tried to pursue his dreams by enrolling in a government school, but he abandoned his studies after the first year. Today he studies at St. Peter's Center run by a Caritas Pakistan team and attends the second class together with another 30 students. All of them will be educated up to the eighth grade, thanks to donations from the German social arm of the Catholic Church. In the village of Shahbaz there are two centers, to which Caritas Germany offers backpacks, stationery and pay salaries of the two teachers.
About 24,000 Catholics live in the Punjab province. Many of them are poor and do not pay for school fees. For this reason, Kashif Raza Gill, a Caritas activist in the Multan diocese, reports, "we select only the needy families for our centers. All of our students work by day. " The same applies to Shahbaz, who at the end of the lessons takes off his uniform and repairs motorcycles.
The Caritas official reports that since 2015 at least 100 children have been trained in the two schools in the village of Amritnagar. In addition, the Catholic Association takes care of parents, making them part of local development projects. They are used in field planting programs, poultry breeding, and vocational centers. 60% of the proceeds of their work are distributed among the participants themselves and the products are sold in a Multan store.
Among the employees in these projects is Farzana Samson, a 26-year-old who has learned to design clothes at the St. Anthony Vocational Center, inside the Catholic Church of the Holy Eucharist of Amritnagar. The center is equipped with 10 sewing machines and offers eight-month cutting, sewing, embroidery and crocheting courses. "Before - she says - I earned 3,600 rupees [just over 31 euros] to collect cotton. Today, however, I get more and my clothes cost 200 rupees each ". At Easter, she concludes with a smile, "I received an order for 16 dresses."