UNICEF provides small grants to 325 high schools in Balochistan
Education Desk:
QUETTA: United Nations International Children’s’ Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has provided small cash grants to 325 government-run high schools in Balochistan. Grants provided to schools to ensure the provision of missing facilities to schools, Naqeebullah Khilji, the Program Chief of a UNICEF-funded program said. All grants provided to schools in the aftermath of an outbreak of the COVID19 in a period of three months.
In Balochistan, most of the government-run primary, middle and high schools have no basic facilities. An education department document revealed 8,188 government schools have no toilet facility in the province. This compounds the problems of male and female students.
Grants provided to high schools of 11 districts of Balochistan
“We have also formed champion club, children-oriented on health and hygiene”, Naqeeb Khilji mentioned. The districts include Quetta, Mastung, Kachi, Pishin, Killa Saifullah, Killa Abdullah, Zhob, Naseerabad, Jaffarabad, Lasbella, and Gwadar, he informed. UNICEF officials engaged the community to ensure transparency.
The number of high schools across Balochistan is currently 1,123 as per the statistics of the education department. Out of 1,123 high schools, 395 schools have no drinking water facility, the data mentioned.
The amount of small grants is from Rs. 1,50000 to 2,50000
The amount of small grants is from Rs. 1,50000 to 2,50000. Committees on village and union councils formed to make sure transparency in the spending of the grants about the provision of missing facilities to such schools, the UNICEF official stated.
Through such grants, UNICEF has facilitated over 1,65,000 students in Balochistan. UNICEF also provided sanitizers, masks, and other protective equipment to battle the novel coronavirus in the province. The Balochistan government has also formed committees on the district level to provide basic facilities to students to battle the COVID19. The concerned deputy commissioners have been entrusted the task to ensure implementation of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to fight against the COVID19.
UNICEF provides small grants to 325 high schools in Balochistan
