KARACHI: Vocational schools planned at LEW project
By Latif Baloch
KARACHI, May 25: A chain of vocational schools, colleges is being planned to be set up at Hawkesbay under the Lyari Expressway Resettlement Project (LERP).
Similarly, a summer school plan has been devised for children and families shifted from the Lyari River to Hawkesbay under the LEW project whereby their summer vacations will be made useful for them to generate interest in them for acquisition of education.
Under the project, better and quality education would be imparted to children free of cost at a summer school being launched shortly. Schoolchildren will not only be provided education free of cost, arrangement would also be made for their visit to places of historical importance and to recreation spots. The children will also get uniforms at the end of the summer school.
It may be mentioned here that special emphasis has been laid by the LERP on promotion of education in the newly-establishment colonies at Hawkesbay. Under the programme, the LERP plans to establish 17 schools and colleges.
Work on two schools has been completed where education is being provided in two shifts. As many as 1,000 children have been admitted to these schools. These children have been provided books and uniforms by the LERP free of cost.
In these colonies, teachers have been appointed on honorary basis from the local educated girls who are being given an honorarium by the project. Besides primary schools, admissions for a secondary school have also started where classes will soon start with the cooperation of the education department.
In order to provide more educational facilities, the LERP has also contacted various welfare institutions in the city. In this regard, a delegation of the Citizens Foundation also visited the project site.
Initially, the Foundation has decided to establish three schools. One of the school set up by the Foundation has already started functioning, while work on two more schools will be undertaken shortly.
The LERP has recently set up a technical education centre with the cooperation of Baitul Mal. The centre will provide facility for primary education, computer, embroidery and tailoring. So far, 60 students are availing themselves of the facilities from the centre.
Each student of the centre is also being given a pocket money of Rs10, and an amount of Rs300 is also being paid to their parents each month, apart from shoes, books and other educational material.
At the embroidery section, there are 45 children who are being imparted training. Each child is also being provided Rs10 for pocket money. In the computer centre, so far 25 students have been admitted who are matriculates and they are being imparted free training facility.
The project is also providing health care facility. With the cooperation of the Edhi Trust, a dispensary is being set up while a 24-hour ambulance service is available. Dispensary building is almost complete and a portion of it is providing free treatment facilities to the people.
A sanitation committee, comprising local people, has been formed to supervise the sanitary work in the colony. Steps are being taken to place dustbins at important places for collection of garbage.
Meanwhile, work on the both sides of the main and street roads is in progress. Necessary steps have been taken to provide electricity to the people. A campaign has been launched to provide a healthy environment by planting trees. Work on a park especially reserved for women has been completed.
To provide employment to local people, steps have been taken for establishment of Hawkers Bazaars. Shopping centres have also been set up. The LERP has also constructed a football stadium for providing sports facilities to the people.
At the same time, work on construction of a Jamia mosque is in its advanced stage. For minorities, a church and temple is also being built. Measures have also been taken for providing water supply facility to the people.
