KARACHI, Nov 6: The World Food Programme will donate Rs436.520 million for the promotion of education among girls under the "Promotion of Primary Education for Girls in Sindh" project.

This announcement was made by the Project In-charge, Faqir Mohammed Aziz Lakho, at a high-level meeting held to review projects of education at the education department on Saturday. The meeting was presided over by the Sindh Secretary Education and Literacy, Mohammed Hashim Leghari.

Mr Lakho informed that the WFP had agreed in principle to award the million for the project's third phase, adding that Rs87.633 million would also be contributed by the government of Sindh to the project having a total cost of Rs624.153 million.

Mr Lakho, while briefing the meeting, said that under the WFP-funded project, costing a total of Rs195.069 million, edible oil was being distributed in selected 500 girls primary schools of four districts including Thatta, Badin, Dadu and Tharparkar. The objective was to increase enrolment and reduce the dropout rate among girls by addressing poverty, he said.

He informed that before the start of the project, the enrolment of girls in these 500 schools was 15,053 which in the last few years had increased to 47,071 showing a 212.70 per cent rise.- APP