Layyah is a district in Southern Punjab with barely any access to education. In January 2013, CDF launched a project with the goal of establishing 15 Rural Girl Education Centers (RGECs) and enrolling at least 25 girls per center. These RGECs are non-formal secondary education facilities for girls in grades 6 to 8. Graduating students are given the opportunity to pursue higher education through the Allama Iqbal Open University. Till now, 15 RGECs have been established and around 275 girls have been reached through these centers.

Sumera Nazir, 12 years old, is a 6th grade student who lives in a small village in District Layyah. Her father, an impoverished farmer, struggled to pay for her studies. In addition to this, Sumera’s hands and feet are physically disabled. This had hindered her from continuing her education after she completed her primary education since no school, government or private, was willing to enroll her. This changed when the Chenab Development Foundation (CDF), in collaboration with ILM IDEAS, launched Rural Girls Education Centers (RGECs) in her area.

With their hope renewed, Sumera’s parents decided to take her to the teachers who ran one of these centers. They requested that she be allowed to sit in 6 th

grade, and she was welcomed warmly to do so. The option of attending school, denied to her for so long, was made available to her once again.

Sumera now sits with other girls and learns new things, the way she had always wanted to. She has friends here, and hardly ever thinks about her disability as a hindrance anymore. She thanked CDF for providing her and other girls the opportunity to continue their studies.

“My mother and I are both extremely happy that I have had a chance to resume my studies. After I have completed my studies, no one will be able to stop me from my dream

of becoming a teacher! I strongly believe that educated mothers can bring about a revolution and will be able to pass this education on to their family members as well.”

Now an excited Sumera is going to school every day, making many new friends and working towards her dream. She cannot believe the change that CDF brought about in her life at a time when she had lost all hope and thought she would never be able to attend school again.

Perseverance through adversity

Ilm Ideas is a 3-year, UKaid funded programme that awards competitive grants nationwide to increase access to quality

education for Pakistani children aged 5-16 years.