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Annual Report
January 2014
PRISE – Striving to Rise
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LIST OF ACRONYMS AV Aids= CNIC = DCO = DO = DVC = FTC = ILO = JICA = TVC = WASH =
Audio Visual Aids Computerized National Identity Card District Coordination Officer District Officer District Vigilance Committee Farog-e-Taleem Committee International Labor Organization Japan International Cooperation Agency Tehsil Vigilance Committee Water & Sanitation Hygiene
MIS =
TMA =
Management Information System National Database & Registration Authority Non-Formal Education Promotion Project Non-Formal Education Progressive Research Institute for Socio Economics Tehsil Municipal Administration
UK =
United Kingdom
NADRA = NFEPP = NFE = PRISE =
74-H, Afghani Road, Samanabad, Lahore (Pakistan) Phone: +92(42)35013115, Fax: +92(42)35013116 Email: Info@prise.org.pk, Web: www.prise.org.pk Nankana Office: Shora Kothi Road, Near Hira School Phone: +92(56)2874499 Gilgit Office: Link Road, Domial
PRISE – Striving to Rise
Peshawar Office: 202-203, City Tower Block C, 5th Floor, University Road Phone: 092(91)5844224-25
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Progressive Research Institute for Socio-Economics (PRISE) is a registered non-governmental and non-profitable organization established in 2005 by a group of motivated young professionals. It has been registered under Societies Act 1861 (Pakistan) and Je-S Research Council (UK). It visualizes the society as an equitable place for children, youth and women with mission to build their capacity, creating congenial environment for growth, and bridging gaps between public, communal and private institutions. Since its establishment, PRISE is impacting upon lives of targeted communities by implementing different types of projects detailed below;
Project-1:
INSTITUTIONAL STRENGTHENING OF DISTRICT VIGILANCE COMMITTEES FOR ADDRESSING BONDED LABOR AND CHILD RIGHTS ISSUES
In October 2011, PRISE implemented a project in entitled ‘Institutional Strengthening of District Vigilance Committees for Addressing Bonded Labor and Child Rights Issues’ in district Nankana Sahib in order to actively involve the district government to assure the provision of child rights. Reactivation of child rights committees in district was the core objective of this project. It was a model project in the district as an initiative to have lessons learnt for future interventions.
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As a core assignment, PRISE conducted a series of meetings with members of district vigilance committee (DVC) in order to reorganize as well as strengthen them for active involvement to address child labor issues in the district. During this interaction, four interlinked issues were highlighted by the DVC, i.e. registration of brick kilns, CNIC of brick kiln workers, social security card, and birth registration certificates of the children of brick kiln workers. The impacts of these issues were as; when a brick kiln is not registered, it can’t get the status of an industry; when a brick kiln worker has not his/her CNIC, he/she can’t get social security card because of which he/she remain deprived from health facilities. Similarly, when their children don’t have their birth registration certificates, they can’t get registered at any school for education. PRISE arbitrated all of these issues with leading role / involvement of the DVC as following; As the first intervention, PRISE facilitated the brick kiln workers to get their CNICs. In this regard, the DCO arranged a mobile van of NADRA from Lahore which moved at different brick kilns in district Nankana Sahib in order to make CNICs of brick kiln workers at their doorsteps. In this derive, 67 brick kiln workers got registered with NADRA as CNIC holders.
Then, again with the involvement of DVC, health camps were organized at brick kilns in far flung areas of the district and district health department facilitated in this regard by assigning their qualified doctors. Under this activity, health screening of 200 workers at brick kilns including women and children were made with provision of basic medicines.
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About the issue of birth registration certificates, PRISE identified the children at brick kilns who were without birth registration certificates. It was reported to the DCO in a meeting of DVC upon which, he passed orders to make their birth registration certificates without any type of fee / charges which made possible to make birth registration certificates of 303 children.
When the children got their birth registration certificates, the procedure of their education started and as a model, an NFE center was established at the Manna Bricks for the working children at the brick kiln. This initiative proved to be a sparking step by inspiring of which, DO Labor requested the ILO to initiate such a project in their district as a result of which ILO also established five (05) NFE centers by following the PRISE. PRISE facilitated throughout the process of this extension of its initiative in the district.
At the district level, three (03) seminars were organized in order to get the views and information of local intellectuals around the issue of child / bonded labor and what interventions should be made to redress them. In those seminars, around 400 community activists, government officials, women, journalists and youth participated actively.
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During the said interventions, the need was felt to launch such an initiative where the workers can share their complaints about their wages, working environment and conditions as well. In this regard, a ‘Child Labor/Bonded Labor Complaints Handling Cell’ was established at the office of district labor department. This proved to be a platform to address the issues about child labor / bonded labor. In order to record the issues reported and process for actions, PRISE facilitated the labor department to develop an MIS at the office of district labor department. Then in order to widen the outreach of services by the DVC and Complaints Handling Cell, it was dispersed at tehsil level so that the people can easily access them. In this regard, TVCs were established at tehsil levels in Shahkot and Sangla Hill in order to redress the complaints of workers in those areas. Extensive media coverage was provided to all the activities by different newspapers and TV channels which helped to expand the outreach of interventions. The significant reality is that this project completed on December 31, 2012 but the DVC and TVCs are still functional and contributing their part actively.
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Project-2:
ACCESS TO EDUCATION THROUGH EMERGING QUALITY NON-FORMAL EDUCATION CENTERS
By keeping continue, another project entitled ‘Access to Education through Emerging Quality Non-Formal Education Centers’ was initiated in the same district (i.e. Nankana Sahib) on March 2013. It was based upon lesson learnt from the previous project. The major focus was to enroll 40% children from child labor and 60% girls overall within the age of 05 – 10 years. For the identification of such children, a baseline survey was conducted in which 14 locations were identified in need of establishing NFE centers. The list of those localities was shared with district labor department for their inputs and recommendations. They suggested PRISE to establish NFE centers at six localities and hence, PRISE established five (05) NFE centers at; Jhugian Gillan, Tanveer Colony, Bhutto Colony, Bothen Garh, and Manna Bricks. These centers were established at brick kilns (e.g. Manna Bricks, Bhutto Colony) and in those villages which were deprived from any school.
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Most important thing is that these centers are blend of PRISE-Community partnership, i.e. the space/buildings for NFE centers have been provided by the local influential / community whether the teacher, books, stationary, sports material and AV Aids have been provided by the PRISE. The teachers have been selected with consultation / reference of local community. In addition, the line department at district level (e.g. department of labor and department of education) are playing lead role in the affective implementation of all activities. Under this project, more than 335 children have been enrolled in five (05) NFE centers whereas the target was of 175. This became possible with the active involvement of local community, particularly brick kiln owners / Farog-e-Taleem Committees (FTCs) which also have been established in each locality.
225 Children Enrolled
05 NFE Centers
The FTC is an initiative by the PRISE to involve local community activists in promoting education, particularly in support of NFE center established there. These people were involved in the establishment of NFE centers and still in their smooth and result oriented functionality. Identification of children, increasing retention rate / enrollment, decreasing dropouts, and cooperation with the teacher are core responsibilities of these FTCs. Even the selection of teachers has also been made with their consultations / recommendations. Whereas at district level, DVC supervising the project activities with its constructive inputs and active involvements.
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All the NFE centers have been equipped with different types of AV Aids, children have been provided with books, stationary, joyful learning and sports material, and the teachers have been equipped with specific training of three days. In addition to this, children are sensitizing about WASH practices in order to improve their personal hygiene and as a result of this, their hygiene is improving day by day. The assessment of first grade was conducted with involvement of formal school’s teachers, if there is any government / formal school situated in that locality.
As the main objective of this project is to enhance the access of children from ultrapoor families to the educational opportunities, one NFE center (i.e. Jhugian Gillan) has been mainstreamed in government primary school in the village which is a major achievement. After mainstreaming, school development plan was drafted according to which WASH facilities were upgraded in that school. This mainstreaming has been owned by the department of education as well. Further, about half of the children (10-12) studied at the Manna Bricks have been enrolled in formal schools like two children of Ameer Hamza who have been admitted in New Message School, Warberton and paying 500 fee per month per child. District literacy department is leading actively by joint visits in order to improve the performance of NFE centers established. For example, the academic assessment of first grade was conducted by the government school teachers. This project is still continue with the ownership of local community as Farog-e-Taleem Committees (described above) and district vigilance committee (DVC).
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Project-3:
DISTRICTS CAMPAIGN FOR NFE PROMOTION AND QUALITY IMPROVEMENT
PRISE facilitated the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) under its Non Formal Education Promotion Project Pakistan (NFEPP) to organize a campaign in all the districts of Punjab by conducting a series of advocacy seminars. Each seminar comprised upon four components; i.e. Literacy Walk (started from District Council Hall or TMA Hall), Seminar Proceedings (in which the dignitaries shared their knowledge and ideas around the objective), Panel Discussions (by the stakeholders about literacy improvements), and the suggesting of Way Forward (action plan for the future). All the seminars gained wider outreach through active participation of high profile government officials, educationalists and extensive media coverage, both print and electronic. In addition, the ownership of Literacy & Non-Formal Basic Education Department, Government of Punjab was core to make this campaign successful and result oriented. During these seminars, constructive debates happened exploring the root cause of illiteracy, i.e. poverty, and building up of general consensus upon this. Further, a lag of literacy rate between the south and central Punjab was highlighted by the participants, e.g. Sialkot, Jehlum and Gujrat at the top but Rajanpur, Muzaffargarh and Lodhran at the low ebb of literacy ladder of the Punjab. In these 27 seminars, 4063 dignitaries / general community participated actively and the participants’ ratio is as under; 3
6
18 464 MNAs MPAs
167
DCOs 1615
Government Officials NGOs Representatives 948
Teachers Students Journalists Lawyers General Community
49
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105
688
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In a nutshell;
27 Districts 27
Seminars
Project-4:
4063 Participants
RAPID ASSESSMENT ON WORST FORMS OF CHILD LABOR
PRISE facilitated the International Labor Organization (ILO) to conduct rapid assessment on ‘Worst Forms of Child Labor’ in district Attock and Gujranwala during January-February, 2013; the main objective of which was to examine dimensions of work by children (age 05-17 years), find out their causes and consequences, collected concerned information and to analyze the circumstances. In district Attock, 345 and in district Gujranwala, 393 respondents including children, community activists, government officials, and women involved in collecting the required information. The sectors of child labor identified during this assessment were; carpet weaving, rag picking, auto workshops, brick kilns, domestic workers, tea/small hotel boys, agriculture, small engineering, cold storage and mineral.
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CHANGE STORIES
CASE STUDY - Working Children towards Learning Children
CHALLENGE: There was no concept of education for the children of brick kiln workers in Bhutto Colony as their parents were totally oblivious about their responsibility. In this way, they used to grab their children in their own profession – working at brick kilns. Those children was totally unaware about what is education, what is personal hygiene standard, what are social moralities, and what is life? INITIATIVE: Under ‘Ilm Ideas Program’, PRISE hold awareness sessions with the concerned community and brick kiln owners particularly in order to convince them for the education of working children at their brick kilns. As a result of multiple sessions with them, they were convinced to free the working children for education. After having their interest, PRISE seeks their material contribution, building particularly. In this way, an NFE center was established there by enrolling 20 children, initially. Material / techniques of joyful learning is using at the NFE center which attracted these special children towards education. Thus, the journey of working children towards learning children started. Now there are more than 60 children in this NFE center.
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RESULT: Now the situation is that 18 children from child labor at brick kiln studying at the NFE center are much aware to be educated, their hygiene is improving day by day and they are considering education as more suitable than working at the brick kilns. They want to get higher education in order to escape from working at the brick kilns.
CASE STUDY – NFE Center Has Mainstreamed to Govt. School
CHALLENGE: The capacity of NFE center in Jhugian Gillan was reducing day by day with increasing enrollment which was affecting quality learning as the provision of quality education is core objective of Ilm Ideas Program under which all NFE centers have been established. In order to retain the quality learning environment, it was challenging for PRISE to search some alternative(s). INITIATIVE: PRISE team assessed the situation and possibilities for better options in this regard. While pondering upon the issue, the matter was discussed with the Farog-e-Taleem Committee (FTC) in which the head teacher of government primary school was also present. After mutual discussions, a proposal about to mainstream the NFE in government school was presented before the head teacher who replied to respond after his consultation with his department, i.e. of education, so that this step of mainstreaming can be legalized and the education department can own the children studying at the NFE center. Multiple follow-ups were made in order to
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reach at the objective, i.e. the children studying at NFE should be mainstreamed to formal education in government primary school. RESULT: As a result of follow-ups, the head teacher showed consensus on behalf of his department to merge / mainstream the NFE center in government primary school, Jhugian Gillan. It was a major achievement absolutely and by recognizing its importance, a formal mainstreaming activity was organized in government school in which local dignitaries including officials from education and literacy departments participated with praises.
CASE STUDY – Brick Kiln Owner Educating His Child Labor
CHALLENGE: The workers at brick kiln in Bhutto Colony were so backward to life that they were unaware about social norms, WASH priorities, and education particularly. From generations, they used to enter their new generation in their same old profession, i.e. working at the brick kiln, and they were adherent to this backwardness.
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INITIATIVE: Under Ilm Ideas Program, PRISE hold motivational meetings with the brick kiln owner in order to perform leading role to change the fate of brick kiln workers’ current generation by educating them. He was briefed about his leading role’s impacts upon children’s future. When the brick kiln owner agreed with objectives of Ilm Ideas Program, he lead the situation by intimating his workers at the brick kiln to enroll their all children at the NFE center established. He visited the homes of workers individually and also used to aware them during their working hours. Further, for the establishment of NFE center, he (brick kiln owner) provided upper portion of his office which was well maintained. RESULT: Due to his active and volunteer involvement with ownership, the NFE center is functioning well at the brick kiln in Bhutto Colony where about 60 children have been enrolled. Significantly, about all the children working at brick kiln are now studying at the NFE center. The brick kiln owner is still performing his responsibility with more interest and passion with commitment to extend his educational services as well. He used to monitor the NFE center regularly and assess the performance of children and teacher maintaining close coordination with the PRISE team.
PRISE – Striving to Rise