A SCHOOL FOR IQBAL

As you know, the Broad Meadows Middle School (BMMS) students who initiated the "School for Iqbal" campaign chose the Pakistani non-governmental organization called SUDHAAR in 1996 as the organization they would team with to design, establish and run the "School for Iqbal." The school is open, running and growing thanks to SUDHAAR.

SUDHAAR has fulfilled all promises resulting in hundreds of poor, working children being educated at the "School for Iqbal." Over seventy children have gone from the "School for Iqbal" directly into mainstream schools. Micro-credit loans have enabled over 40 poor families to begin their own small craft business thus breaking out of the cycle of poverty. Those mini-loans also paid off bonded debt, freeing children and enrolling them in Iqbal's School. Breaking the cycle of poverty breaks a family and its children out of forced, abusive child labor.

SUDHAAR sent this update on their work for children in Pakistan, especially those children who attend "C3: The School for Iqbal"

This campaign is soooo lucky to have found SUDHAAR.

SUDHAAR's love of children, their knowledge of the Punjab region, their honesty, their ability to unite people for children, their ability to team and dream with us, has made the dream of a "School for Iqbal" into a reality .

UPDATE from SUDHAAR:

August 16, 2001

Dear Campaign Members!

Pleasure to hear from you.

1. SUDHAAR is requesting copy of Kerry Kennedy Cuomo teacher guide "Speak Truth to Power" directly.

(The "School for Iqbal" campaign is featured in the "edu packet".

Click on "edu packet" from the options on http://www.speaktruth.org/index_main.html)

2. SUDHAAR is sending our Apr-Jun 2001 "School for Iqbal" Progress Report.

C3, the School Dedicated to Iqbal, is still doing the best among all our NFE centers (Non-Formal Education). We now have 81 NFE centers in Kasur, Gujranwala, and Sialkot. To be honest there is a rush for admissions to C3 and we have to go slow because we wish to mobilize resources first. I think it is primarily because of the sincerity of Campaign Leaders and the children's response here in Kasur. To us it is matter of great pride and joy. Perhaps one day we will together be able to touch Iqbal's soul.

3. We are starting Iqbal Foundation with twelve of our staff members and three people from outside Sudhaar. These fifteen people will contribute as a token of their commitment. They will constitute the Board of Iqbal Foundation. No person will be a paid employee of the Foundation. The overhead cost of the Foundation will be zero. As a first step, we will finance the education of disadvantaged children from Class 6-8, 8-10 or college education or technical education. We will offer a no interest loan covering up to 75% of expenses only. These offers will be made on need base in all areas where Sudhaar is currently working. In some cases, it might be a grant. We will call it Iqbal Education Credit. Foundation's resource base will remain untouched and we will use only the interest for direct support.

I wish everyone at BMMS our warmest appreciation. I see their smiling faces on my notice board all the time. BMMS, Sudhaar and Iqbal will always be remembered together for making a humble contribution to the cause of children.

Warmest Regards from all of us at Sudhaar in PASKISTAN

Fawad Usman Khan