A SCHOOL FOR IQBAL

May 1999 Update

Before we update this site, please take a moment to pause in prayer on behalf
of the victims of the Littleton, Colorado school massacre. May God help the
victims, the families of the victims, their friends and friends' families and
those who risked their lives to enter that school building in a heroic effort
to preserve life. Schools are for growth not death.

Thank you.

On to what's new:

Microsoft Site of the Day

Microsoft selected this site as Microsoft web site of the day on April 16, 1999. Thanks, Microsoft ! Iqbal was murdered on April 16 in 1995. This site keeps alive his dream of freedom and education for ALL children. Iqbal's recognition of this site on April 16 is so symbolic and so well done ! Gates rules !

Cable News Classroom Magazine Site of the Month

Cable in the Classroom Magazine goes to over 85,000 classrooms in North America. Cable in the Classroom selects one web site each month as CIC Web Site of the Month. Thanks Cable in the Classroom for selecting this site as site of the month for April 1999. Again, the April selection is symbolic and significant. Thanks Jan Kruse, editor of the magazine !

New letter from "School for Iqbal"

Here is the latest letter from Fawad Usman Khan, founder of SUDHAAR, chief administrator and founder of the "School for Iqbal" in Pakistan :

April 4,1999

Mr Ron Adams & Campaign Leaders
Broad Meadows Middle School
Quincy, MA.

Dear Ron & Campaign Leaders;

Iqbal Masih was shot dead on Easter evening in 1995. Today it is Iqbal’s fourth death anniversary. All of us in Lahore and Kasur join you in remembering Iqbal and in reminding ourselves for what he believed in: Courage, Struggle and Freedom.

These are the attributes we need to remember in pursuance of our cherished goal of creating a society in which exploitation and abuse of children have no place. The small school that we started in Kasur in the memory of Iqbal Masih, today has over 280 children enrolled. More than half of them are working and most of the rest are younger siblings of working children. A staff of ten teachers facilitates 280 children covering Grade 1-4.Without C3, the School Dedicated to Iqbal, very few of these children would have had access to a school . Recently a health centre has been established close to the school for the children and their families. Here they will be able to have subsidized health facilitates from qualified medical professionals. Under the program, about half a million rupees have been provided to 42 families to develop their family enterprises, improve their income and consequently be able to send children to school instead of driving them into the child labour market. Based on its four schools in Kasur (including the School Dedicated to Iqbal), Sudhaar is working with 85 government schools in Sialkot (primary products: soccer balls, surgical instruments, leather products and carpets) and 26 municipal schools in Kasur. Sudhaar educational programs in Kasur and Sialkot are now reaching out to nearly 14,000 children and 400 teachers.

The objective is to improve education quality and teacher and children motivation to increase enrollment and decrease dropouts to prevent the growth of child labour.

This is our joint and humble tribute to Iqbal Masih who showed us the way.

We are making efforts to sustain the School for Iqbal by seeking support for other quarters. You will be pleased to know that in terms of academic achievements, the children and teachers of the School for Iqbal are doing the best among all our four centres.

Best regards,
Fawad Usman Khan
And all of us at Lahore and Kasur

Finally

Thank you for visiting this web site. Come back often. Another May update is being prepared for posting. from ALL of us at Broad Meadows Middle School Quincy, MA!

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