12/22/2005

One of the clearest signs of Pakistan’s resilience following the Oct. 8 earthquake that killed 73,000 and displaced some three million from their ruined homes is the speedy reconstitution of the education system.  More than 8,000 schools are conducting classes in tents, replacing the nearly 6,000 schools that were completely destroyed and the 3,750 that were damaged.   

What can’t be replaced are the estimated 17,000 primary and secondary school students and 873 teachers killed when schools collapsed on them.  It is partly to help children deal with the trauma of the earthquake that the government, UNICEF and communities have moved so fast to re-establish schools.  The regular routine of schools can provide stability in the face of chaos and loss.

Refugees International visited one of the spontaneous, new schools in Thuri Park, where 392 families live in tents next to the Jhelum River outside of Muzaffarabad near  the epicenter of the quake. The camp is run jointly by UNICEF, the UN fund for child education and welfare, and Al Mustafa Pakistan Foundation.

Fifteen young female volunteers run a tent school for 400 children aged four to 12.  The youngest teacher is 17. Many schools in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan separate boys and girls, but the emergency conditions require that boys and girls learn together.  When Refugees International visited, the children were all sitting outside in large circles surrounding their instructors. 

Until their college was destroyed by the earthquake, the teachers themselves were students training to be teachers. They volunteered with Al Mustafa Foundation to help and are now principals and teachers in charge of this spontaneously operating school.   The courage and dedication of these young women is extraordinary.   Many lost family members.  The earthquake devastated their homes, and they are living in tents next to piles of rubble, hoping to rebuild.  They come to the camp every day to teach. 

Oshera, a beautiful young teacher, volunteered to work a week after the earthquake. One of the other teachers had been at the same college as Oshera.  I asked them if many of their friends from college were also volunteer teachers.  Oshera replied, “No.  They cannot.  Three hundred people from my school are dead.”  Her lip quivered, and for a moment she lost her focus.  But she quickly recovered and went onto to say how wonderful it is that the World Food Program delivers food everyday for the children.  School starts at 8:30, they eat lunch at 11:30, and the school day ends at 1:30, but the children seemed willing to stay there all day.

As we left, we thanked the policeman who had shown us around the camp. He replied quickly, “Oh no.  Thank you.  It means so much to us just that you came.”   Asked what the school and the camp need as winter approaches, he said, “We would like your support. It is so important to us to know that the International Community cares.” He showed more gratitude for what he had than bitterness over what he had lost.