This is the second of the two projects that DIL has in the District of Khairpur, in the Sindh Province. Khairpur is situated 450 km north of Karachi and shares a border with India to its east. Its southeastern portion is parched desert while the remainder of the district is afflicted with the menace of acute water-logging and salinity, making life for its rural inhabitants extremely difficult. Although agriculture is the main occupation, employing 80 percent of its inhabitants, only a handful own large landholdings. During the hot summer months temperatures can reach an unbearable 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit).

In the rural areas of this deprived region only 53% of children attend primary school. Furthermore, as many as 52% of children 10 years and older are illiterate. Lastly, while the average literacy rate for males in rural Khairpur is 65%, for females it is a bleak 25%.

In this project DIL has been collaborating with the Indus Resource Center (IRC) since 2001 on the DIL-IRC Project

Number of schools: 31
Number of students: 1297
Number of teachers: 58
Computer labs: 5
Learning resource centers: 8
Libraries: 8

Project Information

Schools:
The 31 DIL-IRC schools have been divided into five clusters. Each cluster is monitored and supported by a local Field Promoter.

Sobhodero Cluster: 1) Sobhodero I, 2) Sobhodero II, 3) Razal Memon, 4) Thatti-I, 5) Thatti-II,
6) Kathri Pathano I, 7) Sobhodero, 8) Razal Memon, 9) Kathri Pathano

Sagyoon Cluster: 1) Chutto Lak, 2) Mitho Lak, 3) Syed Waryal Shah, 4) Mohammad Bux Mangi, 5) Mohammad Hassan Qureshi 1, 6 ) Sagyoon, 7) Mohammad Hassan Qureshi 2

Khuhra Cluster: 1) Larhi, 2) Khabri, 3) Sakhirano, 4) Moosan Shah Colony, 5) Wali Dino Shaikh,
6) Khuhra

Kumb Cluster: 1) Kumb-I, 2) Kumb-II, 3) Latif Colony, 4) Qaim din Solangi, 5) Kumb

Hassan Din Kamboh Cluster: 1) Hassan Din Kamboh-I, 2) Hassan Din Kamboh-II, 3) Hassan Din Kamboh-III,4) Hassan Din Kamboh

Field Promoters visit schools several times a week and conduct a myriad of tasks supporting the teachers, students and community. They: 1) organize and conduct teacher-training workshops, 2) provide on-going coaching and support to teachers in the classroom and at school meetings, 3) act as mentors for teachers, 4) conduct teacher needs assessments, 5) monitor teacher and student performance, 6) and work with CBO members and parents to ensure community support and understanding of the importance of education.

Project Staff

Mrs. Sadiqa Salahuddin (Project Director)
Mr. Amir Abbas (Program Officer)
Ms. Aasia Rani (Project Coordinator)
Ms. Rozina Khuwaja (Training Coordinator)
Mr. Salma Qazmi (Accounts Officer)
Mr. Israr Hussain (Computer Instructor)
Ms. Naheed Chana (Field Promoter – Sobhodero Cluster)
Ms. Shamshad Chana (Field Promoter – Sagyoon Cluster)
Ms. Shabana Arain (Field Promoter - Khura Gang Cluster)
Mr. Atta Hussain Tumrani (Field Promoter – Kumb Cluster)
Mr. Muzamal Hussain Jat (Field Promoter – Hassan Din Kamboh Cluster)

Project Update 2006:

Student Dropout Rate:
None 

Exam Results:
All 43 students that appeared for the 8th grade exam passed. And out of the 132 students that appeared for the 5th grade exam, 94% passed the exam.

Teacher Retention Rate:
Out of the 53 teachers that were employed last year, 2 teachers moved out of Khairpur, 2 went to work for companies, 1 left to study at a university and 1 left due to ill health.

Teacher Training:

In 2006 teachers received specialized training in the following

• English
• Math
• Computer instruction
• The use of activity-based teaching methods.

English training was provided by DIL’s Regional Manager – Sindh. Math training workshops were given at the cluster level to teachers by Atta Hussain, an IRC Field Promoter highly skilled in math. Cluster-based workshops offer teachers a more intimate environment with their peers in which to learn and improve their teaching skills. Additionally, inter-school visits are being incorporated into teachers’ professional development to give them the opportunity to observe other teachers, their methods, student activities and use of teaching materials.