The COVID crisis offers a silver lining for out-of-school children in Pakistan
by Alice Thomas
As the COVID pandemic persists , the question of
whether kids should return to school this fall has been a topic of hot debate here in the United States . While “ remote learning ” through online classes has presented challenges to children , their parents , and teachers , it has mitigated the spread of the disease and undoubtedly saved lives .
For families living in poor , remote areas of Central Asia , however , the decision to keep schools closed has come at a much higher price : children are being deprived of education altogether . That ’ s because most families don ’ t have computers , smart phones , or internet access , all of which are critical to make remote learning possible . Many families don ’ t even own a television . And where technology is available , frequent power outages — or no power at all — compound the problem .
This is the case for communities in Gilgit-Baltistan ( GB ) in northern Pakistan , where CAI has been supporting educational programs for more than 20 years . Situated among some of the tallest mountains on earth , the communities of GB are isolated and extremely poor . Forty-three percent of the population lives below the poverty line , and more than half of children do not go to school .
When COVID-19 hit GB , it only highlighted the region ’ s preexisting vulnerabilities , including poverty , lack of modern health care , and no connectivity — all of which made it even more challenging to deal with the virus ’ s impacts . But the crisis also motivated CAI , its partners , and the communities we serve to innovate , and as a result , the dark cloud of the pandemic may just have a silver lining .
8 | JOURNEY OF HOPE CENTRAL ASIA INSTITUTE