Learning with resilience in Rural Balochistan

Jhal Magsi District, Balochistan: “Whenever it rained, we could not go to school as it was situated in a hut and rainwater would come in,” remembers 13-year-old Naseem Ahmed as he recalls the devastating floods that hit Pakistan in August 2022.

"When it rained that day, I did not realise that there would be no learning for us for months as our school was swept away.”

For children like Naseem in the remote Goth Khuda Baksh Rind Village of Jhal Magsi, the makeshift bamboo hut was the only learning facility in a 10 km radius.

The entire district was heavily impacted by the floods and Naseem’s village was completely submerged. Houses were washed away, and the villagers had to spend months living by the roadside in temporary shelters with little or no food and water.

After almost five months, the flood water receded, and the communities were able to return to their destroyed village.

“Our school was only a hut but still I got the chance to learn new things and meet my friends. After the floods, I thought I would never learn again and used to get bored at home,” says the fifth grader.

The devastating floods wreaked havoc on the already fragile education infrastructure of Balochistan. More than 6,000 schools were damaged, affecting an estimated 250,000 children.

As part of its flood emergency response, UNICEF partnered with the School Education Department, Balochistan to help children like Naseem resume their education. With thanks to funding from the European Union, a Transitional School Structure (TSS) was constructed in Goth Khuda Baksh Rind in February 2023. A TSS is a quick-fix construction and is climate resilient, having been constructed on elevated ground or stilts to mitigate the risk of damage during potential future floods. This construction allows the government time to rebuild the school while ensuring children continue learning. The school is also equipped with functioning toilets and provides access to safe drinking water.

“When they started building the new school, I would come here with my friends every day to meet Sir Deedar and check the progress. We used to pray to get our old school back, but this was something we had not even dreamed of. None of us had ever seen such a school,” exclaims Naseem with a wide smile.

30-year-old Deedar Ali’s name has become synonymous with education in the village. He was the teacher at the old school and with the establishment of the new TSS, he has been able to resume teaching. He also played an instrumental role in convincing parents to send their children to school.

“Fathers of all these children are my childhood friends. They did not get educated and became farmers or labourers. I do not want the same for these children. As I was lucky to receive some education, I made it my mission to ensure that children in my village learn and have a bright future for themselves and their families,” says Deedar Ali.

Due to multiple factors such as rampant poverty, limited numbers of schools, scattered population, poor school infrastructure and long distance of school from home, the literacy rate in Balochistan is very low. The construction of the TSS has also led to an increase in interest in learning and enrollment, especially among girls. While previously, only 20 children studied at the school, now there are 50 students, 30 of them girls.

“Earlier, I had to go door to door to convince parents to send their children to school. As it did not have a toilet, parents were reluctant to send their children, especially their daughters. Now, when I come to school, the children are already there waiting for me,” says Deedar Ali.

In addition to new teaching and learning materials, the school has also been provided with a recreational kit which includes board games, sports equipment, and puzzles. This has allowed Deedar to make use of innovative ways to help children grasp different learning concepts. Each day, one hour is allocated for children to play sports.

The school in Goth Khuda Baksh Rind is one of 39 temporary schools established in the affected districts of Balochistan with funding from European Union. More than 3,600 children are enrolled in them. While these schools are providing children like Naseem an opportunity to resume their education post floods, they are also allowing many children to learn for the very first time in their lives.

“Even before the floods, Balochistan grappled with a high number of out-of-school children. The destruction of the schools during the flood has only exacerbated this problem. The establishment of Transitional School Structures is a step in the right direction. We need to build on this progress to reach more out-of-school children, and facilitate their integration into the formal education system,” says Hamid Baqi, UNICEF’s Education Specialist.