United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and partners have constructed 35 new schools in districts of Southern Punjab, hit by the 2011 monsoon floods. According to a press release, these schools have been constructed in Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur and Rahim Yar Khan in Southern Punjab by the children's agency where schools were damaged or completely destroyed by the floods that devastated Pakistan from July to September 2010.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the newly constructed schools, UNICEF Deputy Representative, Karen Allen said that more than 4,500 children are now attending these schools which have been handed over to the Punjab Education Department.
The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands has contributed US $1.2 million for the construction of 24 schools and the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has contributed an additional US $250,000 for the construction of seven schools, she added.
Funds for four schools have been provided by the governments of Italy, Hungary and Sweden. After the devastating floods of 2010, UNICEF initiated a schools reconstruction programme in the worst affected districts of southern Punjab ,as well as other parts of the country ,since most of the government school buildings were either damaged or completely destroyed.
She said that in order to bring children back to school and to prevent the loss of a full academic year, Temporary Learning Centres were established by UNICEF in camps and communities. "The Child Friendly Schooling approach is interactive and makes learning fun for children. It has elements of health and hygiene through provision of safe drinking water and improved sanitation, Early Childhood and Development for preparing young children for school, playground and equipment for healthy physical activities, psychosocial support for rehabilitation of trauma-affected children, involvement of parents and community, and many other unique features that makes education attractive," said Karen Allen.
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