Summary
There are a total of 8 camel libraries to date, running in total 30+ villages Mand (Balochistan), Thar (Sindh), Kohlu and Barkhan Districts (Balochistan) and 9 villages of Gwadar (Balochistan) benefitting more than 5000 children. This project would pay salaries of local camel herders, buy new books and support learning material to make learning more interactive and effective.
Challenge
With an estimated 22.8 million children out-of-school, Pakistan has the world's second highest number of out-of-school-children (OOSC), according to the UNICEF. Those children represent 44% of the total population in the age group of five to 16 year-olds in the country. This number has only been increasing as Pakistani educational institutes had to close due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Learning has been adversely affected and this situation requires immediate action.
Solution
Our camel libraries carry books and tech bags which not only contain tablets to facilitate learning but also solar panels so these tablets can remained charged throughout the trip. In Balochistan and Sindh, using camels is the most efficient method of transporting goods, books in this case. This project is environmental friendly, does not lead to climate change, helps create revenue for local camel herders and most importantly is the means of spreading knowledge.
Long-Term Impact
The camel library has to date benefitted more than 5000 children in 30 different villages and would continue to do so with your support. This project would pay salaries of local camel herders and would be a source of livelihood for them. In addition, it will result in new books being bought so that the children are introduced to a greater range of books.
