Safwco - Sindh Agriculture & Forestry Workers Coordinating Organization

Education Development Program aims at expanding and improving the standard of primary education and promoting the literacy, especially among females, in rural Sindh. Safwco involves parents, teachers, elected representatives, officials and activists/volunteers in improving enrollment rate and reducing dropout. Safwco also helps parents and teachers to map missing facilities in the schools, develop 'Education for All' plan at union council level, and facilitates district government in allocating the budget from district development plan. Safwco mobilized volunteers to contribute towards school development projects and assisted in organizing learning and extra curricular activities. The program also aims at promoting the literacy rate of adults through establishing Functional Adult Literacy Centers. The program emphasizes on both formal and non-formal education services. It has following components. Primary Education, Functional Adult Literacy.
Salient Objectives
Establish formal and non-formal educational institutions particularly in less developed areas with especial focus on girls' education; Devise strategies for improving education quality through parent teachers motivation, training and research; and Enhance literacy levels in rural areas by providing educational opportunities to underprivileged adults especially women through functional literacy program.
Reducing Gender Disparity in Education Through Enrollment Drive
In order to narrow down the gender gap in education and enhance the girls' enrollment in the government primary schools, Safwco's Education Development sector has embarked upon "Reducing Gender disparity in Education" program. As a part of this program, capacity building trainings and collective and motivation meetings are organized with school management committees to enable them to understand their roles and responsibilities in managing the school activities and discuss child friendly environment in schools and girls' enrollment and plans for addressing school issues. Under the auspices of this program, walks, seminars, workshops and street theatres are organized to get public participation for enrolling girls in schools. The adult literacy program of Safwco's Education development Sector aims to provide educational opportunities for those sections of society who are unable to take advantage of the regular programs of education because of barriers of tradition and culture - space, time, gender, age and economic circumstances especially for rural women.
Improving Quality of Education
Education is not only a fundamental right - with intrinsic value for human development and the quality of life, but also a critical enabling right, helping children to develop the skills which enable them to cope with life's challenges and be active contributing members of society. Safwco's education development sector focuses on the adequate attention to children's learning in the early years, while being important in and of itself, also makes vital contributions to improving key education indicators and quality, through a network of model primary schools, through impacts on 3 different groups - children, parents, and teachers. Children's enthusiasm for learning and their achievement Parents' increased engagement with their children's development and education Teachers' appreciation of these capable, motivated children and active learning methods. Quality education program is concerned with ensuring children grow up healthy and protected from harm, with opportunities for enjoyable learning, and with a sense of self-worth - able to communicate effectively and get on with others. The children are provided with viable education environment with all the basic teaching and learning facilities at their disposal.
Enhancing Literacy Levels
Adult education is a powerful means to reduce poverty because it offers reading, writing and numeracy, as well as other fundamental life skills that allow learning to continue throughout one's life. Education allows adults to gain the knowledge and skills for participation in society and the knowledge of economy. Literacy education program for adults is geared towards the poorest of the society especially disadvantaged women groups.
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