Access to Education for Girls in Thanda Pani, Pakistan

Village Thanda Pani is located in District Neelum along the Line of Control (LoC) approximately 135km upstream from Muzzafarabad, near village Dodnial. Thanda Pani is one of the most populated villages in the Neelum district with the fewest educational facilities, particularly for girls. Since Thanda Pana is so close to the line of control, it is a low priority for the government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). There is extremely limited access. Currently, there are 2 primary schools for boys with none existing for girls. The existing schools are already overcrowded and due to persistent cultural norms, most inhabitants of Thanda Pani are against co-education so girls are not allowed to attend classes with boys.

Education is key to improved quality of life and female empowerment. The gender gap in Thanda Pani is widest in levels of literacy, school enrollment, dropout rates, and vocational training opportunities. While cultural norms exist around co-education, the population of Thanda Pani is not completely against young girls gaining an education. Findings of focus group discussions led by Community Services Program (CSP) in Thanda Pani revealed that 70-75% of school-age girls are not attending school primarily because of the lack of a facility.

CSP is proposing to create a branch of the Tine Girls Model School in Thanda Pani. CSP has located a facility to be rented as a girls’ primary school. The community will contribute to the rent. Teachers have been found in an adjacent village. The creation of this primary school will lower early marriage rates, empower the girls from a young age, and fight against the patriarchal norms in society.

Rockflower Partners with the AVAZ Association to Establish a Women's Technology Education Center in Turkey

Rockflower is pleased to announce a new partnership with the AVAZ Association. They aim to support the refugees in the region and the local people in need to access to permanent income sources and social rights, and to open alternative ways for those to integrate better into the society.

Rockflower will provide the funding to establish a women’s technology education centre where refugee and local women and girls will be trained in multiple computer-related programmes.

Find out more about the Establish Women's Technology Education Center Project.

Rockflower Launches Campaign for Phase Two of End Female Genital Mutilation and Keep Girls in School

Rockflower is launching this campaign to raise funds and awareness for phase two of the Rockflower and Society for the Improvement of Rural People project partnership to reduce the female genital mutilation (FGM) prevalence rate in the Akwuke community of Enugu State from 85% to 45% over a twelve month period. This will have a direct effect on keeping girls in school.

The goal for this fundraising campaign is to build on the success of SIRP's efforts to engage men and boys in the push to end Female Genital Mutilation and prevention of child marriage, thereby keeping girls in school.

We will raise $2,600 to cover the cost of training and sensitization for: 

• 10 traditional and religious leaders

• 15 family heads, elders and opinion leaders

• 15 teachers

• 15 Youth activists

The End Female Genital Mutilation and Keep Girls in School is being led by Youth Advisory Board member, Rex Ward.

“When I saw the project to End Female Genital Mutilation, I felt really compelled to be part of it. I have to be honest, I didn’t even know about female genital mutilation (FGM) or how widespread it was or how it affects girls ability to go to school. But then I read about Somto, a young lawyer in Nigeria, who was engaging with his friends and holding a soccer tournament to get men and boys to understand that they need to be advocates for these young girls, I realized I needed to join the effort. If these were my sisters, I would want someone to help me.”

— Rex Ward