Deprived communities: Sindh govt, GCT to transform academic landscape: minister
He further stated that the Sindh government and Green Crescent Trust (GCT) could transform the landscape of education for underserved communities across the province.
Speaking as chief guest at the inauguration of the landmark Educational Complex of the non-profit Green Crescent Trust (GCT) in Mehrabpur, Lanjar praised the initiative, which in its first phase will provide schooling for 600 children from disadvantaged families.
The Home minister went a step further by announcing that he would personally volunteer his services to support charitable educational efforts anywhere in Sindh.
'I am available for these voluntary services anywhere in Sindh to brighten the future of our future generations. My services will always be available — both as a provincial minister and afterwards,' he said.
Lanjar commended the high standards of the newly built academic facilities at GCT's Educational Complex, given the name Al-M'awa campus.
He expressed concern that doctors and teachers in public institutions often preferred to work in major cities rather than remote and underdeveloped areas, urging them to follow the example of NGO staff who willingly serve in challenging rural environments.
He noted that the Sindh government had been actively partnering with dedicated NGOs through public-private partnerships to revitalise educational and healthcare facilities for marginalised communities.
He particularly lauded the fact that hundreds of GCT's female teachers were graduates of its own schools, calling it 'the best way to uplift one's underserved native area.'
He assured the audience that the provincial government, through the Sindh Education Foundation (SEF), would provide maximum financial and academic support to credible NGOs such as GCT, which had been working tirelessly to educate children from underprivileged areas.
The Home minister also announced that he would donate land to expand educational services of the GCT in Sindh.
Naushahro Feroze Deputy Commissioner, Muhammad Arsalan Saleem, also addressed the gathering, pledging full support from the local administration for GCT's schools in his district.
General Amjad Khattak (retd), GCT Adviser, stressed that enrolling out-of-school children was essential for Pakistan's progress, urging charities, NGOs, and provincial education authorities to work together to eradicate illiteracy and establish quality schools in neglected regions.
GCT CEO, Zahid Saeed, said launching a state-of-the-art educational facility for an underserved community was the best way to celebrate Pakistan's Independence Day and Marka-e-Haq with true zeal and purpose.
He thanked GCT's dedicated donors and patrons for enabling it to expand quality education into remote areas where the government and other NGOs had not established schools.
Zahid Saeed shared that, in its 31-year history, GCT had established a network of 173 charitable schools in Sindh, enrolling 34,660 children from destitute families.
Once fully operational, the Mehrabpur Educational Complex will accommodate 2,400 students up to Class 12, becoming GCT's second facility in Sindh to also offer college-level education.
The total cost of the project is Rs 400 million, with Rs 110 million spent to complete the first phase, which includes modern classrooms, IT and science laboratories, a library, a playground, and vocational training facilities.
In Mehrabpur alone, GCT currently operates 11 charitable schools educating 2,200 children, more than 40 per cent of whom are girls.
He announced that with the support of its generous donors, the GCT will start many similar schools in the future.
He also informed the audience that under the vision 2030 of GCT, it will meet the overall target of 100,000 enrolment with a total of 250 schools.
He expressed his sincerest gratitude to the Sindh CM, the education minister and SEF for their strong support for GCT in enrolling out-of-school children.
'We are also deeply grateful to our generous donors and patrons for their outstanding support of our drive to enrol out-of-school children in Sindh,' said GCT CEO Zahid Saeed.
He added, 'We are thankful to Sindh Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar for taking time from his pressing engagements to inaugurate our new school and demonstrate his unwavering commitment to the cause of educating children from deprived communities.'
Provincial government representatives, development partners, philanthropists, and community stakeholders also attended the inauguration ceremony.
Philanthropist Zia Hameed and GCT trustee Saad Zia also spoke on the importance of charitable initiatives in eliminating illiteracy in Pakistan.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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