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VSO - Sharing Skills, Changing Lives

Where we do it > Pakistan

Facts & Figures Population: 154.7 million Capital city: Islamabad GDP per capita: $2,225 HDI ranking: 134 out of 177 countries * Life expectancy: 63

* The UNDP Human Development Index (HDI) measures a country's achievements in terms of life expectancy, educational attainment and adjusted real income.

Country background

VSO had to temporarily close its Pakistan programme due to security issues following 9/11, however it reopened in 2003 and the focus of VSO’s work in Pakistan is now in the areas of Education, Participation and Governance and HIV & AIDS.

Despite several initiatives taken by government and other agencies, eighteen million Pakistani children between the ages of 5-14 are still out of school (54%). Pakistan spends only 1.8% of its gross domestic product on education; the lowest in the region and the seventh lowest in the world. As well as poor school attendance, other issues have an impact on education standards in Pakistan, including poor management of government institutions, a lack of support for teachers, a weak national curriculum and the low quality of teacher training.

VSO’s work in education focuses on improving education quality in rural areas, particularly for girls, and in some deprived urban areas. Most volunteers work with community-based organisations, which support and manage groups of schools and run their own teacher training programmes. Education managers and primary teacher trainers are working with colleagues in these organisations to improve the quality of teacher training, support more women to pursue a career in teaching, and to ensure that head teachers and school management committees are better equipped to run schools.

Women, children, disabled people and people living with HIV & AIDS are often marginalised in Pakistan and government policies do not consider their needs or rights. In the area of Participation and Governance VSO volunteers are working with a range of community based organisations that are improving access to their rights for these groups. Volunteers with backgrounds in management, human resources and community development are working with organisations that are promoting opportunities for women to get an education, access healthcare and take part in small businesses so they can independently earn a living. Volunteers with experience in communication, advocacy, policy making and human rights are working with organisations that represent marginalised groups and lobby the government to implement policies that meet their needs and promote equality of access to decision-making processes that affects their lives.

The rates of HIV infections and AIDS related illnesses in Pakistan are rising and with the most affected age group being 20–49, this has the potential to have a devastating impact on the working population of Pakistan over the coming years and therefore the country’s ability to tackle poverty. At the moment a great deal of stigma surrounds HIV & AIDS in Pakistan and there is a lack of understanding of the impact and causes of HIV. This area of work is new for VSO Pakistan, but the focus of the programme is on raising awareness about HIV ,safe sex practices and promoting the rights of people living with HIV & AIDS.