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The Starfish Asia Fund
32 Beck Lane
Beckenham
Kent BR3 4RE
UK
Telephone
+44 (0)20 8402 1914
Email
mike@starfishasia.com
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The Miracle School in the Brick Kiln Village The Miracle continues for the children of the brick kiln workers at Youhannabad 2 outside Lahore. The school buildings that they rent from a local family are far too small for the 170 children now attending the school -- and there is no room for expansion. Through a generous donor however, Arthur, Rubina and the Miracle School ministries have now purchased a plot of ground on which they plan to construct a new school. Amazingly, the funds for a 6-room, 2-storey foundation building have also been provided and within the next two or three months the buildings should go up. Watch this space! We will provide pictures of the construction as it progresses. Here now is a picture of the plot
Excited to be at school
Life at Holy Shepherd, Karachi
Life at the Holy Shepherd School is ever changing. Anser Javed has endless new initiatives to keep his students excited about school and to motivate his staff. This (above) was Prize Distribution Day on 1st May, an oppportunity for Kashi (Anser's wife and school Principal) to show her creative skills. On another day Urdu Children's Bibles were presented as a 'New Academic Year gift' to some of the Middle School children. Dr Jan-e-Alam Khaki, Assistant Professor from the Institute for Educational Development at the Aga Khan University, Karachi, came to the school in April to meet the staff and give a valuable lecture on 'Curriculum in the 21st Century'.
Anser Javed, Director of the Holy Shepherd Grammar School in Karachi, organized a three-month Adult Literacy course in 12 centres around the city. 250 students attended and took strides towards becoming literate.
Answer wrote: "Kiran Yousuf is a student in our Adult Literacy Centre. When she was 12 years old her mother expired and, because she had to look after her brother and sister, she left school. She came to our literacy centre to start learning again and during this time we identified her as a capable and eager student. The course has now finished and she has joined our school as a regular student in class 9. I am hopeful that in two years she will graduate from our school with her Matric pass. Thank the Lord that He used us to help her climb up all those years she could not go to school. A dream has come true in her life." Gospel School Summer outing Shamshad and Rubina at the Gospel School in Bilal Town (Lahore) gave their children some exciting new experiences in their summer vacation. "After the first term exams we arranged a Summer Vacation Bible School, 20- 27 June, for our School Children. Fifty children attended the summer Vacation Bible School. We used the Children's Bibles and our school teachers and other guest teachers taught the Children about Jesus' Love and other related topics. At the end the children did some handiwork and drawing. After the Summer School we went for an outing to the Lahore Wildlife Park. The Gospel School provided lunch and fruit for all the children. The children were very happy and excited. The Gospel School has just negotiated the purchase of a plot of land, on which to build a new school for Bilal Town. This is a dream come true for the community -- but still needs serious funding before it becomes a reality.
Prize day at St. James St. James High School is one of the new schools to which we have made a regular commitment. Salome had a dream to provide a school that could not only cater for the poor in her community, but also give a strong Christian foundation to the next generation. The school developed out of her Sunday School class eight years ago, but has struggled with inadequate resources, little furniture and space, lack of books and low salaries. These pictures were taken at the annual results and awards day on March 31st. Free books Providing school books for their children can be a major expense for poor families. It may not sound much -- about £5 / US$10 per child for the year's supply of books -- but that is a lot of money for those who earn £20 or £30 a month. At the CAP schools, run by Professor Kaleem Dean and his wife Nagina in Youhannabad, Lahore -- Starfish Asia Fund provided free books for 400 children -- much appreciated by all the parents.
Steve Curran (seen giving books in the picture above) is Director of a Tuition centre in West London (click here for his website). He spent ten days in Pakistan in April giving advice on raising the standard of education at the Starfish Asia-supported schools. As part of his recommendations to Starfish Asia, we are committed to ensure that every child in our schools has books, that the schools are adequately furnished and provide a friendly learning environment, and that teachers are motivated and qualified to do the best job possible. Standing behind Steve in the picture is Prof. Kaleem Dean, Director CAP.
A Passion to bless
St. Peter's among the bamboos
Ruth (above) and William give their whole time now to the growing school in the Bamboo Plantation village of Burj Klan, close to the India border. Some further repair work was needed to the roof of the fine building (above), and they are beginning to see that more building will be necessary when they add a further class or two. No school ever gets smaller!
Welcome! Equipped to face the future
The Gospel School has grown and now 190 children attend. The Starfish Asia Fund has provided free books for the every child and extra funding for furniture and equipment. Starfish Asia Fund donors have also provided for the purchase of a plot of land on which to build a permanent school for the Christian community. Pray now for funding to construct a fine school building for the community. These children deserve better. Together we can fulfil their dreams. Hope is not an idle dream...
Noreen's father works on a brick-kiln and is in debt to the brick-kiln owner. There is not enough money for the family to eat properly and the children are often hungry. Ashraf Naheed and Wilma who run the Abba Home, supported by Starfish Asia Fund, are providing the family with some help for food. On 25 April Ashraf wrote: "Sana is 8 years old from a very poor family. She lived at the brick-kiln. Her father died from diabetes. Due to his illness her family got into debt. Her mother makes bricks at the brick-kiln, but her income is very low as she has to repay the debt. She cannot meet the needs of her children, nor even feed them properly. They only have breakfast and nothing for lunch or supper. Sana's mother heard about Abba Home. She brought her daughters to us for us to look after them. Now, Sana and her sister are living happily with our other girls. They are going to school for their studies."
We know we can't help everyone -- but we have to help some! |
Waqas Moazzam and his wife Selina were drawn
to the medium-sized town of Okara, on the road
between Lahore and Multan to the Southwest.
Waqas is a pastor and worship-leader and he is
passionate about bringing people to faith in Christ
and deepening their spiritual experience. He and
Selina are also concerned about the needs of the
poor in the Christian community in Okara. In the past
year they have built a school, church and
accommodation building as a centre for ministry in
Okara. The school opened in April and already more
than 100 children from the neighbourhood crowd the
classrooms. Known as Living Stones, this
comprehensive ministry is partially supported through
the Starfish Asia Fund.
Shamshad and Rubina run the
Gospel School System in Bilal Town
on the outskirts of Lahore. The
community is very poor and only
nominally Christian, but Shamshad
and his wife have a passion -- to see
the next generation grow up, not only
able to face the modern world
equipped with an education, but also
with the firm foundation of a faith in
Christ.