Back to What we do... How you can help Rural Development projects                     Starfish Asia 32 Beck Lane Beckenham Kent BR3 4RE UK Telephone +44 (0)20 8402 1914 Email mike@starfishasia.com	Rural Development Pakistan is a land of villages. Though millions have moved into the sprawling cities -- and it is the urban poor that consitute the greatest tragedy -- more than 65% of Pakistanis live in a village and agriculture is their way of life. Rural Pakistan has a charm of its own, though life is tough and comforts are few in the villages. Many Christians live in villages and Starfish Asia is helping several local people whose concern is for the future of these deprived communities. Samuel Memorial Foundation Education Centre Sambhal, Chak 113, near Khanewal Sohail Samuel comes from village 113 near Khanewal in central Punjab. After serving 10 years in a Christian College in Lahore, he returned to his village, passionate to provide education and hope to his backward rural community.   With help from generous supporters, Sohail built a High School school in the heart of his village. It has a clearly Christian ethos and curriculum but serves all communities. There are currently 170 students, served by nine full-time staff.     Sohail writes: 'We provide free education. All children come from very poor families and are being cared for to demonstrate our Christian character and to promote fraternity on Christian values.'   Starfish Asia supplements support given by another foundation, providing scholarships for 100 children and some help towards the running a clinic. We are considering how we can help other aspects of this fine work.   Samuel Memorial Foundation   Goats and fruit trees   Sohail Samuel has a dream to provide more help for village 113. A project to give cows to widows has been funded by another Charity, and Sohail hasalso launched a Goat and Tree project for the poor in his village. The project will provide goats to 300 families to provide income to enable them to send their children to school. In similar manner he will provide fruit trees and advice on growing and harvesting fruit. The Starfish Asia fund has helped with this project.          We can't help them all -- but we surely must help some!