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Due to an increase in terrorist activity over the past few years, the Pakistani government now requires security cameras to be installed in all schools.

Already, shortly after the Peshawar school attack in 2014, all of Pakistan’s schools were required to construct eight-foot-high boundary walls topped with razor wire. Amin’s school only had 6-foot walls at the time, so the needed changes were made.

CCTV cameras were also being highly recommended. Now they are compulsory. Of course, this is a huge expense for a school that depends mainly on donations!

A short news article from three years ago* in the Episcopal News Service website expressed it well. After listing the security measures being imposed by the government at that time, they added (quoting from a Peshawar
church news site):

“ ‘All the Christian educational and other institutions have already taken the so-called security measures but they are highly inadequate,’ Frontier News says. ‘The arms and ammunition, security cameras, walk-through gates, barriers and the armed guards are an expensive commodity, and far beyond the reach of poor and highly vulnerable Christian communities.’ ”

Principal Amin is required to install 4 Closed Circuit Television security cameras, two inside the courtyard, and two outside the front entrance.  The two in the courtyard will monitor the interior classroom doors.

The two exterior cameras will capture video in both directions, up and down the street.

Amin hopes the cost will not exceed $200 to $250. The CCTV cameras are supposed to be installed by April 10 when the school’s registration is renewed.

Besides the cost of the camera system, there’s a $300 total fee for the school registration renewal, with part of it due by April 10th as a deposit. The registration renewal process will continue for 2-3 months.

The registration fee covers things like filing fees for legal documents for all the teachers, having the floor plan (“school map”) drawn of the school, and health certifications.

The deadline is here, and more help is needed. Please be praying for this need to be met, and any donations you care to contribute will be greatly appreciated.

Meanwhile, Amin has recently accepted two new students into the school, “very poor children”. His heart is so big, he would gladly take in even more if there was room for them.

There are now 252 students in the regular daytime classes, and another 55 in the “academy” that Amin teaches after the school session ends. This is a special afternoon/evening program for older students who were unable to regularly attend school when they were younger, and they need to catch up.

* If you’d like to read another, more recent article about school security in Pakistan, here’s one from December 2018: Gulf News Asia

Every year Christ Public School gives uniforms to the orphans and poor children who attend the school, by the grace of God.

Here is a picture from last year.

This year’s Fun Fair and Uniform Ceremony will take place on February 28, which is tomorrow night (the 27th) on the U.S. side of the globe.

Amin reports that they have counted 50 kids this year who need a uniform, socks, shoes, a tie, and so forth.  This will cost about $15 per child.

Here is a precious little boy raising his hand to indicate that he needs a uniform.

As always, Amin appreciates everyone who is able to help supply the needed funds to carry on the work of educating these children and giving them a future.

He invites you to help one or more kids by “sending your Love” by Western Union, Money Gram, or Paypal.  “God bless you. Remember this program in your prayers.”

It’s never too late to join in, because the needs are ongoing. Books are still being paid for in installments, due at the end of each month.  Then there are teachers’ salaries, food for the lunch program, and so much more just to keep the school functioning day after day.

God always supplies the needs and makes a way, and you and I are so blessed to be a part of the blessing for these children.

Today should have been the first day of the new school year for the kids at Christ Public School.

However, due to extremely cold weather, the Pakistani government in that province has extended the winter vacation for both public and private schools.

This is the news article (on the left) that Amin posted in his Facebook timeline.

Understanding the School Year

The school year in Pakistan is different than in many other places including the U.S.  In fact, there are two different calendars within Pakistan, depending on whether the school is a Christian school or a secular school.

Most Christian schools end the old school year and begin the new school year according to the calendar year.  So, toward the end of December, the children are taking their final exams and having the big Results Day event where they learn their test scores, receive trophies for achievement, and are promoted to the next class.

Secular schools, on the other hand, will end their school year in March and begin the new year in April. So when those kids are going back to school in January following the winter break, it is still the same school year (just like here in America).

Winter Vacation runs for about two weeks.  (The Results Day is actually a special celebration that’s held during the break.)  This year, the break is closer to being three weeks long because of the weather delay.

Books for the coming school year are frequently given out on Results Day at Christ Public School, but there was a delay this year due to shortage of funds.  Books were distributed to the kids from December 28th to 30th.

     And then, school was supposed to start again on January 2nd, but now it will start on January 7th instead.

Meanwhile, Amin appreciates all donations that have been received so far, and has faith for the remaining funds to be provided, as he will be making the installment payments for the books at the end of each month.

The shop owner was willing to let Amin pay for the books in three installments, to be paid in full by March 31st.

Amin went to the book shop today and selected the books for the new school year, then had them delivered by motor bike cart.

Amin’s entire journey from his rural village to the larger city and back took him from noon until 6:00 p.m.  It was starting to get dark as they approached the school.

A friend was very kind to transport Amin on his motor bike, since Amin currently has no vehicle of his own.  (He sold his motor bike several months ago to help finance projects at the school.)

How did the books get delivered to the school?

It was quite a process. Amin hired a motor bike cart delivery service to transport the books, with Amin and his friend following behind the cart on the friend’s motor bike.

Here is a video of the books enroute to the school.

Finally, the books are unloaded from the cart and stacked in the school.

The shop owner wanted half of the purchase cost as a downpayment, but agreed to let Amin wait until December 31st to pay the first half.

The remaining half of the cost is due in two more monthly installments on January 31st and February 28th.

Donations to help cover these costs are greatly appreciated, as well as your prayers.

The 250 sets of books will be delivered to the students from December 28 – 30 in preparation for the new school year which begins January 2nd.

The books include Homework diaries and note books, as well as the lesson books for the various grade levels.

This little boy was happy to receive his books last year.

These children take their education very seriously and know they are extremely blessed to receive an education. We can’t say “thank you” enough to all the people who help make this possible.

Christ Public School celebrated it’s 19 year anniversary on November 29th, 2018. It was a joyful occasion for the kids.

The school’s birthday was not the only birthday to be celebrated that day.  Amin’s twins turned 12 years old the very same day. They were born … totally by coincidence, of course … on the school’s 7th birthday.

Happy 12th Birthday to Amin’s son and daughter, Happy and Mahek!

Where will the annual school field trip’s destination be this year? Amin wants to take the children to the Rana Resort and Safari Park near Lahore, near the Head Balloki Reservoir. It’s an interesting  combination of a wildlife refuge and amusement park.

The kids are excited, especially because the date has been set for next week, Tuesday November 27th.

However, it may need to be rescheduled for another date if the needed funds have not come in yet. This trip involves traveling nearly 2 hours each way, plus the low admission cost, and other costs such as feeding everyone. It comes to $300 needed in total.  Bus fare has already been covered now, praise God! Now only $150 remains to be donated.

I’m sure we all can agree that field trips are an important part of a child’s education, especially when the children come from poor families who cannot provide some of these experiences for their children.

This is a popular destination for school trips, as the children can be exposed to a wide variety of mind-expanding experiences all in one place. 

There are various kinds of birds and animals to observe.

There is a little “train” (without tracks) that can carry people along some of the roads in this beautiful natural setting. There are also many other attractions.

I found a couple of YouTube videos (narrated in the Urdu language) that take you on tours through the park. Apparently, these are professionally done episodes of a local TV show.

Even though it’s not narrated in English, you can get a very good feel for what this place is all about and how Amin’s school kids can be enriched by going there.  (All the images in this blog post are extracted from these two videos.)  I enjoyed watching the videos and feeling like I was experiencing this place for myself.

Click on the video image to watch it in YouTube.
Here’s the other one. Watch and enjoy! Get excited along with the kids!