Shangla Girls School

Summer Camp 2019

Zindagi Trust takes honor in being a Pakistani organization working for School Reform. With the aim to provide
every Pakistani child their right to quality education, we have been successful in transforming two government
schools in Karachi into model institutions. Over the past decade, we have been successfully running Summer
Camps at both our schools in Karachi offering a variety of special programs for students’ enrichment and this year,
we aim to expand our special program’s expertise outside of Karachi to benefit an underserved town in KP in shape
of Summer Fellowship.

Shangla at a Glance:

At about a distance of 140 km north-east of Swat, district Shangla enjoys an unparalleled identity with
its lush green hillocks and high mountains. The district is home to several distinctive characteristics
snuggling in its folds such as forests comprising of Blue Pine, Deodar Cedar trees and Pindow Fir and
relics of Alexander The Great camping at Pirsar.

Shangla, with its limited resources, offers considerable

development opportunities that remain overlooked due
to its remoteness According to estimates, up to 70% of
girls are out of school and the biggest reason is access,
not attitudes. However, the opportunity for growth is
tremendous and so will be the impact through
wholesome education.

Shangla Girls School:

Nestled between the mountains dotted with lush forests and colorful ceilings, Shangla Girls School
(henceforth refer as SGS) is the first secondary school for girls in Barkana, Shangla. The school is a recent
development spread over 20 kanal land overlooking
green terraces and snow-capped mountains across the
river.
Having a population of 250 students, SGS offers a variety
of facilities such as playground with basketball court, in-
door sports, a computer and science laboratory, a library
and classrooms equipped with audio-visual connectivity.
In inspiration for community development, the school
will keep its doors open for girls from community during
Summer Camp 2019.
Location Overview:

 Distance: 03:00 hour drive from Swat.

 Population: 10,000
 Households: 1200
 Local Language: Pashtu
 Other Languages: Urdu & English with average proficiency

Summer Fellowship at SGS:

Shangla is visited by few travellers and heard of by even fewer. To bridge the divide between Shangla
and the rest of Pakistan, Zindagi Trust is expanding its Summer Camp to an all-girls school in Shangla by
initiating a Summer Fellowship for the duration of two weeks in July.

The aim of the fellowship is to broaden students’ horizons by offering specialized summer programs.
The programs will be designed and carried out, under Zindagi Trust’s supervision, by experts in different
fields who will join as fellows to promote holistic education for students of the school and the larger
Shangla community. The opportunity will also enable fellows to get familiar with the culture, traditions
and lifestyle of a small Pakhtoon town
that lags behind on social parameters
more out of isolation than
apprehension.

The fellowship is a two-week unpaid

residential program open to individuals
residing in Pakistan aged 18+. The
individuals must have completed their
Intermediate/A Level/High School
studies to be eligible for the fellowship.

The fellowship includes:

1- Travel from Islamabad to Shangla and back

2- Communal lodging
3- Home-cooked meals
4- Certificates from Zindagi Trust upon the successful completion of the fellowship
5- General stationery

Summer Fellowship Programs:

1. Art:
Although the significance of art education is widely acknowledged, it remains an unexplored
area of student development for girls in Shangla. Hence, the potential for intellectual
transformation through art is ample. With the integration the of Art Program during the
Summer Fellowship we aim to familiarize the students in Shangla with art through basic
 techniques, group projects like school murals, an introduction to art history and more. Our goal
is for the Art Program to have a special focus on local arts and crafts (e.g.: Swati woodwork,
mirror art, local embroidery, etc.) wherever possible.

2. Sports:
Our schools are a testament to the fact that Sports
keep children active and also promote alertness,
collaboration, self-esteem and perseverance.
Through our Summer Fellowship program, we aim
to provide girls in Shangla with the opportunity to
explore their interest in Sports and develop a
variety of athletic skills. Currently, SGS is equipped
with a playground, a basketball court and an
indoor sports facility with table tennis. The
students at the girls’ school are enthusiastic about
cricket, badminton and volleyball.

3. Environment
The location of the school allows for us to capitalize on the opportunity to create and raise
awareness about environmental challenges in Shangla such as deforestation, pollution, waste
disposal etc. By creating awareness, our aim is for students to understand nature around them
and to broaden their thinking to include ways to design solutions for local environmental issues
as well as understand how they fit into the global climate change challenge. We aim for the
activities under the Environment program to integrate Social Studies and Science subjects and
give the students experience in activism, problem-solving and application of academics to real-
world challenges.

Objectives of the Fellowship:

1- Objectives for Students:

 Introduce co-curricular programs that are transformative while still being local and
relevant.
 Nurture female students from an underserved village to develop a broader worldview.
 Awareness and adoption of alternative, multi-faceted approaches to learning for
students with limited exposure.
 Enhancement of confidence and self-esteem for females in Shangla through awareness
and exposure.
 Establish the school as a community resource through attraction and promotion of
tourism.

2- Objectives for Fellows:

 Professional Goals:
 Networking and relationship building with differently skilled fellows from
around Pakistan and with the local community of Shangla.
  Experienced designing a contextualized interactive educational program for
students from under-served area.
 Enhanced operational knowledge of a far-flung town and its resourcefulness in
Pakistan’s social and economic development.
 Certification of Fellowship from Zindagi Trust.

 Beyond The School:

 Integration into another community with development of life-long friendships.
 Learning and understanding of cultures and traditions of a remote Pakhtoon
town.
 An all-expense paid opportunity to travel within and live like Shangla locals
whilst doing what you enjoy doing.
 Explore the beauty of Shangla through planned field trips and tours.

Travel & Lodging:

 Travel:
Fellows are expected to arrive in Islamabad on June 30th at a pre-set location from where they
will be driven to the school, accompanied by a representative of Zindagi Trust. Fellows will be
expected to travel from their residence to Islamabad at their own expense. They will be driven
back to Islamabad at the end of the Fellowship.

 Lodging:
Communal accommodation with shared rooms will be provided at the school’s commissioned
residence in Shangla for all fellows. Meals will be provided for except for weekends when the
fellows will cook for themselves.

Travel and lodging expense from Islamabad to school and back will be borne by Zindagi Trust. Fellows
should expect limited and/or poor network connectivity and unpredictable weather conditions.

How To Apply:
Interested individuals can write to us at aqsa.seth@zindagitrust.org expressing their willingness to apply
for the fellowship by specifying “Summer in Shangla” in the subject line. More details, including the
application form, will be shared on email.

The last date for applications is June 22nd, 2019. Female candidates are encouraged to apply.

About Zindagi Trust

Zindagi Trust works on improving the quality of education available to the average Pakistani child
through pilot projects in school reform and policy advocacy. The trust’s vision for a successful school is
one that produces well-rounded citizens, not just students who score A’s. To this end, it focuses on
making classroom learning fun but also on developing strong co-curricular programs and on opening
minds to new life and career choices. It has groomed national and regional champions and high
achievers in chess, football, art, and science and youth leadership. Crucially, it has empowered young
women – from a section of society where they are still marginalized – to enter professional and public
life.