Siyani Sahelian is a programme for marginalised adolescent girls (aged 9-19) in South Punjab, Pakistan developed by Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA), or the “Centre of Education and Consciousness” Public Trust. The programme offers a ‘second chance’ to out-of school adolescent girls who have either dropped out of school with little or no learning, or who may have never enrolled in school due to their circumstances. In a span of two years (2018-2020), the programme has equipped 11,000 girls who have never been to school with functional literacy/numeracy skills and mainstreamed girls into formal school. The programme has also enabled 6,500 girls who had previously dropped out of school to complete their primary, middle and secondary education. AG3’s response to COVID-19 focused on four broad categories: academics, accelerated and second chance learning and assessments; creativity expression and healing; health, WASH and psychosocial support; and vocational skills and livelihoods.
Impact / Outcome ITA has worked closely with the Federal and Provincial Education Departments throughout this period to support their efforts to make no-, low- and hi-tech solutions accessible for education, health, WASH and livelihoods training. As a result, resources and content developed through AG3 were selected and approved to be aired on national TeleSchool during the COVID-19 period. The girls who graduated from the vocational skills strand have been important actors in efforts to combat the impacts of COVID-19. By quickly identifying the increasing demand for protective products against COVID-19, these graduates produced 8,000 facemasks which were sold in the markets (both retail and wholesale). Adhering to the ‘work-from-home’ model with just a sewing machine, raw materials, design and some thread, these young women took on the role of solution providers and generated income for their households in this challenging time.
Key Metrics Supported the economic empowerment of adolescent girls by extending certified vocational skills
