Meet Our Pen Pals
Hover over each student's picture to learn more about them
Pakistan
ERAJ
Eraj is fourteen and is in eighth grade. She enjoys playing soccer and dancing in her free time. She has five sisters and four brothers. Eraj's favorite color is sky blue and her favorite food is a fish sandwich. She loves living in Pakistan.
From Pakistan
SUMMIYA
Summiya is fifteen years old. She has four brothers and four sisters. She enjoys skipping and watching movies in her free time. She doesn't have time to play after school because she has to help her mother at home and do her homework. Her father is a shopkeeper and her favorite subject in school is math. She speaks Urdu and Pashto and is learning English. Her favorite food is mixed vegetable bhujia. If she were to change one part of her school, she would like to have more art classes. Even though she can't attend college because she is part of a tribal family, she is grateful to her school and the US for helping her receive an education.
NOUMAN
Nouman is fifteen years old and is the youngest of five brothers. His favorite sport is cricket and which he always plays on the weekend and he enjoys flying kites. His favorite food is chicken korma. His goal is to attend college and would like to become an army officer in the future. His favorite color is sky blue and his favorite part about his school is their garden which is used to teach them agriculture. If he were to change one thing in his school he would like to have a computer lab.
SONIA
Sonia is thirteen years old and is in seventh grade. She enjoys playing badminton with her friends in her free time. Her favorite food is mango chutney which her sister cooks for her. Sonia loves going to school. It is the best part of her day. Sonia loves celebrating festivals with her friends and family.
Exchange #2
RIMSHA
Rimsha is fourteen and is in eighth grade. She is so grateful that she receives a free education because her family could not cover the expenses otherwise. Her father passed away leaving her and her two sisters alone with a single mother. Her two sisters also attend the same school. Her favorite food is simply rice because you can eat it with anything. If Sonia were to add anything to to school, she would like to have a playground.
MOHABBAT
Mohabbat is fifteen years old and has seven sisters and two brothers. He finds it unfair that his sisters are not allowed to go to school. He lives in a very strict and conservative household. Mohabbat is extremely grateful for his education because he realizes the great value that an education holds. His favorite subject in school is English and his dream is to study this in college. His favorite foods are cheeseburgers and omelettes. He loves to play cricket in his free time. He believes that to improve the school more furniture, additional classrooms, and a computer lab should be added.
English
English
اردو
OUR
VISION
We want every child in Pakistan to attend school so students can give back to their community and support their families, which
will shape the world into a safer place.
About Us
Power to Pakistan is a non-profit advocacy club at Aspen High School that supports the non-profit organization Moqah Foundation. We aim to provide access to education for youth in rural areas of Pakistan in order to eliminate generational poverty, build gender equity, and support students to have better futures. Power to Pakistan fundraises money to support youth, mostly girls, with scholarships to attend school for free in rural areas of Pakistan. Power to Pakistan was created to give these girls the future that they deserve and a purpose in life through education.
We believe it is unfair that children in Pakistan are being denied an education because of their gender, socioeconomic statuses, or accessibility to schools. By providing girls with an education, they become employable which can provide income for their families and support them to have stronger roles in their communities. An education is important in children’s lives because it establishes a sense of purpose, especially for girls who have been underrepresented in the past due to their inability to attend school. Other outcomes of girls' education include delaying early forced marriages, providing youth with the tools to resist extremist recruitment, keeping students out of full time forced labor, and preventing youth trafficking. Power to Pakistan was established to support these youth to reach their goals and fulfill their dreams.
Our schools are co-ed but implemented the "girls first" rule, which means that if a family wishes to enroll their boys in school, they must enroll their girls first. This rule is meant to build gender equity in Pakistan by giving girls equal educational opportunities and teaching the boys that educating girls is important.
OUR MISSION
We aim to make school available to all children, especially girls, in order to reduce the poverty level, build gender equity, and provide better futures.
About Moqah Foundation
Power to Pakistan supports the non-profit organization Moqah Foundation
All donations made to Power to Pakistan go directly to Moqah Foundation, which is a non-profit organization based out of Bhara Kahu, Pakistan. This allows funds to reach the schools in a more efficient way since the NPO is in Pakistan. Moqah Foundation supplies academic scholarships to youth living in poverty throughout Pakistan to improve human rights and alleviate conditions of poverty. It currently runs two schools: the Social Uplift for Knowledge and Health school in Bhara Kahu and the Social Uplift for Knowledge and Health school in Sheikhupura. Moqah Foundation is registered under the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan and has highly audited accounts and a strong structure to move this work forward on their own. Marshall Direct Fund, which was based in the United States, created Moqah Foundation to more efficiently implement its programs and fundraise in Pakistan. Moqah Foundation builds local sustainability and empowers local Pakistanis. For the past five years Marshall Direct Fund has been working hand in hand with Moqah Foundation. In 2020, Marshall Direct Fund handed Moqah Foundation full responsibility of fundraising and overseeing programs.
Creates peace
Helps girls think for themselves
Girls can support their families
Prolongs arranged, young marriages
Girls are given a purpose in life
Girls give back to their communities
Jobs are created
Prevents terrorism recruitments
OUTCOMES
Why We Support Education in Pakistan
for every school year she completes beyond 4th grade.
A girl's income-earning potential increases by
20%
5.6 Million
primary school-aged children, mostly girls, lack access to education in Pakistan.
Current realities of public education in Pakistan include
High drop-out rates
Ghost schools
High costs
Low-quality institutions
In the Punjab province,
where our schools are located,
School enrollment is 62%
and 44% for girls
The literacy rate for women is 54%
CHILDREN IN PAKISTAN ARE MARRIED BY AGE 18
IN PAKISTAN ONLY
OF THE FEMALE POPULATION
ARE ENTREPRENEURS
1%
PAKISTAN IS RANKED
143 out of 144
COUNTIES IN TERMS OF ECONOMIC PARTICIPATION & OPPORTUNITY IN THE WORLD
2 out of 3 girls in Pakistan do not know how to read or write
PAKISTAN IS RANKED
COUNTIES IN TERMS OF EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
IN THE WORLD
136 out of 144
6 Ways to Make a Difference
1.
Inspire youth to make a difference in our cause.
Put statistics in context to make them more conceivable and easy to grasp.
3.
5.
Keep advertisements simple and to the point while repeating the same message.
2.
Use fun and innovative activities to engage the public in our cause
Make advertisements personal through telling stories so that they feel like they are a part of the solution.
4.
Make marketing campaigns visual and entertaining.
6.