Update from BHW Field Director

Recent Events

Christian Cambridge School (PAK06)

The school is going really well. There are now 100 students (up from 70 at my last visit) and there are 12 people working there. The classrooms are still being developed but Azam is ahead of the need right now. He expects that there will be about 500 in the school when it is finished.

There is a growing awareness of the school in the community and the local Moslem leader tells everyone that this is a great school. In fact, a Moslem guy wanted to start building another school in the area but the mullah told him not to bother because he could never provide as good an education as the Christian Cambridge School.

Azam thinks that by the time the number of students gets to around 150 the school will be self-sustaining and covering all the costs. Of course that doesn’t mean any return on the money invested.  

Sewing Centres (PAK01a-d)

The sewing classes in Rawat (PAK01a) and Wazir (PAK01d) are going really well. Between them they have about 40 students. The Rawat one is still being run at the request of the women. They intended to have finished it by now but the community is strongly requesting that they continue to run it. This is putting some stress on them in terms of time to do everything.

They think they would like to change it as they have done sewing classes there for at least four years. They are thinking of changing this to a computer training centre to try and get some boys involved as well. They are going to send through a proposal for that. There may be some issues to deal with, especially keeping the rooms cool enough to have a computer lab.

The Wazir class (at the school building) is going very well and will be hard to stop. It is proving to be a really good entrance into the community. With the school and the sewing being run there, the church is growing. Since starting about two years ago it has grown from 6 people to 60, most of them conversions. They want to continue the sewing in this area for at least one more year. 

The rural sewing centres in Faisalabad (PAK01c) are doing very well. There are now four running in different villages. Those who come are all poor women.

The total number of women learning sewing is around 100 per year now. Azam has many requests to do similar programmes in more villages. He wants to start another two and I am working with him on a budget for these.  

Faisalabad Adult Literacy (PAK05a)

After the sewing courses began in the Faisalabad villages, the students requested that they start adult literacy as few of them could read so that has begun as well. There are around 15 people in each class, meaning about 60 are being trained in that area. 

Churches

Azam oversees three churches around Rawalpindi. He planted all of them and I have visited them all. Each has had a sewing programme based in them as well. He has some other voluntary pastors who assist him. So, he starts the churches and gets them established, then he moves on to another location. The most recent one is the one in Chaklala, Wazir.

About two months ago the three churches had a combined public baptism. They went to an area where there is a river and asked the people there to give them 45 minutes. They baptised 20 people in public. Many people observed what was happening and asked questions and took photos. These people are fearless. The new church in Wazir, using the school building, is in an area where there are many Taliban people. They cause no trouble and are very open to friendship and conversation.