Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi study: Addressing the plight of Katchi Abadi children.

Byline: Mahnoor Sheikh

The poor living conditions in Katchi Abadis (KAs) and the challenges faced by the vulnerable children residing there, particularly the lack of educational facilities, were revealed in a recent pilot study conducted by Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA) with the support of Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) Pakistan pilot study on learning and accountability in four urban slums of Pakistan, including Karachi West, Korangi, Malir and Lahore, sheds light on the challenges faced by the vulnerable children in KAs who are denied with access to quality education. Using ASER Pakistan tools, mapped mainly to lower primary or grade 2 level national and provincial competencies, the survey covered a total of 114 KAs, reaching out to 2, 275 households, 2,285 Mothers and 6,411 children (age 3-16). The results called for urgent planning and action, addressing a large segment of children, adolescents and youth in Pakistan who remain marginalized.

Given this premise, a round table discussion was held in Karachi to discuss the data and findings shared in the report titled 'Measuring Learning Quality in Katchi Abadis of Pakistan' which was attended by a multi-sectoral and inter-departmental group of experts and decision makers. With almost 50% of the total population in urban areas living in KAs and more than 60% in Karachi, the challenges are huge when it comes to unmet services. The participants drew urgent attention to the plight of children in the KAs of Pakistan and to the fundamental Right to Education as per Article 25-A of the Constitution and respective laws in Pakistan (Sindh 2013) and Punjab (2014) to which the govt. representatives present had pledged to provide spaces to establish libraries and resource centers in KAs of Korangi.

According to the KA pilot study, around 38% of the KAs do not have daily access to water and about 18% get water once in 15 days or more; in 46% KAs there is no routine system for cleaning of drains and garbage collection. While majority of the households (79%) had their own toilets, 21% either had shared (13%) or public (5%) toilets and for 3%, there was no option but open defecation. The participants at the round table reflected on the data shared in the report and the problem, scale and opportunities that come with it. They said that consolidated efforts are required by all stakeholders to mitigate the problems of KAs. With the climate...