Meet Zurhi, Neelofar, Masooma, and Belqis: Iqra Fund scholarship students who have recently completed their high school education in Skardu!
Living at a hostel in Skardu, a city far from their home villages, these girls (above) are the first generation from their region to have a high school education. They are also some of our eldest students we've been supporting for the past ten years through primary and middle school. Zurhi, Neelofar, Masooma, and Belqis are trailblazers, attending high school far from home, with ambitious plans for their futures. Their dreams always circle back to how they can help improve the quality of life for their families and extended communities. And they also have dreams for future generations of girls to have access to high schools closer to home.
In the spring of 2022, we will be breaking ground on the region's first girls' high school in the remote Basha Valley in Baltistan. Girls will no longer face overwhelming economic, geographic, or social barriers to continuing their education beyond Iqra Fund's village-based primary and middle schools. We're also working on programs to support girls' dreams for their futures beyond high school -- futures with university degrees, vocational training, and professional careers.
We could not have done this without the incredible support of our donors and our Iqra Fund team. Join us in celebrating these amazing girls' achievements as our first students enter high school this year. They are going to need our encouragement and financial support more than ever before in the months years to come. We can't wait to watch how far they go and to share their momentous journey with you all!
