Read Foundation UK organizes Educate-a-Child walk events
Staff Report

ISLAMABAD—Read Foundation UK - a leading educational charity - is organizing this maiden series of “Educate-a-Child” walks in collaboration with the Read Foundation, Islamabad - the largest educational NGO of the rural Pakistan - with the assistance of its cohesive network of 330 schools, 3250 teachers and 65,000 students.
Mindful of the challenges Pakistan is confronted with, a passionate group of Pakistani-Britons reached here to hold a series of walks in parts of the country to canvass the importance of peace, tolerance and understanding as well as promotion of education among the rural communities.
Three separate groups of participants comprised of professionals, students, philanthropists as well as entrepreneurs from London, Bradford and Birmingham are scheduled to partake in these walks for three consecutive weeks. The “Educate-a-Child” walks are aimed at spreading awareness and promoting the importance of education through mobilizing communities, encouraging students and appreciating teachers for their dedication and commitment. The walks are geared towards emphasizing on a quality education conducive to productivity, excellence and professionalism blended with high standards of ethical and moral values.
“We organized this walk to register our solidarity and appreciation for the educational endeavors that Read Foundation is pursuing in Pakistan. Read Foundation has turned into a very positive message and a refreshing news for Pakistani-Britons from this part of the world,” said Tahir Beg, Chairperson of the Read Foundation U.K. “Education is a vital tool for promoting peace and tolerance that can help in making this world a better place to live in. We have young students with us who will witness the enthusiasm, positive attitude and passion for learning and excellent discipline in Read Foundation schools that a few of us have experienced before by visiting many institutions,” he continued.
“This is a high time for such activities despite deeper economic challenges across the globe. This is our moral duty to encourage these wonderful children and dedicated teachers in Read Foundation Schools. The success of these events would create a positive image of this country and it will be catalytic to attract more walkers from many other countries. We are determined to organize many more such events and bring in larger groups to participate.” Mr. Beg lauded the warm welcome and genuine response from the parents, children and civil society as well as media in organization of this landmark occasion.
According to the recent statistics, Pakistan has one of the lowest rates of literacy in the world. It is ranked 2nd in the world for having the most out-of-school children.