EPTL, TCF sign agreement to construct school in Islamkot

KARACHI: Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company and Engro Powergen Thar Limited (EPTL) have been working tirelessly on mining and power plant operations in Thar with the hope to eradicate Pakistan’s energy crisis. This has led the EPTL to partner with The Citizens’ Foundation – a renowned organisation that has been working on providing free of cost education for marginalised communities around the country. SECMC and TCF signed a MoU last year for provision of educational facilities to the people of Thar. To solidify the terms of this MoU and reinforce commitment to the cause, an agreement is being signed between EPTL and TCF for establishing one school campus in Islamkot consisting of three primary and two secondary sections. The ‘TCF School – Engro Thar Campus’ will cater to the urban population of Islamkot as well as the surrounding rural population of the area. EPTL has graciously stepped in to provide funds for the construction of the campus and its running cost for the next 10 years. Education indeed is a catalyst in bringing about sustainable change within any society. Unfortunately for our rural communities, it has very little recognition. Due to this reason, enrollment rates are ever decreasing. There are several operational problems that exist within our system causing hindrance in the opportunities available to children for educational development. Tharparkar’s poverty and under-developed state has been the crux of this lack of learning resources in the area. Islamkot campus is just one of the many school projects planned to enhance educational facilities in the area. SECMC’s scope is to build and run TCF Schools in each Taluka of Tharparkar as part of its larger plan. On the agreement signing, TCF CEO Syed Asad Ayub said “TCF is engaged in establishing and managing educational institutions to promote education in Pakistan. We are very excited to proceed with this community development venture hand in hand with EPTL with the hope that education will help the local Thari community escape their vicious cycle of poverty.” Engro Powergen Limited CEO Shamsuddin Ahmed Shaikh shared similar sentiments about the company’s outlook and on the projects to provide the people of Thar with better educational facilities. “EPTL has been laying the groundwork not just for power generation to facilitate the country’s energy crisis, but also for the benefit of the locals, whose capacity building and standard of living fall under our top priorities. This school is the first of many steps we will take to make the Thar Dream come true”, he said. Education, the most powerful tool in changing people for the better, will help these people become more aware of their surroundings, their basic rights as citizens of a democracy like Pakistan, allowing them to break free from the shackles of ignorance and providing the locals with lasting solutions to many underlying societal problems in the long run. Education is, and this is the reason for the power and mining companies’ working in the area to be driven to educate and empower the Thari communities.