USAID Pakistan handed over two mobile bus libraries to the Sindh Education Foundation (SEF) at a ceremony held recently in Karachi for SEF schools throughout Sindh. John Smith-Sreen, USAID Provincial Director, Sindh and Balochistan and Naheed Durrani, Managing Director SEF officiated at the ceremony.
For the last two years, these mobile bus libraries have been operated by the USAID-funded Pakistan Reading Project, visiting over 200 schools and reaching nearly 37,000 children, 1,200 teachers and 4,000 parents in Sindh. After each visit, the bus libraries also left behind a set of books so that children could keep reading. In all, the buses distributed 53,479 books during the school visits.
Speaking on the occasion, John Smith-Sreen said that Reading is the foundational skill for critical and logical thinking and upon which all future learning – and earning – is based. Books are, therefore, very important. With these mobile libraries, we can make sure that good books are reaching children who want to read. I am happy that through today’s commitment, we are continuing this tradition of supporting Sindh in its efforts to promote educational quality and develop a national culture of reading.”
During the event, USAID and the SEF also signed a formal transfer agreement, after which the USAID Provincial Director formally handed over the keys to the mobile library buses to SEF’s Managing Director.
The USAID-funded Pakistan Reading Project supports Pakistan’s provincial and regional Departments of Education to improve the reading skills of children. For the last 70 years, the United States has partnered with Pakistan in the Education Sector.
