|
Atiya Khan - Vice Chair – HDF Board of Director
August 27, 2008
Believe It Or Not
HDF Launches Free Knowledge Access For All in Pakistan
The Human Development Foundation (HDF) is launching an innovative initiative about knowledge dissemination in Pakistan: education, literacy, business skills, community mobilization, basic health skills, and vocational skills.
The new project HDF is launching in Pakistan is called Digital Study Hall (DSH). DSH uses digital video to disseminate targeted knowledge and skills training. The best practices of experts in different fields are captured on digital video, and these DVDs are provided to schools and other institutions.
The best part is that these videos will be made available on the Internet for anyone to download, free of charge.
I am proud to tell you that, within the next few years, this new initiative will bring about a revolution in knowledge dissemination.
The best experts and teachers not only use the most effective teaching methods in a culturally relevant context, but also inspire students, get them excited about learning, expand their horizons, and provide better economic opportunities.
Great teachers are usually available only to a few fortunate people who can afford to pay high tuition rates. DSH video will expand and democratize their reach to much larger audiences, thereby massively increasing their impact.
The DSH model will have dual benefits of being:
1) An effective student study aid
2) A teacher training aid
The first HDF pilot program of DSH will cover four (4) topics:
1) Children’s Education
2) Basic healthcare training (example: basic hygiene)
3) Social mobilization (example: how to train and educate communities in self help)
4) Vocational training (example: basic plumbing skills, electrician skills)
This first step may seem modest, but it is a critical step toward HDF’s developmental goals.
Such an achievement would mark a milestone in the history of Pakistan and would sow the seeds of a revolution in knowledge attainment opportunities for the people of Pakistan.
Yes, all this by HDF, the organization that ten years ago introduced the idea of an integrated model of development in the rural areas of Pakistan With your support and the hard work of the people carrying out the projects on the ground, HDF has been successful.
Imagine the impact it will have on our future generations, who will be getting the best education possible. This project will allow them to compete with the rest of the world and advance rapidly, helping our country leap ahead of other developing countries.
I am so excited about this project, and I hope that you now are too!
GO HDF!
If you like help financially or with your time & specific expertise, then please send an
email to: helpdsh@hdf.com.
If you are a blogger or press person and like to get more information then please:
Email to Shahid Khan: skhan33@gmail.com
Call Shahid Khan: +1.650.740.5527
Great Achievement
Human Development Foundation has aligned with Millennium Development Goals to reduce the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) in Pakistan.
HDF’s health program is based on both preventive and curative health facilities, including Primary immunization of all children, a service that is necessary for the goal of reducing the IMR and the MMR in Pakistan to be achieved. Primary immunization of all children is an essential part of disease prevention as these immunizations protect against preventable diseases that cause large numbers of fatalities in developing countries all over the world, including Pakistan. Immunization from these diseases not only protects children from the disease, but also leads to better health for these children for the rest of their lives, because some of these diseases leave lasting effects on the health of their victims, if they are able to survive the disease at all. Polio, for example, is a disease that can leave a survivor of the disease crippled for life.
The communities with whom we are working always remain suspicious of advances in any field, especially the people of Mardan and Zhob. They think of immunizations and vaccinations that are given to children and women are a means of making their women infertile. One of the biggest challenges that HDF must face is the unwillingness to adopt new ideas in areas where the organization is attempting to make an impact. But they never lose hope and continue to explain the benefits of immunization through as many varied mediums as possible, such as meetings, seminars, school visits, and street theatres. These efforts have been well rewarded, and now HDF is proud to announce that and estimated 87% of the children and about 87% of the women of reproductive age in HDF’s Mardan region are fully immunized. In order to educate as many people as possible of the importance of immunization, the HDF health team goes door to door to ensure that all children are immunized. Although there are still straight refusals from certain quarters, the consolation is that now the majority of parents and husbands come to HDF Community Health Center to ask about immunization schedules and their importance.
|
