PESHAWAR: Considering education promotion as a best tool to exterminate the menace of extremism from country, The Citizen Foundation (TCF), a non-profit organization, is building 141 `Schools for Peace\u2019 in loving memory of martyrs of horrific Army Public School (APS) Peshawar attack.
\nFor giving an appropriate reply to the brutality unleashed by Taliban by killing 141 students and staff members of APS Peshawar on December 16, 2014, TCF decided to build 141 schools across Pakistan, in memory of the victims who lost their lives in the most tragic incident in the history of Pakistan.
\n\u201cThe Initiative is a message that Pakistan stands for education for all and lasting peace is crucial to our country\u2019s progress,\u201d comments Syed Assad Ayub Ahmad, CEO and President of TCF.
\nSyed Assad told APP that the entire Pakistan was shaken by APS attack, but the incident pointed towards a growing problem \u2013 the one that needed to be addressed immediately.
\nFor the formidable challenges faced by nation, we passionately believe that only education has the power to enlighten minds, instill democratic values and build a conscientious and tolerant society, he added.
\n\u201cThe 141 schools for peace that we build together will stand as a lasting symbol of hope, resilience and our resolve to educate all the children of Pakistan,\u201d he remarked.
\n\u201cTCF is a professionally managed Pakistan\u2019s leading organization working in the field of education for the disadvantaged strata of society,\u201d informs Sarah Tahir, Communication Manager TCF.
\nTalking to APP, Sarah Tahir said the founders of TCF, a group of citizens, believe in bringing about positive social change in society through spreading education.
\nSince its establishment in 1995, TCF has successfully constructed 1202 schools till now across Pakistan where 1,75,000 deserving students are getting standard education on very nominal charges, she informed.
\nThe idea of constructing 141 schools in memory of APS victims was conceived by an expatriate Pakistani, Zaki Patel who considered spreading education as a befitting reply to violent mindset of militants, Sarah recalls.
\nZaki, a computer science graduate from Karachi who lives in Canada, shared the idea with TCF for turning his dream into reality and the proposal was accepted warmly, she added.
\nIn 2014, The Citizens Foundation (TCF) partnered with 141schools.org, founded by Zaki Patel, to start the 141 Schools for Peace initiative.
\nSarah told APP that so far 24 of these 141 schools have been completed and 18 are under construction. Among these 24 completed schools, four are in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
\nAs of September 1, 2016, 35 donors have pledged to construct 41 schools while more than 1000 donors worldwide have committed their contribution in the pool of fund formed for completion of the project, she added.
\nEach school costs about 15 million rupees (One hundred and fifty thousands US dollars) so the total cost for all 141 schools stands about around dollar 21 million.
\nOn completion of 141 schools in memory of APS victims, about 25,380 students will benefit about 180 students at each school, Sarah informed. The joint initiative of TCF and 141schools.org was lauded and supported by people from all sections of society including Ali Zafar, a renowned Pakistani singer, actor and painter.
\nIn an interview on March 16, 2016, Ali Zafar said he has dedicated earning of a song `Urainge\u2019 (we will fly) he sung in memory of APS martyrs. The earning of that song will go towards building 141 schools for the children of Pakistan and ensuring a bright future, he added.
\nAndaleep Aftab, a Teacher who teaches in APS Peshawar and is mother of a martyr, Huzaifa Aftab who studied in ninth grade at time of attack, highly appreciated the initiative of TCF and said through education we can win our fight against terrorism and can make our country a progressive and developed.
\nAbid Ali, whose wife, Farhat Bibi, was also a teacher at APS Peshawar and fell victim to terrorist\u2019s attack, also lauded the effort of TCF. He said our loss cannot be recovered but we want that our countrymen are protected from receiving damage from terrorists. \u201cThe decision of TCF to construct 141 schools in memory of APS victims is highly commendable and will help a lot in making our country as prosperous and developed through eradication of extremist mindset from society,\u201d comments Abid Ali.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
PESHAWAR: Considering education promotion as a best tool to exterminate the menace of extremism from country, The Citizen Foundation (TCF), a non-profit organization, is building 141 `Schools for Peace\u2019 in loving memory of martyrs of horrific Army Public School (APS) Peshawar attack. For giving an appropriate reply to the brutality unleashed by Taliban by killing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6908,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-6902","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-peshawar"},"yoast_head":"\n