141 schools: An Academic milestone

The Citizens Foundation takes a giant step towards materialising the 141 Schools for Peace dream

“Unthinkable terrorism has to be countered with unimaginable hope,” is written on a blood-red background on the online portal www.141schools.org. On a mission to build one school for every life lost in the December 16, 2014, carnage at Peshawar Army Public School, 141 Schools for Peace, a registered Canadian not-for-profit organisation, has partnered with The Citizens Foundation (TCF) to help a few of the more than 5.4 million children in Pakistan between the ages of six and 11 who are not in a formal school.

The attack on the school happened in an already bleak landscape. After the outrage settled, the onerous process of rebuilding both lives and schools began in earnest. Zaki Patel, a Canadian citizen of Pakistani origin, came across a tweet about how the best revenge would be to build 141 schools for the 141 children and teachers who died in the terrorist attack and wasted no time in building a website. He approached TCF Canada and with their support the web portal was born.

Although the death toll increased, they stuck with 141. Today, nearly six months and six schools later, this registered Canadian not-for-profit organisation is well on its way towards meeting its target. Patel has successfully tapped into the TCF donor network and money raised through the initiative is clearly earmarked for this campaign. “While TCF Pakistan remains the ‘mother company’, the fastest growing international chapters are the ones in Canada and the US,” says Lubna Sami, a director with TCF Canada, who is the face of the Pakistani diaspora committed to improving not only their own lives but those of the less privileged children back home. “In addition to the annual TCF gala where we raised close to a million Canadian dollars last month, we have ongoing events with mainstream Canadian establishments to raise awareness and funds toward educating kids in Pakistan.”

Leading automotive supplier Magna International, local rotary clubs in Ontario and Canadian children activist Marc Kielburger of Free the Children and the United Way of Peel Region are some of the local Canadian charities which are on board, lending their support to TCF Canada. “We’ve been spreading the word on social media and looks like it’s working — young second generation Pakistani-Canadians are taking a keen interest in it. We have tapped quite successfully into the university network with the help of Pakistan student associations at different campuses across Canada, with the chapter in Hamilton’s McMaster University being the most productive,” Sami adds.

In its 20-year history, TCF has built 1,060 schools and counting, transforming the lives of over 165,000 children in Pakistan. The dreamers and shakers who started TCF in 1995 have come a long way. In the absence of government initiatives, they have filled the gap. For author William Dalrymple, supporting TCF is a no-brainer. At a recent speaking engagement at Toronto’s Aga Khan Museum organised in collaboration with the Canadian Community Arts Initiative, Dalrymple did not mince words. “This is the fifth event I’ve been involved in for TCF.  I cannot think of any cause more important than building schools all over South Asia, particularly in Pakistan, where the government system is so tragically inadequate. The event in Peshawar only underlines the importance of continuing to fund good private education,” he said.

Teenaz Javat writes headlines, news alerts, tickers and tweets for a living. She tweets @TeenazFromTo

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, June 7^th, 2015.