Students at St. Mary’s Academy in Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan, display the books they received from the Rotary Books for the World program and the Hashoo Foundation.
Students at St. Mary’s Academy in Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan, display the books they received from the Rotary Books for the World program and the Hashoo Foundation.
 

By Nosherwan Khalil Khan, a member of the Rotary Club of Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan

Back in June, my Rotary club partnered with the Hashoo Foundation to distribute books to schoolchildren in Rawalpindi during a ceremony held at St. Mary’s Academy.

Through the Rotary Books for the World program, Rotary members in Pakistan are working with the Hashoo Foundation to actively promote education throughout Pakistan, and to help our country meet the Millennium Development Goals for literacy set by the United Nations. The books and educational material help teachers and students increase their knowledge, enhance classroom learning, and promote community development.

The Rotary Books for the World program began in Houston and has spread to Rotary clubs in 16 U.S. states, involving multiple book shipments a month. The Second Wind Foundation is the financial arm of the program, which handles collecting, warehousing, and shipping the books. It received funds from Rotary Foundation grants and donations from Rotary members and private donors.

My Rotary club and the Hashoo Foundation have agreed to distribute the books to selected schools and institutions across Pakistan.

A number of members of my club, including past district governors and officers, were present for this glorious event at St. Mary’s Academy. Past District Governor Iftikhar Ahmed and our club president, Abdul Mannan Khan, also handed over a wheelchair to the academy’s principal to give to a disabled child.