Learn to Earn - computer training courses for marginalized youth with special needs

 This project, which was successfully completed on the 31st of December 2010, achieved its objective of training 955 men and women with special needs (especially deaf and mute persons) in IT- knowledge. In doing so, the project responded to the high demand of IT-education in Pakistan’s society. The specific aim of this project was to improve the chances to further education and entering the job market for the youth of Lahore and especially for those marginalized young people with special needs. With the help of an extensive capacity building programme the Pakistani local partner NGO the Society for Education and Technology (SET) could successfully implement the various trainings and even received an additional grant of 150 000€ to enlarge the action under the Pakista-Italian Debt Swap Agreement.

Cross cutting issues: 

Capacity Building, Disability, Poverty Alleviation

Project Background: 

 Pakistan ranks 125th out of 169 nations on the HDI Index of the United Nations (HDI Index 2010), with an unemployment rate of 15%. The government of Pakistan has spent one trillion Rupees (about $16.7 billion) on poverty alleviation programmes during the past four years. Yet 22.59% of the population still lives below the poverty line (i.e. 944.47 PKR= 7 EUR approx. per adult/ per month). Close to half of the population is deprived of education and basic health facilities, about three out of ten people have no access to proper medical facilities, five out of ten lack access to education and at least four out of ten people have abysmally poor standards of living.