The US Agency for International Development (USAID) is funding a cash-for-work programme that will remove rubble and build 60 transitional, earthquake-resistant shelters to be used as classrooms in 45 schools in Bagh district of Azad Kashmir.
The programme also equips all 848 government schools in Bagh district with desks, chairs and blackboards for their 74,000 students.
The 240,000 dollars USAID programme enables students to safely return to class after winter vacation, brings their school routine one step closer to normal and provides employment for local residents. Each unit will be 32 ft x 16 ft.
Through USAID partner Goal, master carpenters, who each received 1,000 dollars in tools under a USAID-funded programme to replace tools lost in the quake, are paid Rs 600 ($10) a day to construct the transitional classrooms.
These craftsmen who previously completed a four-day USAID workshop in earthquake-resistant design, in turn train others to build the structures.
While carpenters build, local residents receive tools, safety gear and Rs 200 ($3.33) a day each to tear down severely damaged school structures to sort out unsafe elements from the rubble.
"Schools are very important to us, even more so than homes," said Muhammed, one of five master carpenters who built structures for the Bees Bagla Boys Middle School.
Shakil, a Bees Bagla science teacher, said he was grateful the classrooms would once again allow him to reach different grades in separate spaces.
The United States, through USAID, is providing more than 1.5 billion dollars in development assistance to Pakistan over the next five years to improve education, health, governance and economic growth.
In addition, the United States has pledged a total of 510 million dollars in earthquake relief and reconstruction efforts to assist the people of Pakistan and to support Pakistani government efforts.
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