Mianwali school in Pakistan
With 170 million people, Pakistan is the 6th most populous country in the world. About 43 percent of its population is below 15 years of age. Pakistan's young generation therefore may be a huge asset but can also become a major liability.
Currently, the educational situation is disastrous: one-third of primary school children and two-thirds of secondary school children do not attend schools. In some regions, illiteracy rates, especially among women, are well above 70 percent. In addition, there are approximately 30,000 ghost schools and every day approximately 25% of teachers do not show up.
Since 2012, McKinsey for Children has been supporting a school in Mianwali, a city close to the Afghanistan border. Asmus Komm, a partner in the Hamburg office, met the founder, a local dentist, when working in Pakistan and suggested to help. The school is one of the few co-educational schools to provide the region’s girls with access to good education. Overall, 650 boys and girls aged between 6 and 16 receive a holistic, high-quality education funded partly by scholarships and income-dependent fees.
McKinsey for Children funds tuition fees specifically for 30 girls and additionally 100 students of both genders, as well as a daily glass of milk for each of the 650 students to address malnutrition.