Caritas Faisalabad inaugurated its 10th Non-Formal Education Center on August 22, 2026, in Fazal Haq village in central Punjab, expanding access to basic education for children in an underserved rural community.
The new center operates in a shared community space under St. Fidelis Catholic Church, Khushpur, in the Diocese of Faisalabad. The initiative seeks to address educational barriers faced by children who remain outside the formal school system because of poverty, limited local infrastructure, and seasonal labor demands.
The center will provide foundational education to 120 children between the ages of 5 and 14. The student body includes 85 Christian and 35 Muslim children, reflecting the community's interfaith character and the initiative's focus on serving vulnerable children regardless of religious background.
Established under the pastoral guidance of Bishop Indrias Rehmat of Faisalabad, the inauguration ceremony was led by assisting priest Fr. Sunny Shahzad, along with Caritas Representative Aneel Mushtaq, Zohaib Haroon, and members of the Caritas Faisalabad team.
To prepare the center for immediate operation, Caritas distributed essential educational and classroom supplies, including books, registers, notebooks, stationery kits, writing boards, tables, chairs, cupboards, and electric fans.
Fr. Sunny Shahzad delivered a message from Bishop Rehmat emphasizing the importance of basic education in promoting long-term development and human dignity.
Bishop Rehmat also highlighted Caritas Faisalabad's plans to expand non-formal education centers into communities with high school dropout rates, including areas where children work around brick kilns and other locations where access to education remains limited.
Reflecting on the parish's pastoral mission, Fr. Sunny Shahzad said, "Providing education to these children is not merely an act of social welfare, but a core pastoral duty to bring hope and spiritual growth to marginalized communities. When we educate a child, we light a beacon of hope for an entire family."
Aneel Mushtaq emphasized that empowering marginalized communities requires support that extends beyond the classroom and benefits entire families.
He encouraged students to remain committed to their studies, urged teachers to guide their pupils with patience and care, and called on parents to prioritize regular attendance.
Mushtaq also announced that Caritas Faisalabad plans to establish vocational skills training centers to support marginalized women across the region.
Shehnaz Sadiq, coordinator of the new center, expressed gratitude to Caritas Faisalabad and the parish leadership for creating new educational opportunities for underserved children. She pledged that the teaching team would work to maintain a supportive learning environment and provide quality foundational instruction to prepare students for eventual integration into mainstream education.
The new center marks another step in Caritas Faisalabad's efforts to bring education closer to children who face economic and social barriers to formal schooling, while strengthening community-based support for vulnerable families.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
Latest News
