WeT Enrolls 2.2 Million Children In 50 Districts

ISLAMABAD, May 5 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th May, 2019 ) :Waseela-e-Taleem (WeT) programme of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) has enrolled around 2.2 million Primary school children in 50 districts across the country.

The WeT programme was developed by BISP in consultation with all the programme stakeholders to financially support the primary education of four to 12 years old children for their enrolments and retention, an official told APP.

He said each beneficiary child received a cash transfer of Rs 750 per quarter upon meeting the admission verification in 1st quarter and attendance requirement of 70 percent in subsequent quarters till completion of the primary education.

The official said it was part of the Graduation strategy aiming to link the Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT) to attainment of human development goals.

He said WeT programme was initially tested in five districts and later on, the programme was extended to additional 27 and then to 18 new districts across the country, which increases the number of WeT programme districts from 5 to 50 districts.

The programme is likely to be extended to 50 more districts thereby increasing the number of WeT districts to 100 across the country, he added.

He said the programme had six main components including supply capacity Assessment, social mobilization, registration, admission and attendance verification, case management and cash transfer.

The components were interlinked and interdependent to mobilize BISP beneficiaries to enroll, retain, attendance compliance, case management and transfer of payment, he said.

To create long term sustainable awareness on the importance of primary education among BISP beneficiary families, increase enrolment of children in schools for primary education, improve school attendance by the children and decrease school dropout rates are the main objectives of the programme.

He said BISP was the main coordinating authority, the programme was being implemented in close coordination with district/provincial education department through Implementing Partner Firms (IPFs) including Aurat Foundation, MM Pakistan and Rural Support Programme Network, hired by the Department for International Development (DFID)-Pakistan.

The IPFs are undertaking all the field activities namely beneficiary mapping, micro supply capacity assessment of schools, social mobilization, enrollment and registration and attendance collection in all districts.