U.S.-Supported English-Language Students Help Clean Karachi’s Beaches

Karachi, June 15, 2013 (PPI-OT): Today, over 200 students learning English in the U.S. government-supported English Access Microscholarship program helped clean Karachi’s beaches. The project raised awareness among students and the public about the effects of pollution on Karachi’s beaches and marine life.

American and Pakistani volunteers from the U.S. Consulate General in Karachi, including the U.S. Consul General Michael Dodman, Public Affairs Officer Corina Sanders, and Cultural Affairs Officer Kristin Haworth joined the young Pakistani volunteers in the clean-up.

U.S. Consul General Michael Dodman said of the event, “The students today showed the value of keeping this city clean, and the shared role we all can play in improving our communities. The Americans are enjoying working alongside these talented Pakistani students this morning. We can learn a lot from the civic spirit of these young volunteers who want to keep Karachi’s beaches clean for everyone to enjoy.”

The English Access Microscholarship program, a two-year after-school English-language proficiency program, trains talented 14-18 year olds from disadvantaged communities. In Sindh and Balochistan, the Access program serves 2,400 students in Karachi, Quetta, Pishin, and Hyderabad. Programs in these areas are managed by the Society for International Education (SIE) and are funded by the U.S. government through the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad.

Through community service projects like the beach cleanup, Access students develop awareness of social problems in their own communities; they also develop positive civic attitudes, empathy for the less privileged, and youth leadership skills. The Access program benefits 5,000 students across Pakistan.

For more information, contact:
Mushtaque A. Rajpar
Information Specialist
Office of Public Affairs
Plot No 3-5, TPX Area, Mai Kolachi Road
Consulate General of United Sates of America
Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
Phone 021-35275453
Fax: 021-35275985
Cell Phone: 92-300-2022-462
Email: rajparma@state.gov