What can I donate?
We are looking for most children’s items. We are especially in need of backpacks, mobility aids, school supplies, children’s shoes, and electronics in working condition. We are also looking for children’s clothing, educational books, and a limited number of toys.
In a word: everything! Many of the schools children in the Tribal Areas are taught in have very limited resources. They may be one room, in a building not intended for human use, or outside, and they may be in areas that cannot be accessed by vehicle. In most cases, Tribal Area schools are in need of almost all of the supplies found in schools in areas with greater access to resources. For this reason, we will accept almost all school supplies, assuming that they are light enough to be transported by a single person carrying them over rugged terrain. For example, we would accept a very light desk that could be easily disassembled, but we would not accept a desk made of solid wood.
What kind of school supplies are you looking for?
The number one item we need is backpacks. Next, we most urgently need writing utensils and materials of all kinds, including pens, pencils, erasers, crayons, markers, paper, clipboards, notebooks, folders, flash cards, and highlighters. We are also looking for instructional materials; classroom posters; blackboards and whiteboards of all sizes; chalk, whiteboard markers, and erasers; and instructional and educational nonfiction books meant for grade school classrooms. We are less urgently looking for other classroom supplies, such as staples and staplers; art supplies and scissors; binder rings, three hole punches, and binders; and tape of all varieties. If it is an item that you might find in a grade school classroom in the United States, we are most likely in need of it. Office supplies can often double as school supplies too!
What kinds of mobility aids are you looking for?
While we prefer mobility aids in children’s sizes, any mobility aids are very needed. We accept almost all mobility aids, including wheelchairs, crutches, walkers, canes, and braces.
How do the items I donate get from the United States to Pakistan’s Tribal Areas?
Every Child a Scholar rents a shipping container at the Port of Washington-Dulles. As we receive donations, we pack them into the shipping container. Once it is full, we ship it. It takes about a month for the cargo ship to get to Pakistan, and once it does, we make arrangements with local truck drivers to transport the items to the Tribal Areas (former FATA region) within Khyber Pahktunkhwa. Once in the Tribal Areas, your donated items are delivered to the schools and orphanages we have identified as most in need.
What kinds of books are you looking for?
Because of shipping costs, we are primarily looking for children’s nonfiction books designed for grades K-6, as well as instructional resources for teachers. Textbooks, workbooks, and books that teach children about STEM subjects are most needed. We will also accept a few fiction books for early readers, but we are mostly looking for educational materials.
If your question is not answered above, please do not hesitate to contact us! We can be reached at info@everychildascholar.org