TEHRAN – Barekat Charity Foundation, affiliated to Headquarters for Executing the Order of the Imam also known as Setad-e Ejraiy-e Farman-e Hazrat-e Emam, will construct some 110 schools in deprived areas across the country by the end of this year (March 20, 2020).

The main focus of the foundation is on employment and economic empowerment of the underprivileged, but development measures in deprived areas is also on agenda, Ali Vaezinejad, the Foundation’s deputy director for construction and infrastructure affairs, said.

Among the development plans, educational buildings are the most important field that we are trying to provide for those residing in deprived areas, he noted, adding, “Our main goal is to achieve sustainable development in those areas.”

He went on to highlight that knowledge, education, and literacy levels are among the main factors of development, adding, “So, we decided to take steps toward this issue building schools.”

However, the Foundation only provides the budget in this regard and the organization for renovation, development and equipment of schools will take construction measures, he added.

Referring to the Foundation’s target to build some 1,670 schools across the country, he stated: “We have so far inaugurated 1,111 schools and will built the rest in the near future.”

Most of the schools are constructed in the provinces of Khuzestan, Sistan and Baluchestan, as well as rural and deprived areas, he added.

Currently, 2,500 schools are being supported by the Foundation which educate some 160 students, he noted, YJC reported on Saturday.

“In Tehran, we have not built any schools, but in its surrounding areas there are some educational units built by Barekat Foundation,” he also said.

“We tend to provide these vulnerable groups of the society with 110 educational buildings, and 10 of which will be constructed in quake-stricken Kermanshah province,” he concluded.

Headquarters for Executing the Order of the Imam, also known as Setad-e Ejraiye Farman-e Hazrat-e Emam, was founded in 1989. In the Iranian calendar year 1386 (March 2017-

March 2018) Barekat Charity Foundation- the social arm of the organization- with the aim of promoting social justice was established.

Socio-economic empowerment of the communities by encouraging entrepreneurship prioritizing breadwinner women, developing infrastructure such as water supply schemes, power grid, and road building, constructing schools and increasing educational spaces, promoting health for all, granting non-repayable loans and insurance especially in less developed areas and regions most affected by 1980s war and natural disasters are of the priorities of the charity foundation.

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