A delegation of Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) has visited The Learning Academy, run by CEDEF, in Nagar Valley, Gilgit-Baltistan, to learn about education and community development work taking place in the area. The delegation was led by Muhammad Zohaib Khan, who is a member of the Central Executive Committee of P@SHA and Chair of its Special Initiative Committee. He was joined by Nadia Iqbal, a former member of the Central Executive Committee, Kashoon Leeza, Director for Policy and Strategic Initiatives, and Syeda Safa H., who leads Skills Development at the association. The group travelled to Nagar Valley to meet local organisations directly and to see their work on the ground, an approach that gives industry representatives a clearer picture of conditions in the region than reports or online meetings can offer. The visit is also linked with the efforts of Tech Destination Pakistan to bring the technology sector closer to different parts of the country, including Gilgit-Baltistan.
During the visit, representatives of CEDEF, Nonihal Development Organization (NDO) and Anjuman-e-Hussania Welfare Trust, Nagar, presented an overview of their work and of the initiatives they run for the community. Each of the three organisations has a role in supporting people living in Nagar, and the presentations gave the P@SHA team a chance to hear how these groups plan their programs, which needs they have identified among residents and how they work with families and local leaders. Hosting the delegation at The Learning Academy also allowed the visitors to see the setting where learning activities take place and to understand the kind of facilities and support that students in the valley currently have access to.
The engagement offered useful insight into local development efforts and into the part that these organisations play in serving communities across Nagar. For an industry body such as P@SHA, which represents software and technology companies, meetings of this type are valuable because they connect the needs of remote communities with the work of the information technology sector. Younger people in Gilgit-Baltistan are increasingly interested in digital skills, freelancing and technology careers, and local organisations that already run education and welfare programs are well placed to act as partners when new training or awareness activities are planned. The presence of the lead for Skills Development and the Director for Policy and Strategic Initiatives in the delegation reflects the interest of P@SHA in both the practical and the policy sides of that conversation.
The visit forms part of the work of the Special Initiative Committee of P@SHA, which has been looking at ways to reach regions that are often far from the main technology hubs of Pakistan. By meeting community organisations in person and listening to their experience, the delegation has gained first hand knowledge that can inform later discussions on how the technology industry can take part in education and skills activities in Nagar Valley and other parts of Gilgit-Baltistan. The organisers have not announced specific follow-up plans, but the meeting has set the stage for continued contact between P@SHA and the local organisations that hosted the delegation.
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