Khane School Project Gets Boost Through Zack Martin Grant

Fabrizio Zangrilli outside the Khane village girls' school site with the school director and a village elder.

Fabrizio Zangrilli reports on his attempt on K2 and his successful mission to Khane village in Pakistan to help with a new girls' school.

I received the AAC’s Zack Martin Breaking Barriers Grant for 2007 to help with my attempt on K2 and then to implement the first stage of the Girls Education International school project in Khane, Pakistan. Climbers Lizzy Scully and Heidi Wirtz founded Girls Education International at the end of 2006 after an expedition to Pakistan. The purpose of this nonprofit organization is to raise money to construct, support, and maintain schools for girls throughout the world, and to support the education of girls through scholarships and other funding.

My climbing partner, Bill Pierson, and I acclimatized on the Cesen route on K2, reaching 8,000 meters. We then sat around in base camp for over three weeks as we waited for the elusive five-day weather window. Our planned route took a dangerous line up the central icefall on the south face and climbed a rib that joined the Magic Line at 7,700 meters. In mid-August it became obvious that the requisite window would not come, so we teamed up with some Slovaks and Germans for a projected 48 hours of good weather, and we climbed to the Shoulder via the Cesen route in under 24 hours, only to find the Bottleneck in very avalanche-prone conditions. We all retreated back to base camp the same day, which for me ended up becoming a 36-hour nonstop base camp to base camp effort.

We departed base camp after 65 days there and began the most enjoyable section of the expedition—my visit to the Khane School. This was my seventh visit to Pakistan, and I felt privileged to be able to interact with the people of Khane as more of an equal and not just an employer. Khane is in the Hushe valley; many climbers and trekkers drive past it after exiting the Baltoro Glacier via the Gondogoro La. My stay gave me a unique insider’s view of what life in a rural village in Pakistan is truly like, and I encourage other climbers and trekkers passing by to stop for an hour or so to see the school and enjoy the apricots.

Girls Ed had asked me to establish a school committee, assess the viability of the current school structure, and then make recommendations for either rebuilding or remodeling, based on my findings. I also needed to assess the willingness of the village elders concerning the education of girls, recommend and establish a viable energy source for lighting, source school supplies, and, most importantly, find a qualified female teacher willing to relocate to Khane and then implement a housing plan for her.

Standard politics in small communities apply even in remote Baltistan, I discovered. Certain alliances among village elders prevented a meeting at certain people’s houses, and I was left with the prospect of meeting with small groups of the elders and perhaps not having a complete dialog or finding a neutral ground for everyone. I decided to organize a community day at the proposed school site to initiate my work and introduce myself to the people of Khane. I invited all of the school-age children, and in the end over 65 percent of the community that was able to attend did. The attendance and voiced enthusiasm for educating the girls really showed how important the project is.

The positive response from the community day at the school site allowed me to approach people easily and openly during the rest of my visit, and it opened the door for people to approach me and talk about how they were willing to help and what they needed and wanted.

The work I did and the ongoing efforts of everybody involved with Girls Education International mean the girls of Khane have a fighting chance of getting an education and improving the overall health and employment possibilities of everybody in the village. I was able to work out everything that Girls Ed had requested, and now the big battle to fund the project begins. Please see Girls Education International's blog to learn more and see my specific recommendations.

Editor's note: Zangrilli has offered to return to Khane twice in the summer of 2008 to help with the school project. To make a donation, visit the Girls Educational International website.