Project Summary
In rural Iran, while primary schools exist in many villages, secondary schools are often centralized, requiring students—especially girls—to commute long distances. Since 2015, the Yarra Foundation has covered transportation costs for lower secondary students attending a high school established by Hami charity in Pir Sohrab. Currently, 158 out of 210 students commute daily from 12 villages using Yarra-funded minibuses. Extreme poverty and cultural barriers make it difficult for families to afford or allow girls to travel alone, putting their education and futures at risk. Safe transportation not only enables these girls to attend school but also helps prevent early marriage. The total cost for transporting these students for a year is about $15,000 AUD—just about $8 AUD per month per student.
The table below provides a summary of this project:
| Type of Educational need: | School transportation for disadvantaged girls |
| Target Group: | Remote area, impoverished families, orphaned or neglected children |
| Age Range of Vulnerable Children: | 12 to 18 years old |
| Total Number of Children Affected: | 158 girls |
| Province / Nearest City: | Sistan and Baluchestan, Chabahar County, Dashtiari District |
| Village: | Pir Sohrab |
Project Background and Full Description:
In Iran, primary schools are built in various villages. However, due to low student numbers, secondary schools (high schools) are built in one central village, and students from other villages should commute to those schools to be able to continue their education.
With this goal in mind, Hami, which is another charity operating in Iran, established a high school in Pir Sohrab in 2005 with 65 students. Over time, the number of students has increased, and now the school operates in two shifts. However, students still had difficulties attending the high school due to long commuting distances.
Yarra Foundation has been continuously covering the transportation costs for students in the lower secondary level since 2015. Currently, there are 210 students in the lower secondary phase, 158 of whom commute daily from 12 villages using minibuses funded by Yarra Foundation.
Due to extreme poverty, most families are unable to afford transportation costs. Under financial stress, they are often forced to prioritize other basic needs—frequently at the expense of their daughters' education. Cultural concerns further complicate the situation, as many families are unwilling to allow their daughters to commute to high school alone. Providing safe and reliable transportation would not only enable these girls to continue their education but also, in many cases, protect them from early marriage.
The transportation cost for these 158 girls for one academic year is about $15,000 AUD, or only around $8 AUD per month for each student. You can help support this cause by choosing one of the options below:
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