Starfish Asia

Starfish Asia is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1181649).

Starfish Asia is a charity whose stated purposes are the relief of poverty, sickness and distress, the advancement of education and the advancement of the Christian faith, exclusively in Pakistan. It was set up to meet the educational needs of the poor, especially but not exclusively in the Pakistani Christian community. It says it has helped over 9,500 children receive an education with Christian values and Bible teaching, and it provides regular monthly financial help to approximately 50 schools. Its annual giving was £455,248, and it also provides scholarships for students wishing to pursue vocational courses, further and higher education.

Priority Areas

Starfish Asia supports education in Pakistan, focusing on disadvantaged Christian children and also working with other religious minorities. It works through trusted local people, community leaders and partner ministries rather than starting or running projects itself. Its support includes primary, middle and secondary schools, schoolbooks, teacher training and efforts to improve educational standards. It also provides scholarships for deserving students from supported schools and other students who need help, including vocational, further and higher education, and supports homes and day-care centres for orphaned children and young people with learning difficulties or physical disabilities. Its approach is to invest in local partners, strengthen communities and improve the quality of education.

Themes

• Christian children's education
• Scholarships
• Disabled and orphaned children

Geographic Focus

Priority: Pakistan; the city of Lahore; the Punjab; Karachi; near Islamabad.

No application process is published in the charity's annual report, its register entry or its website. The contact shown is for getting in touch.

What the charity says:

• The selected schools support the poorest families in their communities and show that the charity’s aims and objectives are being implemented and achieved.
• It invests in national partners who are already involved in bringing hope to their own communities.