Monday, May 12, 2008
Human Development Foundation
INDUS Hospital Karachi
Monday, April 7, 2008
Zindagi Trust (Intro from Shehzad Roy)
Zindagi (Life) is inspiring. Its inspiration lies in the unique experiences we go through daily. Some of them are sweet and some bitter. We try to undo the effects of the bitter ones by either forgetting them or by extending a helping hand to the ones who are suffering. Its only then that we know how many other hands are there to join in for the cause, its only then that we realize how many more hands are needed.For my recordings, I have to go to many strange places. One of them was in the desert. I was there with my team to shoot the video for “La Ilaha Illallah”. It was an honor for me to sing the poetry of Iqbal, poetry that talks about the sovereignty of Almighty Allah. During the filming of the video, I learned things about Thar. The most painful for me was the vulnerability of Thar’s children to poverty, malnutrition and poor health. I saw innocent and beautiful children drinking contaminated water from a well where birds and animals were lying dead. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I couldn’t take this image out of my mind. I wanted to help them.
Children are the most beautiful part of all societies. They are the builders of a nation’s future. Their positive energies and combined strength promise future growth, stability and progress in a country. Ignoring children is ignoring our future.
In a developing nation like Pakistan, due to many reasons children are being ignored and do not easily receive the basic necessities of life. For people who somehow overcome this hurdle, no proper facility of health and education is provided. These children are called the underprivileged. Those who have nobody in particular to look after them, but their own selves. They can be beautiful, intelligent and passionate as our privileged children, but are not lucky enough to be born in a home like ours!
As soon as I came back to Karachi, I called upon a few close friends & talked to them about what I saw and how I wanted to do something for them, for “Children” in general. They all showed willingness to help me achieve my goal. I then called upon few other people whom I respect and look upto. Abdul Sattar Edhi is one of them. Edhi sahab honored me not once but twice. First when I requested his appearance in my video “YARAB” and the second time when I requested for his support for this cause.
Gradually with the support of my friends and my fans I was able to launch “Zindagi Trust”. Today ZINDAGI Trust aims to provide basic needs for the children of our loving country Pakistan.
President Shehzad Roy
SOS Chidren's Villages
SOS Children's Villages is a private social welfare organisation which offers orphaned and abandoned children a new and permanent home. The children stay with us until they are able to lead an independent life.HOW IT IS DONE
OBJECTIVES
- Provide the children with an environment which is as normal as possible.
- Give the children every opportunity to develop to their full potential.
- Equip the child with the necessary skills to lead an independent life.
- Integrate the orphan child with society so that he does not suffer from lack of anormal family.
PHILOSOPHY
SOS Children's Villages are institutions established to give orphaned or abandoned children a new start in life by providing a substitute for the familiy they have lost. This is achieved by the formation of 'families' which are as natural as possible. The children are given security, support, love and understanding.
The Mother...
Every abandonded child is given a mother as a permanent contact person. An SOS Children's Village mother knows the same cares, duties and joys as every other mother. She is the head of the family and runs her own household. The Mother gives the children entrusted to her care, love, security and trust- things every child needs for a healthy development.
Brothers and Sisters...
An SOS Children's Village family consits of the Mother and eight to ten children. Natural siblings stay together. Boys and girls of various ages grow up in a family house.
The Home...
Every SOS Children's Village family has its own house which is a permanent home for every child. The SOS houses are designed for a large family with many children. At the heart of each unit is the living/ dining room, the centre of family life. The Mother has her own room and four to five children share a bedroom.
The Village...
An SOS Children's Village generally consists of fifteen family houses and are usually located in attractive surroundings, near a large town or city.
METHODOLOGY
The special feature of SOS Children's Villages is that they are not traditional orphanages; they provide homes for orphans and abandoned children with a warm family type environment. An SOS Village provides children with loving care and instills in them a sense of confidence so that they live normal lives and develop to their full pontential.
Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital
Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (SKMCH&RC) is a state-of-the-art cancer centre located in Lahore, Pakistan. It is a project of the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust, which is a charitable organization established under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860 of Pakistan. The institution is the brainchild of Pakistani cricket superstar, Imran Khan. The inspiration came after the death of his mother, Mrs. Shaukat Khanum, from cancer.MISSION STATEMENT
To act as a model institution to alleviate the suffering of patients with cancer through the application of modern methods of curative and palliative therapy irrespective of their ability to pay, the education of health care professionals and the public and perform research into the causes and treatment of cancer.
FUNDRAISING
Imran Khan made a nation-wide appeal for the collection of funds from a match between Pakistan and India on November 10, 1989 at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore which raised Rs. 2,902,600. This was followed by a series of more than 50 successful fund raisers held throughout the world. Pakistan's win under Imran's captaincy in the 1992 cricket world cup in Melbourne helped fundraising efforts. He was able to collect one and a half million pounds in just six weeks after the World Cup when the same amount had taken 2 years to collect earlier. He donated his entire prize money of 85,000 pounds for the project. In 1994 when the project required more financing for the ongoing construction, Imran Khan launched a mass contact campaign in which he toured 27 cities in the country and collected Rs. 120 million. During the entire campaign for the construction of the hospital, over a million individual donors from ordinary citizens to the rich and famous pitched in. Everything from cash to jewelry and valuables was donated.
SOURCES OF FUNDS - PHASE I
Donations 67%
Credit and Loans 33%
EXPENSES - PHASE I
Pak Rupees
Land and Building
231,000,000
Medical Equipment
314,000,000
Ancillary Equipment
132,000,000
Total
677,000,000 PKR
22,200,000 USD
MAKING OF THE HOSPITAL
Designing and execution of the master plan was overseen by Dr. Nausherwan K Burki MB, PhD, FRCP, FCPS, FCCP, of the University of Kentucky Medical Center, Lexington, Kentucky, USA in collaboration with an international team of cancer physicians and research workers. Designing and architectural services were provided by Arrasmith, Judd & Rapp, Architects in Health Planning of Louiseville, Kentucky, USA. Architectural details were handled by Messrs. Nayyar Ali Dada & Associates of Lahore. Local engineering was performed by Messrs. Progressive Consultants, Lahore. Ground was broken in April 1991 and the hospital opened its doors on December 29, 1994.
DIL (Developments in Literacy)
Our MissionDevelopments in Literacy (DIL) is dedicated to providing quality education to disadvantaged children, especially girls, by establishing and operating schools in the underdeveloped regions of Pakistan, with a strong focus on gender equality and community participation.
- Providing ongoing teacher training.
- Improving school construction and environment.
- Establishing libraries and computer labs.
- Building the capacity of the field staff.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
The Citizens Foundation
TCF is a professionally managed, non-profit organization set up in 1995 by a group of citizens concerned with the dismal state of education in Pakistan. It is now one of Pakistan’s leading organizations in the field of formal education. To date, TCF has established 455 purpose-built schools nationwide with an enrollment of about 55,000 students. TCF encourages gender diversity by ensuring 50% female enrolment and a full female faculty over 3,000 strong. TCF also has a dedicated Teacher Training Center in Karachi for the ongoing training of its faculty and provides logistical support to all its teachers. Over 4,500 jobs have been created in communities in which TCF operates.- 343 Primary School Units
- 112 Secondary School Units
- A network of 455 purpose built operational school units nation wide
- An enrollment of upto 55,000 students
- A balanced gender ratio; close to 50% female students
- Created over 4,500 jobs of which more then 3,000 are female faculty positions
- A teacher training centre in Karachi currently providing 4 weeks of entry-level training to about 904 teachers and annual developmental training to all teachers, throughout TCF network
- High non-profit governance rating of GR-8 from JCR-VIS Credit Rating Co. Ltd
- Gained certification from PCP (Pakistan Centre for Philanthropy).
- TCF is amongst the highest scoring organisations certified by PCP to date.
- Raised public awareness about the dire illiteracy problem in Pakistan
- Literacy enables better money management
- People who cannot read are more likely to be fooled or taken advantage of
- Literacy enhances self-esteem and confidence
- Literacy increases access to better paid jobs
- Literacy means greater productivity on a national scale
- In a recent study, a 20-30% increase in literacy produces a 8 -16% gain in Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
- Literacy encourages later marriage and smaller families
Monday, March 24, 2008
Imran Khan - Pakistan's Captain?
Imran Khan is a legendary cricketer who is idolized not only by Pakistani's but cricket fans all over the world. He set out on a mission to establish a cancer hospital for his country-men when he realized that there was no hospital that could provide state of the art care for cancer patients in Pakistan.Sunday, March 23, 2008
Edhi Foundation
Edhi established his first welfare centre and then the Bilqis Edhi Trust with a mere Rs. 5000. What started as a one-man show operating from a single room in Karachi is now the Edhi Foundation, the largest welfare organization in Pakistan. The foundation has over 300 centers across the country, in big cities, small towns and remote rural areas, providing medical aid, family planning and emergency assistance. They own air ambulances, providing quick access to far-flung areas.
In Karachi alone, the Edhi Foundation runs 8 hospitals providing free medical care, eye hospitals, diabetic centers, surgical units, a 4- bed cancer hospital and mobile dispensaries. In addition to these the Foundation also manages two blood banks in Karachi.
- 20,000 abandoned babies have been saved
- 40,000 qualified nurses have been trained
- 50,000 orphans are housed in Edhi Homes
- 1 million babies have been delivered in Edhi Maternity Centers
Edhi is to Karachi what Mother Teresa was to the poor of Calcutta. Edhi and wife Bilquees have spent a lifetime working for people and their welfare work to date remains unparalleled in Pakistan. They are both very private people who shun publicity. They have had little formal education, and are totally committed to the cause of helping the poor and needy.
The Dawn of Edhi Foundation
What started as a one-man show operating from a single room in Karachi is now the Edhi Foundation, the largest welfare organization in Pakistan. The foundation has over 300 centers across the country, in big cities, small towns and remote rural areas, providing medical aid, family planning and emergency assistance.
Born in 1928 in Bantwa , Gujarat, India , Edhi’s family belonged to the industrious Memon community. From a young age his mother taught Edhi to be kind towards others and to help the poor. In 1947 the family migrated to Pakistan and settled in Karachi. That was a time of great emotional trauma and social and political upheaval. Edhi became involved in social work and began working with welfare organisations and soon started his own dispensary, providing medical aid to the poor. He bought his first ambulance, an old van which he called the "poor man’s van" and went around the city providing medical help and burying unclaimed bodies. His van became his advertisement and soon he came to be known for his work with the poor. As a consequence, donations started pouring in and his operations expanded, employing additional nurses and staff. It was here that Edhi met his wife Bilquees who was a trainee nurse at the dispensary. They were married in 1966. Bilquees became the ideal wife for Edhi, totally committed to welfare work.
Edhi established his first welfare centre and then the Edhi Trust with a mere Rs. 5000 [$1000]. The Edhi Foundation grew as people began to recognize its humanitarian aims. In 1973 when an old apartment building collapsed in Karachi, Edhi’s ambulances and volunteers were the first to reach the scene and start rescue operations. From then, on, through the troubles in Karachi and all over the country, Edhi’s ambulances have been rescuing and taking the injured to hospitals and burying unclaimed bodies. They go to places where even government agencies hesitate to venture.
The Edhi Foundation is the first of its kind in South Asia that owns air ambulances, providing quick access to far-flung areas. Whether it is a train accident or a bomb blast, Edhi ambulances are the first to arrive. The foundation relies on the support of its 3, 500 workers and thousands of volunteers who form the backbone of the organisation
Edhi's Founder
Despite the growth of the foundation, Edhi remains a very down to earth person. Dressed always in a grey homespun cotton, he has a hands on approach to his work, sweeping his own room and even cleaning the gutter if need be. Apart from the one room, which he uses for his living quarters, the rest of the building serves as his workplace in Mithadar, a locality of old Karachi that is full of narrow streets and congested alleyways. Adjoining their living room is a small kitchen where Bilquees usually prepares the midday meal. Next to it is a washing area where bodies are bathed and prepared for burial..
When Edhi is not travelling to supervise his other centres, a typical day for him begins at five in the morning with Fajr prayers. His work starts thereafter answering any calls for help, organizing and meeting people in need while afternoons are spent at various centres and hospitals all over the city. In the evening he dines with hundreds of poor at his "langar" [free community meals common among Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs] at another Edhi centre in the city. His Fridays are invariably spent at homes for the destitute children where Edhi personally helps bathe the ones who are physically handicapped, before joining them for Friday prayers. Occasionally, when he is able to, he also takes them out for picnics.
Assets of Edhi Foundation
In Karachi alone, the Edhi Foundation runs 8 hospitals providing free medical care, eye hospitals, diabetic centres, surgical units, a 4- bed cancer hospital and mobile dispensaries. In addition to these the Foundation also manages two blood banks in Karachi. As with other Edhi services, employed professionals and volunteers run these. The foundation has a Legal aid department, which provides free services and has secured the release of countless innocent prisoners.
Commissioned doctors visit jails on a regular basis and also supply food and other essentials to the inmates. There are 15 " Apna Ghar" ["Your Homes"] homes for the destitute children, runaways, and psychotics and the Edhi Foundation states that over the years 3 million children have been rehabilitated and reunited with their families thorough the Edhi network.
The foundation also has an education scheme, which apart from teaching reading and writing covers various vocational activities such as driving, pharmacy and para-medical training. The emphasis is on self-sufficiency. The Edhi Foundation has branches in several countries where they provide relief to refugees in the USA , UK , Canada , Japan , and Bangladesh . In 1991 the Foundation provided aid o victims of the Gulf war and earthquake victims in Iran and Egypt .
Vision Of the Foundation
Edhi plans mass campaigns against narcotics, illiteracy, population control and basic hygiene. Edhi's wife Bilquees works in the areas of maternity centre management. She runs 6 nursing training schools in Karachi , which provide basic training courses. These centres have so far trained over 40,000 qualified nurses. Some 20,000 abandoned babies have been saved and about a million babies have been delivered in the Edhi maternity homes. Bilquees also supervises the food that is supplied to the Edhi hospitals in Karachi . The total number of orphans in Edhi housing is 50,000 and Edhi's two daughters and one son assist in the running of the orphanages and the automation of these institutions.
Edhi's vision is to create an institution that will carry on his life's work and survive for a long time to come. His dream is that of a Pakistan as a modern welfare state, which provides a safety net for the poor and needy while providing basic health and education with vocational skills. A welfare state Edhi feels is the only way to tackle Pakistan 's myriad social problems. He hopes that one day, Pakistan will be a model for other developing countries.
In 1985 Edhi received the Nishan-e-Imtiaz from the Government of Pakistan and in recognition of their services the Government of Philippines awarded Edhi & Bilquees the Magsayay award.
The Edhi Foundation refuses to take any aid from the Government, thereby maintaining its independence.