Synergyzer

By Merzia Naeem Adamjee

“It is easer to build strong children than to repair broken men.” –  Frederick Douglass

Children are the future of our nation. In fact, they are the future of any nation for that matter but what is it that makes the progress of the children in Pakistan all the more important? Almost 37% of our population comprises of children between the ages, 0 – 14 years old, which is a total of 64 million kids bursting with energy and life, those who believe in the possibility of seemingly impossible, those with the iron will to make their dreams come true. They are a 64 million dreams waiting to see the light of day. If our soul is not as dead as the world believes it is, if we don’t want Pakistan to remain synonymous with a country that’s plagued with political instability, terrorism and ethnic intolerance then it is the moral and social obligation of every educated and able Pakistani citizen to step forward to play their role in providing every child in Pakistan the opportunity to get quality education and save the future of Pakistan in the process. That remains the only meaningful way to give back to our country and the only step towards a peaceful revolution.

What is more alarming is that Pakistan has almost 5.5 million out-of-school children (UNESCO Report), which is the second highest number in the world after Nigeria. If this is not enough to underscore the severity of the current educational crisis, many of the children in Pakistan who are actually enrolled in school don’t have access to quality education, let alone basic text books and academic infrastructure.

We can blame all and no one at the same time but at the end of the day, it is every Pakistani’s responsibility to help shape a prosperous Pakistan, it is our responsibility to make sure that our children receive basic education as their birth right. It is only through education that our children escape poverty and the future generation can have a chance for a better, secure and stable future.

What is Save Our Future?
Save Our Future welfare organization (SOF) was established in 2010 by like-minded individuals of Karachi with a simple goal in mind: extending help and resources to provide equal healthcare and education to the under-privileged, and improving and protecting the environment we live in. For the past four years, SOF has been able to organize medical camps and provide free medication in the lower segments of Karachi to those in dire need of these services. In addition, they have also organized beach cleaning drives, efforts that are aimed at helping our oceans become clean and to sustain marine life. Currently, the NGO is focusing on improving education and aims to inculcate good hygiene and healthcare habits among students.

In a nutshell, SOF believes in the potential of every Pakistani child and works tirelessly day in and day out upon the consideration that “All kids are smart, they just need proper guidance and that no child must be left behind”.

How is SOF contributing towards Education?
It is a tragic reality in Pakistan that women remain largely marginalized in our society, are encouraged to stay at home rather than getting education or taking up a career of their choice. By providing adequate and standardized education to the 500 girls of an adopted government school, SOF hopes to empower these girls enough so that they are able to make a livelihood for themselves and improve the living standards of their family in due course.

Queen Rania al-Abdullah of Jordan rightly stresses upon the need to educate women, “Educate a woman and you educate her family. Educate a girl and you change the future.” Following this positive thought, it was in July 2013 that SOF took a huge leap and adopted a government school for girls, situated in Karachi’s Cantt Area. Currently, the school is successfully providing education to over 500 girls enrolled in Prep, Junior and Senior schooling levels. Half of the students attend classes in the morning and the other half in the evening. Through endeavors such as these, SOF’s aim is to bridge the education gap in our country one school at a time, so that students at any government institution shall have access to the same facilities and quality of education as the student at a private institution in Karachi.

Speaking about the aspirations of his NGO, Fahd Kemal, President, SOF said, “Every day we are working towards the improvement of our nation. These children that we are helping are sure to make a difference and this is the only solution to the problems we are facing as a nation.”
SOF’s Journey to Build the School.

When it came to building the Girls’ school at Karachi Cantt. Area, SOF developed a well-guided strategy that concentrated on incorporating these six necessary components:

1) Quality education
2) Proper infrastructure and facilities
3) Basic healthcare
4) Clean, safe drinking water
5) Food security
6) Child protection

SOF has been working towards improving their adopted school for over a year now and has met tremendous amount of progress. For the past one year, they have been working on three areas of their school in particular which included fixing the classroom interiors, corridors, and putting in water filters and coolers for clean drinking water.

They started out by reconstructing and refurbishing the interiors of the school. The walls needed an immediate paint job and the classroom doors’ had to be repaired and replaced. Additionally, the classroom desks were to be repaired and polished while the staff bathrooms needed renovating too. At the same time, they worked on rebuilding the corridors of the school that were completely inundated with sewage water at the time the school was taken up. This required the placement of suction pumps that would not only keep the corridors free from water but also prevent the area from further flooding. They also had water coolers placed at different corners of the school to ensure that students had easy access to clean and safe drinking water throughout their stay at school. With only limited resources at their disposal, accomplishing this amount of progress has been a great achievement for SOF.

But this is just the beginning of SOF’s journey to address our country’s ongoing educational crisis. At the moment, SOF is putting all its efforts in accumulating funds to provide books, stationary and uniforms to the students after their summer break in August 2014. Their next goal is also to provide the students with a proper library. They are currently in the process of collecting donations so that students are able to develop the habit of reading.

A major contribution to this NGO is made by its volunteers who are mainly high school and college students. Their program allows students to work with the organization in their IT, administration or marketing departments during the summer break or for the entire year. Throughout the summer of 2014, interns from IBA like myself, have been working towards helping SOF grow and increase its recognition as an NGO that is making a genuine difference in our society.

Like any other NGO, SOF relies heavily on donations from its investors. At the same time, individual donors have also contributed greatly to the organization’s efforts in enhancing the quality and reach of education in Sindh, Pakistan. Recently, they initiated the Adopt a Student Program where individuals or organizations can take the responsibility of a student or students’ education and offer to pay for her education for the entire year. The donors get a chance to regularly track and monitor the adopted students’ progress and see for themselves the positive outcome of their generous commitments.

Emphasizing upon the importance of education, Fahd further added, “Education is the only way to eradicate problems of a growing nation. Educate them all and you’ll see the difference in the next ten years because it grows on a nation slowly like a need.”

IBM Computer Lab:
A recent addition to the school was a computer lab for the kids where around fifteen IBM computers were provided with the support of PHILIPS lighting Pakistan. The computer lab gave the students an incentive to enhance their learning with the help of technology and become more technology forward as well.

What’s next?
This is the first school that SOF has adopted but it is certainly not the last one. They plan to continue working towards building a better education system and focus on future projects that will involve building their own schools for the children of Pakistan.
As of now, SOF has the support and patronage of family, friends, and corporates such as Hascol, Phillips lighting, Lego, and Official.Sports (online sports magazine).

However, to continue their journey and their dream of a better Pakistan where the children of the country can lead us into a bright future, they need support from all such Pakistanis who believe they have a duty towards this country. An NGO that is so highly committed towards a cause with such limited resources; it is certainly a cause worth supporting. It is the need of the hour for the enlightened individuals of Pakistan to take the fate of our country in our own hands and to leave a better country for our future generations.

For more information, please visit:
www.sofpk.org
https://www.facebook.com/sofpk.org
Merzia Naeem Adamjee is an SOF volunteer supporting the good cause of education. SOF is connected with the Community Welfare Society of IBA – one of the most prestigious business schools of Pakistan and regularly involves students to enhance educational opportunities for the under-privileged. Connect with us at help@sofpk.org or info@sofpk.org

Mansoor Moin Akhtar highlights the importance of the charitable mindset set forth by his father

Often, we as a society silently decide upon norms which carry forth through generations. Sometimes in this prolonged chain of tradition, we pause and evaluate the righteousness of the act we consistently followed without question. When the evolution of our thought process fails to align with our practices, we cringe because it means times have changed. I feel we are currently at that crossroads in our history yet again and the practice in question is our way of giving. Being born a Muslim, I do believe charity is one of the focal points of existence. From that religious standpoint, if I help my fellow man, ultimately I am also helping myself in the grander scheme of life. However, at one point or another, each and every one of us depends on another for survival; an infant depends on his guardians to learn how to fit into society, an employee on his boss for the monthly paycheck to run the house, a student on his teacher to better understand the vast unexplored world before him and the list forever continues because each of us have a trait or skill another needs and requires. Charity, then, is not a favor to anyone. It is just one of us depending on another for survival, as the rest of us may need to at some other point.

A reoccurring excuse I often come across from people to avoid giving is they have used up their generosity for purposes other than which they had intended. In other words, their hard earned money is misused by the people they give to. Yet, these occurrences, which indeed exist in our society, need not deter us from charitable causes entirely. There are legitimate causes which aid those who suffer from hardships beyond our imaginations. Ranging from mental and physical disabilities to genuine inabilities for a single provider to feed his growing family, these hard truths are found in most slums and a significant portion of our rural population in our own country. Islam regards our intentions highly. Give with the right intentions and more often than not, it will find its way into the right hands.

I owe my outlook on this topic to my father, Moin Akhtar, who never shied away from neither charity nor charitable causes. He lived an exuberant life, dined with the untouchables and stood shoulder to shoulder with great men. However, the satisfaction that I saw on his face was when he could be of any help to another human being. He would often say, “I have learnt the secret to multiply all your worldly possessions. I have learnt how to take from God. Give the last currency bill in your pocket in His name and He being the Most Gracious and Most Beneficent, will take it, multiply it three fold and return it back to you.”

Those are words he lived by and unless his life was one giant coincidence that lasted sixty years, the “secret” he spoke of always proved to be true and I have been a personal witness to his “threefold” logic successfully put into practice by him throughout my life. He made it a point to never boast about what or how much he would give away. Never have I witnessed him offering any financial assistance to a person in front of another out of respect for the former’s dignity. Yet, after he passed away, hundreds of people came up to my family and me with utility bills, house loans, grocery bills and dowries for their daughters’ weddings that he had arranged silently. If there was any matter that he could not handle himself, he would contact his friends and have them help using their influence.

Our thought process needs changing, indeed. Charity is no favor or loan, but an investment in a belief much longer lasting. From a logical standpoint, it is an investment in a healthier, securer and a more progressive future for our upcoming generations. There is enough money in this world for all of us to reap equal joys and stand together. Giving must become an instinct to us than a mere afterthought. It does not have to be to an NGO or a fund of any sort. Unfortunately, the trust formed between these corporate conglomerates and the public seems to be dwindling down. Hopefully, that trend too can change with time. If that trust seems bleak still, we can give directly to those we feel need it the most; whether they ask us or not. Though I will argue that people running charitable initiatives have every right to earn through them, in the form of a legitimate salary, for the hard work they put into these initiatives to make them successful. Practically, it should be allowed for as it is equivalent to any other work and religiously, earning a salary through such a cause is allowed. However the numbers, accounts and salaries being disbursed through such an initiative should be public knowledge so that there can be decreased hesitation from prospective givers and they are able to contribute to that cause with an open heart and mind.

No longer should charity remain an option to us, we must transform it into a moral obligation. We can start slow, it need not be sudden. We can slowly sleep a little less, eat a little less, work a little more and give a little more for it is the only worthy ending to our grand story that will always demand to be told. I thank my father for giving me this goggle of perspective that made me cringe and realize that times have changed and we must change with it and re-evaluate our evolution.

By Afifa Nadeem and Asra Ahmed

Vision: “To help the less fortunate fellows in their pain and sufferings without any discrimination or compromise on their needs.”

H.O.P.E.S (Help of Patients in Exigency by Students) is a non-political organization managed by the students of Karachi Medical & Dental College (KMDC) with the sole mission to alleviate human suffering.

KMDC’s affiliate hospital, Abbassi Shaheed Hospital (ASH) was in a dire need of a structured philanthropic strategy when a group of students decided to launch H.O.P.E.S in 1995 for the welfare of poor patients so that they could avail facilities like free medications for their treatment. They started with a meager amount of Rs. 80,000 annually, and it has been going uphill ever since, now providing welfare services worth almost Rs.700,000 per month and Rs. 8 million per annum.

During the cabinet announcement meeting, one of the founders, Dr. Ahmed Nawaz expressed his gratitude and explained the journey they eked out for this generous purpose. “When we started working on this project, at the beginning it was just an experiment to assess the need and outcome of such an initiative, we worked and it paid off. Today H.O.P.E.S. is progressing at a substantial pace,” said he.

In Abbassi Shaheed Hospital, the Free Drug Bank of H.O.P.E.S, famously known as room 41 supplies the underprivileged patients with free drugs where students perform their duty at the drug bank after their college hours and dispense the prescribed medicines to the beds of the patients, the daily cost of which is Rs. 22,000. From June 2013 to June 2014 alone, the cost of drugs dispatched to the medicine ward and it’s allied wards reached Rs. 4.8 million while that of the surgery and it’s allied wards totaled to Rs. 2.9 million which would have been impossible to afford had the philanthropists in the society not existed.

The diagnostics, radiology and blood transfusions take place either separately or in labs affiliated with ASH, the cost of which is borne by the H.O.P.E.S account. Meanwhile, the ‘No Profit, No Loss Pharmacies’ selling medicines at trade prices have been established for those unable to afford costly medication.

With doctors on their toes to ease out the miseries of those in pain, the Free 24-Hour Emergency Drug Bank serves patients anytime of the day or night irrespective of their lack or affiliations or affordability. H.O.P.E.S. has helped not only millions of inhouse patients but has gone the extra mile on various occasions such as unexpected natural disasters like 2005 earth quake, floods of 2010 and 2011, or political scenarios such as terrorism war. The rehabilitation facilities and medical care to the victims were also given by the volunteers who went to the affected areas to ensure proper access to aid without any turbulence.

As part of other CSR activities, many campaigns, shows and carnivals are arranged by the volunteers throughout the year to raise funds for the smooth running of the NGO. These include:

– Zakaat campaigns during Ramzan in many areas of Karachi
– Hides campaigns during Eid ul Azha
– H.O.P.E.S. carnival which is a complete day of fun filled event, the earnings of which are used in for fulfilling the organization’s philanthropic objectives
– TV and radio interviews of our volunteers during the campaigns and the social media coverage

The total income of H.O.P.E.S. comes from these events as well as from the money that is collected every month by the college students themselves who not only donate generously but also raise funds from their relatives and neighbours for the cause.
“In H.O.P.E.S. we work like a family, everyone knows about  the monthly expenditures and all the fifty volunteers feel the responsibility of providing the money to keep the organization functional. All of us give at least 15 hours per week to H.O.P.E.S.” says, Asfia Arham Khursheed, President of H.O.P.E.S. “We eat, sleep and study in its office when the work load is more. I’ve learnt more through H.O.P.E.S. than I learned from textbooks.”

H.O.P.E.S can be contacted at:
H.O.P.E.S. Pharmacy 021-3661433, 0322-2858259, 03333683254
hopesoffice@gmail.com

By Sara Qazi

Foodpanda ClickDonate is an online donation program, initiated with the collaborative efforts of TCS Connect, Orange Tree Foundation, SWAT and Microsoft. The idea is to make donating simpler for everyone around the country by allowing them to select from three denominations of ration packs and pay for these at the convenience of their doorstep. The provision of food was thus made simple for underprivileged families.

The objective of the campaign is for people, especially the youth, to reflect on the grim reality that people in our society are struggling to eat two meals every day, and to motivate them to contribute generously towards this cause. Therefore, convenience, simplicity and efficiency were kept at the center of the overall process in order to create a straightforward channel for all stakeholders including the donors, program partners and recipients.

Although prices of staple food items rise due to inflation all around the year, Ramadan witnesses exorbitant price hikes in particular, which affect the bottom line for families that cannot afford to adequately feed themselves. Through the ClickDonate program, donors help in procuring and distributing a ration pack for a minimum of Rs.1000, the contents of which are enough to last around a week for a family of four to five individuals. The program is based on the philosophy that there’s enough food in the world to feed everyone; one simply needs to think about sharing it with the underprivileged ones, and every contribution counts.

The donation mechanism works in a very simple way; as the customer visits Foodpanda’s website or searches for ‘ClickDonate’ in the mobile app, the donation packages become visible. The customer can select any of the three packages worth Rs.1,000, Rs.1,825 or Rs. 2,890. After the contact details are provided on the website, a confirmation SMS and email are sent to the donor and within 24 hours, a TCS representative collects the donation and provides a certificate as token of appreciation. TCS Connect handles the logistics and the purchase and distribution of the ration packs is carried out by the Orange Tree Foundation and SWAT to give to the poor and needy. Other than being excellent logistical and distribution partners, these entities have come together as one united force working for a great cause.

Profiling Foodpanda’s consumers based on their information consumption and spending habits revealed that leveraging its online presence would be quite feasible rather than running a stand-alone campaign. Hence, a 360 degree campaign was created leveraging Foodpanda’s online presence targeting SEC A and B. Every week a sub-campaign was rolled out with a different visual theme while retaining the essence of the core campaign, that is, help the truly deserving and underprivileged people of the society. A number of strategies and platforms have been used as vehicles for promotion including images, rich media and advertising on social media, push notifications via mobile app, banners and landing page on Foodpanda’s website, newsletters, press releases and TCS Centre collection points. The partners also promoted the program by sharing it with their fans and followers on social media, where the ClickDonate launch video received a very good response. Currently the video has 2,701 likes and has been shared more than 850 times on Facebook alone while a number of independent bloggers have also applauded these efforts. The overall campaign has a good engagement rate with the peak hours being between 9 pm to 2 am and donations have been received in sizeable amounts. Our approach was to let our campaign speak for itself and tell the deplorable story of people who don’t know when, where or how their next meal is going to come from, and then encourage internet users to change this. As a result, the number of articles and blogs doubled as compared to the previous few months. A handful of reporters from mainstream media have also reached out inquiring about the campaign as it went viral.

The areas that are churning out a large number of donations include Karachi’s DHA, Clifton and Gulistan-e-Johar; Lahore’s Johar Town and Islamabad’s Sector E-11. This year, the campaign was run till the end of Ramadan, however, given the overwhelming response and feedback, it’s likely that something similar will be done next Ramadan as well.

A charity looking to create educated, healthy, prosperous, empowered and responsible individuals with equal opportunities in society.

Behbud Association was founded in Rawalpindi during the 1965 Indo-Pak war to help affected families with food and shelter. It is a name which stands for support and strength for women. Behbud’s programs focus on community development, by providing opportunities for responsible and generous persons to assist under-developed sectors in Pakistan, helping to alleviate poverty, illiteracy, poor health conditions and economic deprivation. Behbud’s sole purpose was to empower women. In 1970, Behbud Association Karachi was set up by a group of ladies driven by the same principles of compassion for the needy. Behbud Association Karachi and all other Behbud Association chapters operative in the country are autonomous entities run by their own executive committees. The Karachi association started off from a two room apartment in PECHS, but now has under its care various schools, health clinics, a production unit and a large team of volunteers. The association holds annual elections when the members – who are all volunteers, elect the Executive Committee. This Committee consists of a President, three Vice Presidents, a Secretary, a Treasurer and Chairpersons of each project who are responsible for the smooth running of their respective projects.

The charity’s mission is to provide quality education, medical facilities and income support to the underprivileged citizens of Karachi and adjoining areas. Behbud association runs an extensive education support system under the aegis of Behbud Education System (BES) with the following projects: three secondary schools, one primary school, four community schools, four literacy centers, a computer lab and a learning resource center. BES schools are located in or near the vastly inhibited city slums to facilitate children living near those schools. The BES charges very nominal monthly fees from Rs. 50 to Rs. 100, while providing full scholarships to deserving children. Through the Higher Education Fund, students going for professional training are selected and their fees at their respective institutions is paid in full.

Behbud’s other initiative under the Behbud Health Services (BHS) realizes that medical treatment is an equal right for both the privileged and the under-privileged. To provide medical relief in a situation of crisis for the poor, the association conducts weekly clinics mainly at Mehmoodabad – Korangi and Shireen Jinnah Centers. These clinics offer specialized health treatments and are located in or near the slums so patients can easily access them. As Behbud’s reputation grew, people from distant areas also started availing these services. In most cases, for a mere Rs.50, the patient is examined by a doctor, or referred to a Behbud specialist, and given medicine for a week. BHS insures that the medicines are of the highest quality. The association keeps the costs of the clinics low by buying medicines at wholesale prices and by relying on extensive volunteer support. Twenty-six volunteer doctors work in the clinics, while other administrative tasks are carried out by more than thirty other volunteers.

The association apart from dispensing quality education and medical facilities to the needy, firmly believes in providing women with the opportunity to make a respectable living in the current society. Women from all parts of the city can join Behbud’s extensive skill courses on offer in the Shireen Jinnah Center and the Mehmoodabad – Korangi center. The centers help in departing basic training in skill sets i.e. sewing, embroider, leather work, block printing, fabric painting, electrical training and basic IT skills. Once the women learn their trade, the association pays them to produce goods for the various gift shops and a designer store named ‘Behbud Creations’. All profits from the gift shops and the store are invested back into the association.

The Behbud Karachi Association works tirelessly to empower the young and the old alike; to enable them to hold a respectable image in the society today. The association also looks towards uplifting the society as a whole by implementing their Green Initiative, which targets destitute grounds in the city and undertakes a facelift job to provide the youth with an opportunity to pursue a healthy lifestyle by investing their time in extra-curricular activities including an official cricket team ‘Behbud Cricket Club’ which is registered with the Karachi City Cricket Association.  The Behbud Karachi Association carries out its programs through donations it receives from individuals including zakat. The association can be reached on the following address:

Behbud Association Karachi – Street 9, Block 1, Scheme 5, Kehkashan, Clifton, Karachi.
Telephone 021 – 35820663; 35820665; 35824524
Email: info@behbudkarachi.org
Website: www.behbudkarachi.org 

NETWORK OF ORGANIZATIONS WORKING WITH PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, PAKISTAN

By Zahra Anum

It’s a particularly punishing summer afternoon in Karachi, and for those whose livelihoods are tied to a daily commute the heat is oppressively indiscriminate. One of those individuals is Hassan, making his way to a bus stop reflecting on a day well spent. The heat emanating from the asphalt laden road wreaks havoc but for Hassan there is a silver lining; a home cooked meal and the humor of his favorite comedy show. As he attempts to wave down a public bus – the first of three he has to change – his frantic signaling fails to catch the attention of four respective drivers, who instead barely slow down to a crawl twenty yards ahead of the stop. While his fellow commuters attempt to dash and scramble into the bus’ rickety frame, Hassan is shrouded in invisibility. He looks away ruefully, waiting for the fifth bus.

Hassan contracted polio in his infancy, the affliction making him physically impaired from the waist down. Ever resourceful, Hassan’s hands provide him with the ability to walk and earn a livelihood. Social attitudes and poor infrastructure, instead of recognizing that ability, render his impairment a disability, and sometimes label it a liability.

In Pakistan, there are more than 18 million people with disabilities, a figure that is nearly the population of Karachi – one of the biggest cities in the world. Despite this jaw-dropping statistic, our architecture continues to be inaccessible, population unaware, policy framework inadequate and economic empowerment non-existent for people with disabilities.

While there are organizations that work in pockets to address issues related to people with disabilities, there was no framework that connects these erstwhile well-intentioned but dispersed institutions. To connect the dots and highlight the issues faced by people with disabilities, Network of Organizations working for people with disabilities, Pakistan (NOWPDP) – a not-for-profit organization – was established in 2008.

NOWPDP is a unique model because it has anchored itself on a vision of mainstreaming people with disabilities through the pursuit of holistic endeavors with clear social objectives, through its network of over 180 organizations across Pakistan.Its uniqueness is underscored by the focus on long lasting changes, quantitative and qualitative results and perception based on understanding, not charity. NOWPDP projects are a testament to sustainable, impactful and empathetic approach and THE workforce is a reflection of inclusiveness.

The Rickshaw Project was initiated in 2012 as a reaction – a reaction to issues like what Hassan faces. It aims to empower people with disabilities via employment and to demonstrate inclusion in action by creating a highly visible, “moving” platform for advocating issues regarding the rights of persons with disabilities and promoting inclusive societies by example. Along the way the organization faced hurdles from a legislative and engineering perspective that has strengthened us resolve to strive on, encapsulated in its motto, “Moving People, Changing Minds”. The Rickshaw Project with its fleet of physically impaired drivers and visually impaired project manager intends on demonstrating a sustainable operations model, a platform for advocacy and economic empowerment.

Economic empowerment is the cornerstone for mainstreaming and access to necessities, hence NOWPDP’s vocational training endeavor, heARTwork was established. This aims to impart employable skillsets to people with disabilities. The heARTwork philosophy is “Empowering people with disabilities through promotion of their craftsmanship, thereby making them valued members of society.” Although 170 students with disabilities in the skills of papermaking and textile have been trained they are only a fraction of the target audience. The goal is to keep expanding this skills development and market access project. heARTwork works with intellectually impaired and hearing impaired students at special education institutes, spearheaded by an in-house team staffed by people with disabilities to demonstrate that the organization walks the talk.

Having placed over 300 individuals in employment across various industries, NOWPDP realized that economic empowerment could be further evolved by raising awareness and building the capacity of organizations. Utilizing the 3 E approach: Embed, Empower and Equal – it initiated a holistic project called yaqEEEn (Belief). This program aims to make public and private setups, schools and organizations more inclusive of persons with disabilities. In its pilot consultancy it will develop Engro Corp and its subsidiaries into equal opportunities employers, with a focus on people with disabilities. yaqEEEn’s objectives are to empower people with disabilities by providing them holistic opportunities in accordance with their capabilities through building infrastructure, empowering ability, institutionalizing diversity, and raising awareness.

“A kite does not walk, it flies.”

This was a quote that a child with disability coined recently, an expression of their thoughts to accompany the drawing of a kite. This individual was part of the art as therapy program: Artpreneurs for Change (AfC). AfC trains individuals to use art as a therapeutic medium for children with disabilities, by creating a space for expression, engaging them emotionally and socially, and allowing them to express feelings and memories. NOWPDP aims to raise awareness about disabilities through this initiative, by holding activities and exhibitions. Showcasing the talent of children and sensitizing individuals to the benefits of engaging those who NOWPDP are marginalized and misunderstood – hopes to initiate conversation with people from all walks of life.

While then journey has not been devoid of challenges, disappointments, bias and discrimination, NOWPDP believe; in the empathy of our vision, carried by the sustainability of their mandate and delivered by the impact of their projects. This is just the beginning.

NOWPDP – A Part, not Apart

NOWPDP  Banglow No.83/1 N I Line, Opp Marie Colaco School, Saddar Karachi, Pakistan
Phone 021-32294527-28
Email info@nowpdp.org

Mental Illness is Treatable

By Zaheeruddin Babar, Chief Executive Officer, Karwan-e-Hayat

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” – Aesop

Back in the early 1980s, Dr Zafar Mohammad Qureshi,a psychiatrist of great repute and a philanthropist, was approached by a lady who ran from pillar to post trying to get affordable treatment for a poor mentally ill patient. She posed the uncomfortable question to the Doctor: where should the poor and underprivileged go for treatment of mental illness? Unfortunately, Dr Zafar realized, there was then no place in Karachi he could suggest.

The brainchild of  Dr Qureshi, Karwan-e-Hayat was launched to provide treatment and rehabilitation services to mentally ill patients who could not afford it. Initially, a handful of psychiatry professionals, social workers, philanthropists such as late Begum Raana Liaquat Ali Khan, Begum Shaista Ikramullah, Prof. Zaki Hasan, Mr. Rustamji of the BVS Parsi school, Ms. Anita Ghulam Ali, Cardinal Joseph Cordeiro etc. became Karwan’s founding members. Soon the non-profit welfare organization expanded as the number of underprivileged patients visiting it increased. While many joined the bandwagon at the house of Dr Zafar Qureshi initially who also created awareness on mental illness through seminars and workshops, it was in 1983 that the Karwan was formally inaugurated.

With limited means, a small mental illness clinic was set up in two rented rooms in Punjab Colony which drew many patients who heard of the clinic by word of mouth. Today, Karwan-e-Hayat functions as a 100-bed hospital and rehabilitation unit at Keamari, an outpatient facility at Jami, and a Community Psychiatry Centre in Korangi. It is the only NGO of its kind that not only offers treatment but also rehabilitation services along with skill training to help mentally challenged patients salvage the lost years due to mental illness.

Karwan-e-Hayat’s aim is to work for the prevention, relief and treatment of mental illness; to work towards the rehabilitation of mentally distressed people, especially the underprivileged and deprived; to organize, train and maintain a team of dedicated psychiatrists, psychologists, occupational therapists and social workers to ensure a competent and ongoing mental health service; and to raise public awareness about mental illness and to foster behavioral change in society.

These have been fulfilled over the years since 2004, the year when Karwan-e-Hayat opened the largest inpatient hospital for mentally ill patients, initially treating a total of 9,757 patients during the year 2005-2006. The years 2013 and 2014 saw an influx of 30,791 patients visiting the three Karachi facilities of Karwan-e-Hayat for psychiatric treatment. Another 9,878 patients received rehabilitation services. Eighty percent of all these received treatment free of cost. So far Karwan-e-Hayat has treated 167,161 patients in outpatient clinics, 61,676 in rehabilitation services and 3,721 as inpatients.

Administering the latest psychiatric treatment and rehabilitation techniques, Karwan-e-Hayat began the country’s state-of-the-art psychiatric rehabilitation unit at Keamari after an intensive training from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, USA.This is the first of its kind facility which successfully treats mentally ill patients and rehabilitates them to return to their loved ones and live a productive life. In 2011, Karwan launched another model of Community Psychiatry which is an outpatient facility in Korangi. This facility is based on treating the patient at home with the help of case workers, social workers, occupational therapists etc.

Such rehabilitation techniques have been very effective in making mentally ill patients maintain healthy relationships with their co-workers, family members and also being productive at work. Ahmed (name changed for sake of anonymity) was 25 years old when he showed signs of severe schizophrenia. The family mistook the symptoms for exorcism and had him chained at a shrine in interior Sindh.

When he was referred to  Karwan-e-Hayat, he had lost almost 10 years of his life. With treatment that ensued almost a year, he recovered and was discharged, also finding freedom from the rusted chains around his feet and hands. Today he carries out all his personal chores and is able to work also.

Ahmed was lucky to have found his way to Karwan-e-Hayat, but many still remain unattended due to stigma and lack of awareness on mental illness. An estimated 15 million people in Pakistan are faced with mental illness and a sizable 2 million in Karachi are faced with mild and severe mental disorders. It has been a constant challenge for Karwan-e-Hayat to make ends meet due to the increasing number of patients visiting the facilities with restricted funds but the smile on their faces and a deep sense of gratitude when they recover and return to their loved ones and lead a productive life remains the drive for Karwan-e-Hayat to forge ahead.

According to the Pakistan Centre for Philanthropy, almost 98 per cent people in Pakistan give out whole-heartedly to philanthropic causes, which makes this nation unique in more ways than one. There is a dire need for the corporate sector to capitalize on this strength of the Pakistani nation and become a partner in reducing misery in Pakistan.

Mental illness is a neglected area that needs a lot of attention and funding to treat mentally ill patients. In the coming years, depression will be the leading cause of disease burden and this needs to be tackled in a concerted manner. Since poverty is one of the leading causes of mental illness, there is a dire need to work in this area in a multi-pronged fashion. The corporate sector and high net-worth individuals can, not only invest in treatment, but also vocational training of mentally ill patients to be able to make them live a productive life. Karwan-e-Hayat continues the journey to provide solace to millions who need help.

Karwan-e-Hayat can be contacted at:
Karwan-e-Hayat
101 Al-Noor Arcade, near Qamrul Islam mosque,
Khayaban-e-Jami, Karachi 75500
Phone: 0092 21 35863060
Email: karwanhayat@yahoo.com 

KPT & Karwan-e-Hayat Psychiatric Care and Rehabilitation Centre,
Near KPT Hospital and Ziauddin Hospital
Keamari, Karachi
Phone: 9221 32856880, 32856774-75
E-mail: kehpcrc1@hotmail.com

Une petite guerre parfaite

Korangi Community Psychiatric Clinic
Plot # SC-54, Darussalam Housing Society,
Sector 31-F, Korangi, Karachi
Phone: 9221 35120204-5
Website: www.keh.org.pk