January,
2008
Dear Friends,
Another year has gone by and it is time, once again, to present
an update of our activities, thank you for your continuing support
and, on behalf of all of us associated with SOS Children’s
Villages of Pakistan, extend to you warm greetings for the New Year.
The past year has
not been a happy one as we lurched from crisis to crisis and finally
witnessed the most reprehensible act of all – the assassination
of a popular leader. We grieve for all those whose hopes and dreams
are shattered in an instant, and pray for a return to normality
in the country. Words are insufficient to condemn the spiral of
violence in which we seem to be trapped. We are not a violent nation
and we have so much to be proud of. It is for each one of us to
play our part in putting the country back on an even keel by being
positive, constructive and tolerant of each other, while condemning
all that has gone askew in our society.
Even as we regret
the state of affairs in the country, we are happy to inform you
that our work continues to steadily progress. For this we are ever
so grateful to all of you, who make it possible for us, to reach
out to more and more deserving children. Thank you for your concern
and thank you for your confidence in us. Confidence in our ability
to provide the children with a secure haven, a cheerful environment
and the opportunity to develop to their full potential. We look
forward to your continued support, as it is only through this that
we are able to implement our plans.
This year we make
a special appeal to all of you to please consider contributing towards
the establishment of more projects. Construction costs are now so
high that the financing of new Villages has become increasingly
difficult. A project is under construction in Quetta and, by the
time you receive this newsletter, contracts will have been awarded
for the construction of SOS Villages in Islamabad and Jamshoro -
and those in the earthquake affected regions are yet to come. Even
though the costs are daunting, we believe that our responsibility
is to do the necessary planning and ensure judicious use of funds,
the rest is not in our hands. We are proud of the generosity of
our nation and its concern for the needy. It is rightly said that
a society is judged by what it does for its weakest members and,
unfortunately, we have so many in our midst. Please consider this
‘sadqa-i-jaria’ from which countless orphans will benefit
over the years, and also convey this appeal to others who may not
be aware of the urgent need. We also require more sponsors for the
earthquake orphans and for new admissions to the Villages. The monthly
sponsorship is Rs.2500 per child. Anyone who is interested should
contact the nearest Village or the National Office.
As our work expands
this report becomes longer and longer, so I plan to mention only
a few highlights from each centre, and am suggesting to all the
Villages, that they send separate reports to their local donors.
Indeed, some are already doing this, and many events are similar
in all the projects.
LAHORE
The SOS Children’s Village, Youth Home and Community School
serve as models for the other projects. Since the National Training
Centre is also situated here, there is a hum of activity all year
round. The annual National Conference, Directors Training and Mothers
Training programmes are some of the events which are organized,
all adding to the hustle and bustle of the regular Village activities.
There is a steady stream of visitors, from both Pakistan and abroad,
and they are warmly welcomed as all our work is made possible through
such support. The construction of a new Youth Home has still not
begun, despite the land being allocated to us by the Government
of the Punjab in 2005. There have been some hurdles created by the
previous lessee but, hopefully, these will soon be removed. This
delay is most unfortunate, as a generous donor from Sharjah has
offered to construct the project, and it could have been ready by
now.
DHODIAL
We lost two of our dedicated committee members during the course
of the year, Begum Mahmooda Salim Khan, who had been Chairperson
of SOS Children’s Villages of N.W.F.P, since its establishment
in 1982, and Begum Akhtar Malik, who was a member of the committee
and a much loved ‘Nani’ of all the children. We mourn
their loss and appreciate the tremendous contribution they made
to the development of the organization. Begum Zari Sarfaraz Khan,
a renowned social worker, who was previously Vice-Chairperson, now
heads the Committee.
The damage caused to the Village and School by the earthquake was,
fortunately, not serious and has been repaired. The new Vocational
Training Centre is functional and will also be admitting girls from
the neighbourhood.
The children from this project continue to excel in academics. One
girl obtained first position in the MBA examination from Hazara
University, one is studying medicine at the Abbottabad Medical College,
and another one, architecture at the National College of Arts, Lahore.
Three boys are admitted to the Cadet College, Batrasi.
Due to its beautiful setting and pleasant climate, this Village
is a popular holiday destination in the summer. Groups of children
from the Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Sargodha and Multan projects
enjoyed the warm hospitality which is always extended to visitors.
KARACHI
In Karachi, too, we lost one of our dedicated committee members,
Mrs. Zarine Gulgee, who had been associated with SOS for the past
twenty years. It is always difficult to come to terms with a bereavement,
but the circumstances of her death make it even more so. We offer
sincere condolences to the families of our departed members, and
pray that they find some solace in the fact that they will live
forever in the minds of all those whose lives they touched.
A very commendable initiative has been the introducing of older
girls and boys to community service. They have been encouraged to
spend time with the special children in Dar-ul-Sakoon and patients
in the Children’s Hospital, and help brighten up their lives.
As everywhere else, great focus is laid on the children’s
education. The SOS Hermann Gmeiner School has been upgraded to College
level and classes introduced for F.Sc. pre-medicine, pre-engineering
and commerce. There was a great need for this and students can now
go directly into professional colleges.
The construction of the Youth facility is progressing well and will
be ready in a few months. An agreement has been signed with Infaq
Foundation for the establishment of an SOS Technical Institute.
This will be constructed by them, according to our requirements,
and handed over to us for operation. Besides this, the establishment
of an SOS Village in Jamshoro has the Committee fully occupied and
construction should start up soon.
RAWALPINDI
This is the largest SOS Complex in the country as it includes a
Technical Training Centre and an Automobile Workshop, which are
making it possible for hundreds of youth to acquire the requisite
skills for entering the job market. The SOS Hermann Gmeiner School
has been functioning since 1995, but was still without a Boys High
School. This has now been constructed and the boys will not have
to go to outside schools, after the new school session starts in
April. The computer and science laboratories are being equipped
through a grant from HSBC.
The Village and Youth Home are very generously sharing their accommodation
with earthquake affected children, who have made good friends with
the others.
Since Islamabad and Rawalpindi receive a steady stream of dignitaries
from abroad, SOS is often included in their itinerary. The representatives
of Action for Change, the British Airways charity, also visited
in the spring and presented a minibus to the children. They, along
with members of the UK Support Group, planted saplings, which the
children will take care of. The visitors are invariably impressed
by the talented and confident children.
FAISALABAD
The SOS Village in Faisalabad is steadily being developed, thanks
to generous support being received. Following the construction of
a spacious auditorium and renovation of the administrative block,
the donor, Mr. Joroen Van Dooren, CEO of Messrs. Dobotex also donated
the cost of construction of three residential units for boys. Young
boys who are still attending school have been shifted there while
the older boys remain in the Youth Home.
Plans are being finalized for the completion of the school and this
should be taken up as early as possible. Presently the Primary School
building is being used to accommodate 163 students from Nursery
to Class 10 and, as admissions increase, there will be acute pressure
on the existing facilities. As it is, the boys are enrolled in outside
schools, after Class 5. The annual SOS Inter-Village Cricket Tournament
was hosted by Faisalabad, for the second time, and their team also
won for the second time. This is a great opportunity for our SOS
youth, from all over the country, to meet each other and forge friendships.
SARGODHA
For a long time the Sargodha Village suffered from insufficient
monitoring, as committee members were otherwise involved. We have
now introduced some new members, and formed a Village Committee,
which is overseeing the activities in the Village, Youth Home and
School. We are fortunate to have as Chairman of this Committee,
Professor Mukhtar Ahmad Malik, who is giving generously of his time
and expertise to bring the facilities up to the required standard.
Public support is slowly increasing and medical doctors, in particular,
are offering their services and other assistance.
This project faced serious maintenance problems due to excessive
salinity in the water, which exacerbates the inevitable deterioration.
With assistance from ‘Friends of SOS’ and other concerned
supporters, a major programme of repair and painting of the premises
has been undertaken. The pathways in the Village are in bad condition
and need to be replaced with tuff tiles. This is an expensive proposition
but will make a big improvement in the appearance of the project.
We look forward to some donors taking up this requirement.
MULTAN
Going through the annual report of the SOS Children’s Village,
Multan one is impressed by the interesting outside trips which have
been organized for the children, and the many visitors who have
participated in their activities. The committee and staff are certainly
sparing no effort to fill their lives with stimulating and exciting
experiences. This is as it should be, because it is the right of
every child to have the benefit of not only a good education, but
also good recreational facilities.
A Community School has been functioning in a building loaned by
the management of Colony Textile Mills, while the regular school
building is under construction. This is now nearing completion and
will be an attractive addition to the institutions of Multan. We
are most grateful to the major donors of this project, Mr. Imtiaz
Shaikh based in Dubai, and Mr. Akbar Butt who resides in London.
It is most interesting that the latter found out about SOS, just
by chance, and came to see for himself what we are doing.
SIALKOT
This is the newest Village in the country and, perhaps, one of the
most attractive. It is located on the site of an old rest house,
which had some beautiful old trees, and efforts were made to save
as many as possible. The committee in-charge is so very enthusiastic,
despite the distance and bad roads, and the project is off to a
flying start. This is just as well, as many earthquake orphans have
been accommodated here, and more are on the way.
A remarkable achievement of this Village is that their football
team, all under 14, competed with under 19 teams and won the first
league match, played in November and then the final, played in December.
Well done young boys, keep it up! These matches were organized by
ILO/IPEC who provided all the football gear and also professional
coaches.
The group which visited from the UK in the spring, made a special
effort to visit Sialkot where the SOS Children’s Villages
of Pakistan UK Supporters Group had donated Rs.5 million, for the
construction of the administration block and community centre. They
were very pleased with what they saw, and the welcome they received
from the children.
QUETTA
Sincere congratulations to Mrs. Roshan Bharucha, Chairperson of
SOS Children’s Villages of Balochistan, on her appointment
as Minister of Social Welfare in the caretaker government. Thanks
to her, and the other dedicated members of the committee, matters
are progressing well and, before long, we will have our own premises
in Quetta.
In the meantime a second house has been rented to accommodate the
new admissions. Twenty-six children are happily settled in the two
homes and busy with their studies at the Army Public School.
Due to insufficient funds for the construction of the entire SOS
Children’s Village, it was decided to first construct the
Youth Home. Not only is the cost much less, but it will also be
completed in less time. Since this decision was taken, Mr. Shaukat
Aziz, former Prime Minister of Pakistan, and Pakistan Petroleum
Limited made generous donations which will enable us to carry on
with some portion of the main Village. Hopefully, more donations
will come in so that work can continue.
KASUR
The SOS Rural Support Programme has been an outstanding success
from the very beginning, and has steadily gone from strength to
strength. The dedication and hard work of the team has paid off
and the project is acclaimed as a model in the field of integrated
rural development. Many agencies, including the Pakistan Poverty
Alleviation Fund, the Asian Development Bank and the Canadian International
Development Agency have provided funding for a wide range of interventions.
Remarkable achievements have been made, not only in the usual fields
of education, health, sanitation and water supply but also, many
less conventional areas. Some of these are a Leadership Programme
for schoolchildren, raising awareness and providing technical support
for establishing Citizen’s Community Boards, participation
of men and women in local government and the establishment of Gender
Support Centres. It is most gratifying to witness the sea change
brought about by this programme, in the lives of a population of
over 11 million people, living in 45 villages.
EMERGENCY PROGRAMME
We presently have over two hundred children, orphaned by the earthquake,
in our care. They are housed in a temporary facility in Rawalpindi,
a rented building in Dhodial and SOS facilities in Rawalpindi, Lahore
and Sialkot. We would like to express sincere thanks to the Human
Development Foundation (USA) for their continuing sponsorship of
one hundred children, to Children of Hope (Canada) for financing
their education and Action for Change (British Airways) for the
consignments of computers, books, stationery, tools, shoes, clothes
etc. not forgetting the donation of a minibus and financing of a
family unit in the Islamabad Village. Another unit has been committed
by the SOS Children’s Villages of Pakistan UK Supporters Group
who, along with SOS UK and BA representatives, made a special trip
to Pakistan in March, to visit the children and witness for themselves
the havoc caused by the earthquake. They visited Muzaffarabad in
hazardous weather conditions and got an insight into the difficulties
faced by the people. So many people help ease their trauma and a
lead role has been played by Telenor, which also hosted an enjoyable
iftari party at the Emergency Shelter, Rawalpindi. They, too, have
committed funds for a home in the Mansehra Village.
As I informed you in my newsletter last year, we plan to relocate
the damaged SOS Village in Muzaffarabad to another location and
construct new Villages in Rawalakot and Mansehra District. We had
requested allocation of land by the respective provincial governments
so that we can implement our plans. I am pleased to inform you that
we have been allotted 90 kanals of land in a beautiful location
in Rawalakot, land is being acquired in Muzaffarabad, and a suitable
site has also been identified near Mansehra. I am most excited about
the Rawalakot site because here we will, God willing, establish
a large complex comprising of an SOS Children’s Village, an
SOS Youth Home, a community school, a skill training centre and
a holiday camp for children from other projects. We are nothing
if not ambitious! I would like to express sincere gratitude to Mr.
Shamsul Mulk, Caretaker Chief Minister N.W.F.P and Mr. Javed Majid,
Chief Secretary AJK for their assistance in this matter. It is the
collective concern of so many people that keeps us moving forward
and I sincerely hope that the day is not too far when the children
can be settled in permanent homes.
FUTURE PLANS
I almost hesitate to put these on paper because the magnitude of
the work we have opted for is quite intimidating. As you know, the
establishment of every SOS Children’s Village is followed
by an SOS Youth Home for adolescent boys, a community school and,
in some locations, a technical training centre. Three Villages are
under construction, in Quetta, Jamshoro and Islamabad, and projects
in Rawalakot, Muzaffarabad and Mansehra should follow shortly, so
we are actually looking at eighteen individual projects. Beyond
that we have Peshawar and Sukkur identified as future locations,
so the need for funds is never ending. However, I am of the firm
belief that if it is necessary, it is possible. I also have immense
faith in a greater power which makes work, such as ours, possible.
I am often reminded of the first ‘big’ donor who gave
us Rs.30,000, over thirty years ago. I was a little overwhelmed
and, thanking him, asked him to tell others about SOS, as we could
do so much if we had the funds. He looked at me quizzically and
said ‘Begum Sahiba, aap paisay ki kabhi fikr na karain, paisa
bahut hai, aap apni niyat theek rakhain’. To this day his
words remain with me as a beacon light and, to tell you the truth,
I have never, ever, really worried about where money will come from.
You may well ask
how we can take on so much. It is possible for us to finance, construct
and maintain projects, in so many different locations, only through
the support of our dedicated Managing Committees. These consist
of committed and competent volunteers, who give selflessly of their
time and expertise, to ensure high standards of care for the children.
My sincere thanks to all of them, and to our Support Groups outside
Pakistan, who raise funds and find sponsors for the children. We
truly appreciate the assistance we receive from all of you.
In ending I must,
once again, express heartfelt thanks to all our donors who make
our work possible. Without you we could do nothing and, together,
we are playing an important role in providing for the most vulnerable
amongst us - the orphans. As we celebrate our achievements of over
three decades, we dedicate ourselves to the future. To giving the
children hope and dignity. To ensuring that they, too, have the
right to be loved, to be cared for and to feel safe. To rebuilding
their world.
I thank you for
your concern and look forward to your support as we journey on.
May God bless you
all.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs. Souriya Anwar
President
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