HOPE SCHOOL ZIA COLONY STUDENTS MADE TOYS IN COLLABORATION WITH THE MAWADA PROJECT

HOPE facilitates and welcomes all visitors who show interest or work for the betterment of the society. Last year Shirin, a member of the “The Mawada Project” approached HOPE- an NGO in Pakistan. The Mawada Project (TMP) is an organization aimed at creating service learning opportunities and experiences for youth in the UAE. She flew all the way from Dubai to visit HOPE Home School located in Mujahid Colony where she distributed handmade delicate toys to the less fortunate students. She was impressed with the efforts HOPE has made for the provision of education to these children in an effective manner. 

Once again, The Mawada Project (TMP) has sent four of its members to spend some time at HOPE School Zia Colony. The TMP team was accompanied by the representatives of Afterglow Initiative. They collaborated with HOPE-An Educational NGO in Pakistan to outstretch their hands to support the underprivileged children of Pakistan.  TMP and Afterglow team members spent some time with the students of HOPE School Zia Colony to cherish some moments while helping them learn something new. They interacted with the students and helped them make cute stuffed toys. This year instead of distributing handmade toys, they taught them how to make penguins using only socks, felt, markers, glue and scissors. The children are just one step away from achieving new targets. With the love and opportunity given to them, the students were overwhelmed. They enthusiastically participated throughout the activity. At the end of the activity they made cute fluffy toy penguins. Their happiness was doubled as they themselves made the toys. These kinds of activities enhance the skills of students resulting in increased self-worth and confidence. At the end of this fun filled learning activity, TMP served the students water, snacks, fruits and juices. They also donated generously to facilitate education expenses of other less fortunate children HOPE supports.

HOPE aims to empower the underprivileged students studying at various HOPE schools through such interactive learning activities in order to build the life skills, character and values that they need to become progressive individuals of tomorrow. Under the supervision of Dr. Mubina Agboatwalla-A Child Specialist in Karachi, HOPE School Zia Colony has achieved a stable position in striving towards new opportunities and methodologies of teaching students more effectively. Through quality education they receive today, they will be able to improve the living standard for themselves and their families, and will become active citizens of the society in future.

HOPE TEAM CREATING AWARENESS ABOUT CLEAN DRINKING WATER IN AZAD JAMMU AND KASHMIR

Azad Jammu and Kashmir is one of the most beautiful regions of the subcontinent comprised of fertile green valleys. The area despite its breathtaking scenic beauty is one of the poorest regions of Pakistan which lacks health and education infrastructure. Health and hygiene hazards are posed naturally when ignored by the individuals. Availability of water does not guarantee the water is suitable for drinking or cooking. Clean drinking water is essential to life. The human body is made up to 60% water. Since it flows through our organs and cells water needs to be clean and free of impurities like dirt, metals, and human and animal feces. Unclean or unfiltered water that may be contaminated can make those that drink it ill. One of the most common side effects of drinking unsafe water is diarrhea. HOPE-A Health NGO in Pakistan in collaboration with Procter & Gamble Pakistan, is making clean water accessible by distributing P&G Purifier of Water to the underprivileged communities. P&G Purifier of Water is used for preparing safe drinking water. One single sachet purifies up to 10 liters of brackish water. Compared with other products available in the market, P&G Purifier of Water has the advantage of leaving no salty or sour after-taste.

HOPE has been working relentlessly to improve the lives of the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir by creating awareness among them. HOPE-An NGO in Pakistan provides back-up support in the form of training, IEC material, social marketing and advocacy of P&G Purifier to the socially deprived local population. HOPE team demonstrated the process of cleaning water using P&G Purifiers of Water in Malsi. Several people were present during the orientation where they learnt the importance of drinking clean water and how to prepare it by themselves at home. Each participant was provided a purifying kit that consists of a cooler, bucket, muslin cloth, spatula and 120 sachets of P&G Purifier of Water. The aim of this activity was to benefit the local community while making clean water accessible hence reducing the morbidities especially among children. This will also provide them opportunity to improve standards of living while improving health status.

HOPE has been working for the welfare of the people of AJK since many years. This is the reason why the local communities have developed unparallel trust on HOPE. Every year Dr. Mubina Agboatwalla-A Child Specialist in Karachi and her team from Karachi visit AJK to improve health and hygiene conditions of the local communities by creating awareness among them. They travel hundreds of miles in freezing cold, spending several days to reach out to the socially deprived areas of AJK located on different mountains. It takes hours to climb each mountain on foot. HOPE team do whatever it takes to ease the hardships of the local communities in AJK.

HOPE TEAM IN THE LOFTY MOUNTAINS OF AZAD JAMMU AND KASHMIR-DAY 1

Azad Jammu and Kashmir is a remote area with many villages in the northern region of Pakistan. It is located at a distance of 132 kilometers from Islamabad via Muree-Kohala route. There is no infrastructure and the income generating resources are almost unavailable. Illiteracy is one of the major problems there. Accessibility in these mountainous areas is a challenge as many areas remain cutoff in winter due to snow. Normal vehicles cannot maneuver on such steep and rough terrains. HOPE-An Educational NGO in Pakistan has setup 35 informal registered schools located on various mountain tops in this area. Approximately 1810 students are studying in HOPE schools, among which many are girls. Education, books, notebooks, school bags and stationary etc are provided free of cost to the students.

Dr. Mubina Agboatwalla-A Child Specialist in Karachi with her team members visited HOPE Home Schools in Azad Jammu and Kashmir to make sure the schools are functioning the way they are supposed to. This year they visited in the last week of January when it was all covered with snow, with extremely cold breezes blowing around and temperature dropping down to -6°C. Garhi Dupatta is a small town in Muzaffarabad District of Azad Kashmir. It is located 20 kilometers away from Muzaffarabad city on Muzaffarabad-Chakothi road along with Jhelum River. In Garhi Dupatta, HOPE team distributed bags, uppers, pants, biryani and juices among the children of HOPE Home School Thotha. Malsi is large vicinity in Azad Kashmir located 12 kilometers away from Muzaffarabad. At HOPE Home School Malsi they distributed bags, clothes, sweaters, biryani and juices among the students. The clothes included high quality pants, shirts for girls, warm uppers and jackets. Due to the harsh weather conditions which the people of Kashmir fall prey to every November till February, warm clothing is a must. The students were overjoyed to receive all these gifts. They were so grateful to the HOPE team to be thoughtful about their needs which otherwise remain unmet. Many children were seen wearing the same clothes distributed to them by HOPE team last year.

 

They were excited to welcome Dr. Mubina Agboatwalla and other team members from Karachi after long wait of one whole year. They prepared tableaus to entertain the team. They performed on different songs including Kashmiri folk songs and Pakistani national and patriotic songs. She made a heartwarming speech to boast morale of the students and staff. She also presented winter shawls to the teachers as a kind gesture.  HOPE-An NGO in Pakistan is taking step forward in easing the hardships of the people of Kashmir by providing them with basic education facilities and other necessities of life.

BIG THICK BURGERZ SHARING HAPPINESS AT HOPE SCHOOL ZIA COLONY

Zia Colony, Korangi is an urban slum of Karachi that lacks quality educational infrastructure for the underprivileged local community. HOPE-An Educational NGO in Pakistan helps to fill in this gap. HOPE School Zia Colony is one of HOPE’s most successful formal schools. At HOPE School Zia Colony, there are 610 underprivileged children receiving free-of-cost quality education up to Matriculation in a well-established building in a neat and clean atmosphere. Qualified teachers teach students coming from poor communities. They are the children of laborers, transporters, industrial workers, mechanics, electricians, or jobless people. Many students are orphans. These are the children who are otherwise unable to go to school due to financial difficulties. The children themselves are either working as laborers in factories, shops or garages, or keep loitering in the streets. Uniforms, stationary and school bags are provided free of cost to these students.

Often, many of us take for granted what others consider luxuries. This privilege we have, to take our blessings for granted, comes with great responsibility to reach out to the less fortunate and less privileged. Mr. Ali Amanullah, co-owner of Big Thick Burgerz (BTBz) gave the students of HOPE School Zia Colony an opportunity to enjoy fast food that they could ever wish for. He knows it is the privilege to have luxurious food where millions of children in the city are malnourished. He brought 150 burgers with him to serve the underprivileged children of HOPE School Zia Colony. BTBz team members were glad to meet the students. They interacted with the students to know more about them. The happiness that appeared on the students’ faces was everything they needed to see. 

The teachers organized the excited students in a queue to let them get the scrumptious thick burgers from Big Thick Burgerz (BTBz) stall placed at the school. The burgers served were succulent and juicy. BTBz team prepared those burgers from best buns, freshly made patties, freshly cut iceberg lettuce, tomatoes and onions and a host of herbs have been used to make BTBz an everlasting and satisfying experience. The happiness after getting an unexpected burger treat was clearly apparent from the children’s beaming faces. The staff of HOPE School Zia colony, paid close attention to the activity and ensured that all students were benefitting from the activity. HOPE-An NGO in Pakistan looks forward to welcome any organization or individual that helps in spreading happiness among the socially deprived children in Pakistan. Under the leadership of Dr. Mubina Agboatwalla-A Child Specialist in Karachi, HOPE aims to not only reach out, but to completely eliminate poverty, illiteracy, and hunger.