|
| |
Dear Reader,
Every child, irrespective
of his or her circumstances, deserves a fair chance to secure
a better life. Education can give him that chance.
We at The Citizens Foundation (TCF)
believe that Education is a Right, Not a Privilege. Over the
past 10 years, we have successfully managed to provide this
right to more than 30,000 children nationwide. We strive to
enhance the quality of TCF education through continuous and
timely improvements in our program. We have recently completed
our secondary computer lab upgradation project and received
a generous donation of books for our libraries. The annual
awards ceremony and a workshop on proposal writing are some
of the ways in which we invest in our team.
All this is only possible with
support from our ever increasing circle of donors, and the
relentless efforts at fundraising by our chapters worldwide.
|
|
| |
|
| |
TCF
Awards Ceremony, Karachi
 The
2nd Annual ‘TCF Awards Ceremony’ was held in January
2006 to laude and appreciate the hard work and dedication
of our school faculty, the cornerstone of our education program.
This year, awards were given out for Long Service, Excellent
Results and 100% Attendance.
The event in Karachi was held on January
7, 2006 at the Bahria Auditorium. Some Board Members were
also present to distribute the awards. Guest speakers at this
event were Mr. Rahat Kazmi and Mr. Arshad Mehmood, famous
TV artists who gave
|
|
|
|
Upgrading
of Secondary School Computer Labs
 TCF
is constantly bringing about improvements in its
education programme to keep abreast with changes
in modern day education. Last year, TCF introduced
the Jugnoo IT series in its secondary schools,
a comprehensive computer curriculum for students
from Class VI to XI. Simultaneously, for the first
time, TCF undertook a mass-scale project to upgrade
all its secondary school computer labs and requested
donors’ support in this new initiative.
Majority of the computer labs
were equipped with donations from the original
donors of the campus buildings, always ready to
shoulder additional responsibility for their schools.
New donors from Australia, Canada, Dubai and USA
also funded this project. As a result, 28 labs
nationwide were refurbished in record time, each
with 13 brand new computers on a local area network,
complete with printer and stabilizer. Additional
computer lab furniture was also provided to a
number of campuses and wherever required, old
furniture was completely replaced.
With fast paced advances in technology,
it was important that our students have the opportunity
to gain the necessary computer skills for a well-rounded
educational experience and the support of our
donors made it possible.
|
|
| |
Microsoft’s
Software Donation
TCF has
recently been granted licensed software by Microsoft,
which includes Windows, MS Office, FrontPage,
Visio Pro and other software. Licensed software
is expensive and not many non-profits (NPOs) have
access to funds for its purchase. Therefore, especially
for this sector, Microsoft has introduced a program
through which they donate software for office
mana-gement to NPOs that meet their criteria.
We take immense pride
in reporting that TCF applied through a formal
grant application process and emerged triumphant
after a thorough application review and due diligence
by Microsoft.
This grant
will go a long way in helping us curtail our program
administrative costs. The monetary value of this
software grant is equivalent to the cost of educating
1,800 TCF children for a whole year!
|
|
| |
|
|
|
TCF-Unilever
Education Conference
 TCF
and Unilever Pakistan Limited hosted their first education
conference ‘Leadership in Education’ at The Marriott
Hotel on January 25, 2006. Aimed at providing a foundation
for theoretical discussions of Leadership in Education, the
conference was well-attended by a cross section of leading
stakeholders including representatives from schools, academic
institutions, NGO’s and the corporate sector.
It was a forum for stakeholders in the field
of education to consider conceptual, methodological and practical
issues in a range of professional and service settings and
sectors.
|
|
|
| |
The
Asia Foundation Donates Books to TCF
The Asia Foundation (TAF) Head office in
San Francisco, USA has donated 14,665 books for distribution
in TCF schools, as part of its ‘Books for Asia’
program. TAF has been providing books, software, and other
educational materials throughout Asia for almost half a century
through this program. TCF was recommended as a beneficiary
of this program by the Pakistan Centre for Philanthropy (PCP)
which regularly partners with TAF and other donor organizations
in identifying deserving recipients of their grants and donations.
The books comprise of student and teacher guides on a variety
of topics, including children’s stories, books on world
geography, history, etc. They will reach Pakistan in the second
week of July and will be then distributed throughout all TCF
school libraries in the country.
|
|
|
| |
Workshop
on Proposal Writing for TCF team
 TCF,
providing an essential and basic service of education to thousands
of less-privileged children requires enormous support and
continuous improvement to sustain its program. Keeping this
in mind, TCF organized a very successful workshop on ‘Competitive
Proposal Fundamentals: Designing, Writing & Marketing
Winning Proposals’ for members of its Resource Mobilization
and Earthquake Relief teams in June, 2006. Dr. Judith Killen,
Director of Research and Graduate Studies at the American
University of Sharjah approached by our UAE Chapter, conducted
this workshop pro-bono, and coached the participants extensively
on essentials of proposal writing, useful tips on researching
grant opportunities and post-proposal marketing . This was
the first time she gave this workshop to any organization
in Pakistan. She was inspired by TCF’s work and immensely
appreciative of its professional approach.
|
|
|
| |
Update
on TCF Earthquake Relief Fund |
| |
TCF has built 6,300 winter shelters, providing temporary
accommodation to over 60,000 affectees. TCF’s
winterized shelter program was an owner-driven project
where locals were provided with construction materials
and given technical assistance to build the shelters
for themselves as well as their community members under
TCF’s guidance.
Work has also commenced on the second phase of earthquake
relief operations focused on reconstruction of permanent
homes and infrastructure on a self- help basis, thereby
training and building the capacity of local communities.
The TCF permanent home model, is an earthquake resistant,
single to two room house with a covered area ranging
from 593 to 916 square feet. Each house also has a veranda,
kitchen, living room and toilets as independent units.
The design has a built-in provision for expansion and
therefore allows for personal choice and expansion on
the part of the beneficiaries. With donors’ support
and collaboration with local communities of 42 villages,
TCF is all geared to begin this comprehensive rehabilitation
project very soon.
85
year-old woman hand-knitting woolen caps
Stephen Mott of Norwell, Massachusetts
was a Peace Corps volunteer in the late 60s in the mountainous
regions of Pakistan. Mrs. Mott, his 85 year old mother
was moved by the plight of the people who had been kind
to her son for the two years that he was there, and
hand-knitted 130 woollen caps for the earthquake victims.
The Gerety-Mott family has selected
TCF as a credible organization to distribute these hats
to the affectees on their behalf. This truly inspiring
story, spanning over two generations, shows how people
around the world are coming together to provide relief,
in whatever ways they can, to the victims of the October
8th, 2005 Earthquake.
Saharay
Fundraises for the Earthquake Victims
Saharay, a group of 14 women based
in Dubai, have worked ardently since October 8, 2005
to fundraise for the earthquake victims as part of the
‘Saharay Umeed 2006’ program. They have
collected funds for the reconstruction of 205 seismic
homes for over 1,600 affectees, a TCF model primary
school for boys and girls, three mosques, construction
of basic infrastructure and a waterway system in the
five villages in Gan Chattar, Azad Jammu and Kashmir
(AJK). A member of the Saharay committee said,"
We decided to work with The Citizens Foundation in Pakistan
because we know their work ethics and expertise well.”
|
|
|
|
| |
TCF
Schools in the Affected Areas
Thousands of young children who died or suffered
serious injuries were in school on that ill-fated morning
of the October 8th earthquake. Apart from the loss of lives
- which can never be fulfilled - the widespread destruction
of schools in this already under-developed region has shattered
their education system.
With over ten years’ of experience
in construction and management of schools for the less-privileged
children of Pakistan, it was inevitable that TCF would extend
its programme to rehabilitate the education system in these
areas, on an expedited basis. Therefore; in addition to relief
efforts, we have also planned to build, as part of our education
program, seismic quake-resistant schools in many of the affected
villages of North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and AJK. Whilst
we are receiving building commitments from donors worldwide,
our regional support team is conducting extensive surveys
to earmark land for these schools. TCF aims to begin operations
of 28 to 30 school units by the academic year starting in
early 2007. |
|
|
| |
Ikebana
International
The Ikebana Society
held a play by renowned playwright Imran Aslam in March, 2006
at the FTC Auditorium in Karachi to raise funds for TCF Relief
Fund for earthquake victims.
A workshop and demonstration was also organized by Ikebana
International featuring their highly respected ‘Ikebana
Masters’ who had flown in from Japan especially for
this fundraising event.
|
|
|
Asean
Mela
In support of TCF the
ASEAN Women and Friends held an Asean Family Fun Fair at Erum
Gardens, Sunset Club, in Karachi on March 11, 2006. Over a
thousand people visited the fair that was highlighted by Asean
and local food stalls, over 30 handicraft stalls, health and
beauty stalls, children’s play area, raffles and lucky
draws and a musical performance by the members’ children.
Funds raised from this event will go towards the construction
of TCF School-Asean Campus in Petaro.
|
|
|
| |
|
Supporters
of TCF (STCF),Pakistan |
Tumhari Amrita
In March 2006, the Young Presidents Organization (YPO)
invited the incomparable Shabana Azmi and talented Farooq
Shaikh from India to stage their famous play ‘Tumhari
Amrita’, to raise funds to build a TCF primary school
in the earthquake hit areas. This fundraiser was very
close to the hearts of the volunteers of STCF as it involved
construction of a school. Much hard-work was put from
arranging permissions from the Foreign Ministry to selling
tables to Corporates and Multi-nationals. The play, staged
in Islamabad and Karachi met with huge success. The Indian
delegation was overwhelmed by the genuine hospitality
and welcome they received. |
|
|
|
| |
STCF-
Ilmathon 2006 - Walk On!!
 STCF,
Karachi held its annual ‘ILMATHON’ walk on March
11, 2006 in Karachi. The ‘ILMATHON’ creates awareness
and raises funds to meet the operational costs of TCF Schools
and this year it supported seven TCF Schools for a whole year.
This was the third successive year of the walk, with over
4, 000 participants as well as cheering TCF School children.
The walkers were greeted by the upbeat tunes of the Police
and Navy Brass Bands. In all, 24 schools enthusiastically
participated in the walk with Defence Authority ‘O’
and ‘A’ Level Schools, Convent of Jesus and Mary
and Bayview High raising the highest donations. The main sponsor
of the event was United Bank Limited and the co-sponsors included
English Biscuit Manufacturers, Sui Southern Gas Company and
Premier Insurance Company. Security for the walk was provided
by the Rangers, Police and SMS securities. The event was a
huge success with the help of the DHA Administration Officer
who helped with arrangements of the walk and the Mela.
The walk was followed by the ‘Manic
Mela’ held at Area 51. The Mela had a veritable plethora
of activities to suit the young and old alike, including Go-Karts,
games, food court with stalls by Dunkin Donuts, Chairman Mao,
BBQ Tonite, Hobnob etc. The weary walkers were treated to
a live band and stand-up comedy by Saad Haroon.
|
|
|
| |
|
Ismat
Apa Kay Naam
STCF, organized a hugely
successful mega fundraiser in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad
in May 2006, entitled ‘Ismat Apa Kay Naam’ –
an enactment of three stories, portrayed individually with
aesthetic excellence, by Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah
and Heeba Shah. Ismat Apa Kay Naam was a revered tribute to
the literary prominence of Ismat Chughtai, one of the all-time
greats of Urdu fiction.
The production was
received with great enthusiasm and appreciation from audiences
in all the three cities, leaving them thirsting for more such
entertainment – chaste, simple and sophisticated.
|
|
|
| |
Reaching
for the stars
 Unilever
Pakistan Limited organised and hosted the launch of
a book - Mo’s Star, in collaboration with TCF,
Oxford University Press Pakistan (OUP), and Project
Reaching for the Stars at the Karachi Sheraton Hotel
on February 16, 2006.
Mo’s Star, a book written by
Mahnaz Malik, an award-winning international lawyer
and author, has been illustrated by the renowned American
artist and the award-winning Associate Department Head
of the University of Connecticut’s Department
of Art and Art History, Cora Lynn Deibler. Both Mo’s
Star and its Urdu version Mo ka Tara, translated by
Fahmida Riaz, have been published in Pakistan by OUP.
The book, meant for three to five year olds, is a story
of a small penguin, who firmly believes that he can
reach the stars and who, continues to persevere despite
many obstacles and eventually succeeds. Sales proceeds
from this book will go towards supporting TCF Schools.
The launch was attended by people from
the corporate sector, NGOs, donors, school heads, and
journalists. To support the launch, renowned Indian
actress, Vidya Balan; the Hollywood director, Michael
Radford who directed the audio version of the book and
Cora Lynn Deibler specially flew in to Pakistan. |
|
|
|
| |
Friends
of TCF (FTCF), UK |
| |
A
Fine Balance
On Thursday, January 19, FTCF held
their first fundraiser of 2006. The play 'A Fine Balance',
based on the book by Rohinton Mistry, was shown at the
Hampstead Theatre, in London. The play, scripted and
performed by members of the Tamasha Theatre group, was
set in India in 1975 when the government declared a
state of emergency. The story recounts the tale of four
strangers whose lives become inextricably linked; who
find themselves crossing divides of caste, class and
religion to form the most unexpected of friendships.
Over 300 guests enjoyed the performance
which vividly captured an astounding moment in India’s
history through the narration of a tender story exemplifying
the indomitable human spirit. The play was followed
by delicious canapés and the sounds of live Sufi
music by The Caravansary music group. |
|
|
|
| |
Comedy
Night
Following the rip-roaring success
of last year’s event, FTCF once again presented
an evening of great comedy with comedians Ian
Stone, Juliet Myers, Will Smith, Jason Rouse,
Omar Mazarouk, Tom Wrigglesworth and Barry Castagnola,
at the Comedy Store, in the heart of London’s
West End. Over 300 guests enjoyed the evening
with some of the finest performers in British
comedy.
London
Marathon
The London Marathon has been
running since 1979 and is now one of the largest
races in the world. This year, as over 98,500
people applied to take part, places for the marathon
are allocated through balloting. Omar Iqbal, an
FTCF supporter, was allocated a place and decided
to use this opportunity to raise funds for TCF.
Omar completed the 26.2 mile run in a record 3hrs
26mins. |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
TCF’s
participation in an educational conference in the UAE
TCF, UAE was invited to give a presentation
at an educational conference ‘Empowerment
through Community Involvement’, organized
and held at the Sharjah Higher Colleges of Technology
on March 14, 2006. Here, Mr. Ishaque Noor, Director,
TCF, gave an engaging presentation entitled ‘The
March Against Illiteracy.’ He also gave an overview
of TCF’s efforts in providing short and long-term
relief to the earthquake effected areas of Pakistan.
This was followed by the screening of Against The Tide,
the Newsline-produced documentary on TCF. Dr. Mariam
Al Rumi, Minister of Social Affairs, UAE, was among
the prominent guests present at the event, which attracted
hundreds of visitors, including students, faculty, and
members of the public. More than 30 national and international
organizations, including MSF, UNFP, Red Crescent, Dubai
Aid and Humanitarian City, Planet Finance, were present
at the conference.
TCF-UAE
at EIS International Day
TCF was part of the Pakistani contingent
represented at the ‘International Day’ organized
by the Emirates International School (EIS) on March
8, 2006, which also included country stalls/booths from
56 other different nations. TCF’s participation
at event which attracted thousands of visitors, was
made possible with the help of two enthusiastic EIS
parents and TCF supporter, Mrs. Hanila Parekh and Saba
Saadat. |
|
|
|
| |
Solidarity
Day in UAE
TCF,UAE participated in a fund and
awareness-raising event entitled ‘Solidarity Day’,
held on February 15 and 16, 2006 at the Abu Dhabi Culture
Centre. The event was organized by the Pakistani community
in Abu Dhabi, UAE to raise funds for earthquake victims
in Pakistan.
More than 32 countries, including Pakistan, were represented
at this event through booths, featuring various items
illustrating the country’s culture and folk traditions.
This event was open to the general public and drew a
large number of visitors. |
|
|
|
|
| |
TCF-UAE
Makes its Mark at the 8th Global Days Festival at AUS
TCF,UAE was part of the Pakistan pavilion
set up at the American University of Sharjah (AUS) during
the Eight Annual Global Days Festival organized by the University
on April 12, 2006. The two-day festival was inaugurated by
His Excellency Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Bin Sultan Al Qassimi,
Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah. As the biggest event
of the year on the AUS calendar, this is a campus-wide affair
in which virtually all members of the university community
participate, from students and parents to staff and faculty.
Open to the general public, the festival attracted more than
45,000 visitors this year, including numerous senior government
officials, foreign dignitaries and media representatives. |
|
|
| |
TCF-UAE
in the Fast Lane
Supporters of TCF,UAE gathered at the
Jebel Ali Karting Club to enjoy an afternoon of go-karting
fun to raise funds for TCF’s Education Program.
Scores of participants donned Formula 1 red jumpsuits
and racing helmets to set the fastest lap time around
the famous Jebel Ali track. Everyone present at the
event enthusiastically cheered for their friends and
family members as they competed for pole position. The
event drew a truly multinational crowd, with music and
complimentary food and drinks for all. |
|
|
 |
|
| |
Latham
Leads Effort to Provide 10 New Family Homes to Earthquake
Victims
On May 11, 2006, His Excellency Jehangir
Karamat, Ambassador of Pakistan to the United States,
attended a reception at the Washington, D.C. office
of Latham & Watkins LLP to thank Latham for raising
funds for the construction of 10 new family homes for
victims of the October 2005 Earthquake. Latham Washington,
D.C. associates Ali Ahmad and Umbreen Bhatti were responsible
for fundraising among various other law firms in Washington.
The family homes will be constructed in partnership
with TCF. Ambassador Karamat was very complimentary
of the work done by TCF for education and earthquake
relief; he said he had absolutely no hesitation in recommending
this agency to the potential supporters present at this
occasion.
|
New
Jersey Fundraiser
 The
Tri-State Chapter (New York, New Jersey and Connecticut)
of TCF, USA launched its New Jersey (NJ) initiative
on April 1, 2006, with a fundraising evening at
the home of Nisar and Yasmin Khokhar in Basking
Ridge, NJ. After a dinner with Pakistani and Arab
cuisines, a film and a presentation by the TCF
executive committee took place. Four young professionals,
Maliha Ahmad, Amena Ali, Kashif Khan and Rameez
Dossa, also shared their journey by which they
came to join TCF and became part of the team that
is committed to making a difference to young lives
in Pakistan. All guests enjoyed the special features
of the evening such as the chocolate fountain,
Pakistani and Arab desserts; the door prizes and
take-home favours.
TCF acknowledges with gratitude
the support of the sponsors, Nisar and Yasmin
Khokhar, Afzaal and Iffat Ahmad, Chaudhry Sohail
Aman, Ghazala & Sohail Khan and Imrana Wahidy.
TCF also recognizes the additional financial donations
made by caring community members that evening.
A special mention must be made of the generous
contribution made by Afzal and Nasreen Amanat
that evening to the cause of educating less-privileged
children in Pakistan. |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
PWA-Bahrain
Contributes
Pakistani Women's Association (PWA)
has parterned with TCF and contributed the partial construction
cost of building a TCF Standard Primary School in the
Earthquake affected areas. This school will be built
in Harori-Khakhoo in the Mansehra District of NWFP and
will be operational in time for the academic year starting
in March, 2007. |
|
|
|
| |
Golf
for a Good Cause
 March
15, 2006 saw a group of 104 enthusiastic golfers take
off for a shotgun start at 1:30pm on the Classic Course
of Laguna National Golf and Country Club, Singapore.
The charity golf tournament was organised by the United
World College of South East Asia (UWCSEA) Parents' Association
to raise funds for the victims of the South Asia Earthquake.
The money raised will fund the partial construction
cost of a TCF School in the Earthquake affected zone.
This will be the start of a long-term relationship between
UWCSEA and TCF.
Corporate sponsors whose generosity
and support made this event possible included: Crosby
Capital Partners, Morgan Stanley, ABN-AMRO Van Gogh
Preferred Banking, Citigroup Corporate and Investment
Banking, Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank
- Private Wealth Management, Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein,
Coutts Bank, Tudor Capital, Presidio Capital, Milbank,
Tweed, Hadley & McCloy, U21Global and Cisco Systems.
Individuals who helped make this event happen include
Amina Islam, Aliya Ashfaq, Renisha Bharvani, Ridah Sheikh
Khan, Samia Ahad and Shazia Khawaja. |
|
|
| |
|
|
