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FLAME NEWSLETTER - SPRING 2006 |
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Welcome to FLAME
NEWS, our quarterly
publication of
updates, stories and
news for supporters of
the charity.
If you would like to
unsubscribe, or to
have the newsletter
sent by post, please
email
info@allforflame.org |
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The hilly region in Islamabad where our schools have
been set up for Kashmiri earthquake survivors |
Surrounded by street children in Baldia Town, on the
dusty outskirts of Karachi |
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Insights from the Field
A Report from Pakistan
2006 promises to be a momentous year for FLAME. Riding off the successes of the
past year, which saw the set-up of a whole new Chapter of schools and healthcare in
Karachi, FLAME’s staff members are now working harder than ever. This fact was very
much confirmed upon my visits to Karachi and Islamabad, in February this year.
However, the other, most impacting impression I had was that despite the visible,
positive affect of our operations on thousands of children, and thousands more family
and community members – there remains an overwhelming need for more schools,
more clinics and other services to help cope with such mass poverty.
Adapting to New Challenges
For the past year FLAME has been developing an exciting new program of activities,
under our innovative “Learning for Life” Scheme. We are now focusing on arming
disadvantaged youths and community members with skills that focus on knowledge,
which encourage public participation and which ultimately provide many more
opportunities for marginalised people to better their lives for themselves.
In these endeavours we are limited only by resources. Luckily, FLAME has won the
support of a number of collaborators and sponsors. We now work with 10 other local
and international organisations that are helping us to achieve our objectives, through
funding, advice, services such as training, or collaborative partnerships.
However, our growing program-base relies on a growing network of support, which is
why I suggest, if you are suitably impressed by what we’ve achieved so far, that you do
not miss the final section of this Newsletter. Detailing our current funding targets for
small projects, as well as some other areas for which we need help, you will find that
we are keen to get your input (and not just your money – although this is always
welcome!) into this rapidly expanding organisation.
Images of Hope
Finally, in presenting my insights into FLAME’s projects in Pakistan, it seems clear that
there’s no better way to do so than through photos of the children, teachers, parents
and staff, and the stories they’ve inspired. I hope you enjoy them.
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Karachi Schools in Photos |
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Karachi was a city of extremes. Extreme weather conditions, extreme wealth and
poverty.
The conditions in which some of the poorest people were living were surprising: litter
and sewage flowed over into streets (as in this photo, on the edge of Baldia town on
the desert-like border with Baluchistan province), and children played obliviously
amongst it. There was a clear lack of even the most basic provisions for the
disadvantaged.
Nevertheless, the warmth and hospitality of local community members was
heartening. Teachers, students and parents alike seemed happy and enthusiastic
about their new situations and responded very positively to my many questions. |
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It was in a popular FLAME school in
Baldia Town (left) that I met Ayesha and
Shakila (pictured right).
Ayesha is 9 years old and had never
been to school before FLAME opened its
doors. Shakila couldn’t tell me how old
she was and has suffered a great deal
from the death of her father many years
ago. She also must cope with her
mother’s long illness, which has left her
too sick to take care of her. |
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Shakila now lives with her uncle, and is attending her first proper school with FLAME. Prior to this, she only had the opportunity to go to a religious seminary. Between them, Ayesha and Shakila reflect the experiences of many of the children I spoke to in the Karachi schools. For the first time, they were enjoying their studies and dreaming of ambitious future careers as doctors, engineers and teachers. For me, this visit underlined the importance of what FLAME is attempting to do, and the invaluable work being carried out by hard-working teachers like Zenam and Mahnaz (above left photo: left and right), field coordinators like Mumraiz (above left photo) who source the children in need. |
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Mr Alam enjoys a light-hearted moment with children at Neelum colony school in inner-city
Karachi (right).
Four of the children I spoke to here revealed that working was the only option before this
school was set-up. These children were so grateful for the opportunity to study, and worked
hard in a way that children from developing nations may little understand. |
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Beauty in the most unexpected of
places (left):
Sunset over the parched landscape of
a Baldia Town slum |
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Islamabad in Photo
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Following FLAME’s Mobile Health Unit on it’s round, my brief trip to Islamabad took me first and foremost to the
outskirts of the city, where several of our schools can to be found. The setting betrayed the simple living conditions
of the area’s poor inhabitants, many of whom work in agriculture in manual labour of some kind.
Since November 2005, FLAME has been helping some of the displaced children who arrived here as refugees after
the devastating earthquake. These temporary schools (one of which is pictured above, left) are providing their only
source of free, local education.
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Visits of Mobile Health Unit continued to be greatly appreciated and welcomed by the students, their mothers and teachers of the concerned schools. The success and popularity of the program can be judged from the following facts:Teachers on their on own select/identify the students suffering from any illness and discuss their problems with the doctor. Students themselves are shedding away their shyness and are willing to explain their diseases and health related problems with the doctor without hesitation. All stakeholders were very receptive to the lectures and training relating to hygiene and common ailments and its prevention.
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The Result: Health on Wheels!
Most of the students were found to be undernourished, due to poverty; the earning members of their family could not support a large family of many children. The nutritional status of some schools has shown improvements. This is because of regular supplies of medicines and tonics, which improve resistance to common ailments. The nutritional status has also improved due to regular counseling to mother and child about their dietary habits.Mothers of students showed their willingness to accept the treatment and medicines offered by MHU because they observed visible improvement in the health of their children through eradication of the diseases they were suffering from, and found the treatment comprising of examination, medicines and advice, all provided at their door-step by qualified professionals, quite effective.
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Health Recommendations / Suggestions for Islamabad
One of the doctor’s main recommendations was to invest in a second vehicle. At present FLAME only has one van with a driver in the Islamabad area. It would be appropriate if another van with a driver is made available to dedicate to the mobile health team. This would enhance the current system and performance. Further, community meetings involving participation of larger number of parents of the students of NFBE schools to create awareness of issues relating to health care, nutritional status, personal and community hygiene should be conducted on regular basis. Effectiveness of these meetings would enhance a great deal if arrangement of visual aids such as film shows, pamphlets and posters related tohealth care as well as education are made available. Every second child is suffering from nutritional deficiency. Efforts should be made to provide some nutritional supplement in addition to medicines. Inwhich case the teachers should cooperate with the medical staff of FLAME to distribute nutritional food on daily basis to the children. FLAME would like to thank Dr Badar Hamid for her hard work and dedication. |
| August 2006 The Floating City: Flooding hits Karachi |
At least forty people were registered dead due to heavy floods in Karachi and many more lives have been lost as a result of monsoon rains beginning on July 30th. The relief in temperatures spurred many children to celebrate by taking a dip in the abundance of new pools and lakes following two years of draught conditions. The image to the right illustrates one of the new disease-ridden areas as people wash in the large pool that was once arid waste ground used as an occasional cricket pitch in Karachi. As the rains hammered down, chaos gradually increased and roads quickly filled with water and became useless, ambulances could not reach people, power cuts became more and more frequent, offices closed and buildings were damaged. |
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Almost every Karachi-ite has a story to tell about the rain. The flooding in Pakistan's commercial capital stranded thousands of workers in their offices and in traffic jams as the rain hammered down. FLAME employees were forced to walk for hours to their homes, wading waste deep to get to the office and continue to meet deadlines for FLAME’s fundraising event. FLAME’s accountant arrived home at 2.00am, and FLAME’s office manager walked without shoes, arriving home at 12.00pm. The personal assistant to FLAME’s Chairman here in Karachi walked to his home from the FLAME office, leaving at 6.00pm in the evening and arrived home at 1.15 am. Almost every neighborhood experienced rolling blackouts, some lasting 6 to 8 hours. |
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FLAME schools out in the slum areas were also negatively affected but thanks to the efforts of our field co-coordinators who live in these areas, FLAME could keep up with regular news from the schools. In the school pictured above in Baldia the entire roof collapsed when pupils were learning. No children were hurt. Immediately this news was conveyed via our field co-coordinator in the area, back to the office in Karachi and it was agreed that Rs. 10,000 (£93) was to be supplied to mend and replace the roof so that the school could resume its normal function.The new metal roof is shown above and an enthusiastic student, Malahia, learning beneath the new roof displays her work.(Pictured left.) |
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FLAME on World Literacy Day, 7th September:
Firstly, Literacy for All |
On the 7thof September, the International Literacy Day was observed. In Islamabad, on this special day 8 FLAME teachers received the best performance award, FLAME teacher Miss Nazima was selected as Best Teacher ofthe year and Miss Asiya nominated to meet the Prime Minister as a representative of all the non-formal teachers.Despite the grey area between the official government statistics and NGO’s, there is little dispute that the figure ofPakistan’s literate population still stands at around 50%. One of the members of ourKarachi Executive Committee Mrs Najia Siddiqui reflected upon Literacy and FLAME’s role in promoting literacy as a path out of poverty to mark thisnational day.
It is important to start reflective and critical thinking on theprogress being made in terms of literacy in Pakistan. Despite repeated assertions that the government is working towards the goal of 80 percent literacy by 2015 as part of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDG), it is still being hampered in efforts by lack of adequate funding in the formal education sector with the existence of ghost schools and a poor monitoring system, particularly in rural areas.
Unfortunately, the percentage the government spends on the education sector, a mere 2.1% of GDP, is inadequate in achieving the ambitious goals thatare being set out for the sector. The biggest challenge to making any real progress interms of literacy is tackling the constraints that are keeping our children out of schools. These constraints include long distances from schools, particularly in areas that have little reliable transportation. This constraint is particularly relevant to girl’s enrollment since many parents, concerned with their safety, opt to keep them at home. Another constraint is financial where even in government schools, the majority of people cannot even afford the limited fees for books and uniforms. Many children living in the low income areas are also forced to work during the days to support their families, making them prone to dropping out of school. Also, there are many children in Pakistan who have simply crossed age limits and now find it difficult to re-enter the formal education system. It is for these reasons that there is a need to encourage a non-formal basic education system in order to make schools and particularly primary education accessible to all children, within their neighborhoods.
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Non-formal schools should be established in low-income communities of rural and urban areas, with an aim to ensure that no child is being allowed to fall through the cracks. FLAME (Friends of Literacy and Mass Education) has achieved much success through this strategy and has been establishing schools in low-income communities in Karachi, Islamabad and interior Sindhwith a goal of ensuring that no child is left out of school. Nearly 80-85 percent of the children studying in FLAME schools would not otherwise be attending school because there is really no other viable option for them in their areas. The key is to take the schools to the children, particularly in the areas that are on the outskirts of urban areas, where distances and money are the primary constraint faced by families.
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In terms of increasing literacy, access to primary schools is imperative. The schools set up by FLAME just provide one example of how to work around the constraints and offer the children of the area some hope for their future.
The government should support and learn from such civil society initiatives since they have established workable and cost-effective models, particularly in terms of tackling illiteracy, which can easily be replicated in other areas. The government must start galvanizing efforts in a strategic manner by exploring all options available to it, particularly in the non-formal sector since this could make education more accessible to the majority who are struggling in the formal system. It is through joint initiatives and cooperation among the various actors in the education system that any real progress will be made in this sector.
Najia Siddiqui. |
12th September 2006
Broadway comes to Karachi: ‘The Producers’
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FLAME’s Karachi office organized a substantial event to raise funds, promote awareness and to sustain the development of current schools. This was a bold venture and the project represented a brave endeavor into the Karachi world of fundraising events. This event was a live, stage production of Mel Brooks and Tom Meehan’s hilarious Broadway musical, ‘The Producers’.
From the 27th of August to the 5th of September, the 120-minute long musical -incorporating live acting, singing and dancing, ran for ten nights, continuously. The event was a joint venture between FLAME and ‘Made For Stage’, a theatre production company, which launched its debut through this event. |
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The production team began work five-months before opening night, hoping to create a niche for itself by introducing Karachi to a new flavor of entertainment through musicals, serious drama and live concerts in the future. In a city increasingly deprived of cultural amenities and avenues of expression the FLAME team in Karachi enthusiastically set about organizing the event, producing and designing banners, brochures, tickets, organizing sales of tickets, marketing, legal issues, security, and crucially securing adequate sponsorship from local companies and banks in order to try and cover the costs of hosting such an expensive event.
It was a race against time, particularly in the atmosphere of constant electrical breakdowns and debilitating rains across the city. The event was a daring and courageous undertaking, and as the pressure grew, FLAME staff worked day and night and used initiative to meet targets, to prepare and air ads on major television channels, involve local journalists and media, appoint and manage sales outlets in local shops collecting and depositing money and tickets, arrange sales of student tickets through local schools, make radio interviews and promote the event, and secure the support of the corporate world of Karachi.
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The night before the event was due to begin, Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, one of the founding fathers of the Baloch independence struggle in Sindh’s neighboring state of Balochistan, was assassinated by Pakistani security forces. Thishad significant ramifications in terms of security in Karachi. The issue of Balochi nationalism was bought to the forefront of the international media triggering ananxious week in Karachi and a strike. Despite such issues, combined with the drawbacks of the rain and flooding, the weather improved, roads were once again accessible, the Karachi FLAME office proceeded and finished work in time for opening night and the show ran at the largest auditorium in Karachi, the recently refurbished 430-seat Arts Council of Pakistan amphitheatre.
The hard work and talent of the actors and actresses involved, all of which were volunteers, and the efforts of those involved backstage, ensuredthat the Karachi version of the ‘The Producers’ successfully incorporated all thecore aspects of theater: acting, singing and dancing and gave both children and adults some glitter, glamour and fun. ‘The Producers’ did not skimp in terms of effort, songs were sung by the actors and a choir. Dances were choreographed and performed live on stage. Sets, props and stunning costumes were custom designed and fabricated by students studying design and fashion in Karachi. Madeeha Syed of the hugely popular Pakistani newspaper ‘The Dawn’ wrote ‘The curtain rises and we are confronted with six beautiful girls, standing side by side…things only got better asthe night progressed…from the set design to Ullas famous yellow dress, every little detail was taken care of.’
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Pictured above Aly Mustansir (playing Max Bealystock) and Shayan Ahmed playing (Leo). |
Despite the fact that the rains had brought the commercial hub of Karachi to a standstill for several crucial days prior to the event, and the fact that an events management team was not used to organize this production, the students involved with ‘Made For Stage’ and FLAME staff managed to successfully not only generate funds but raise FLAME’s profile in the community and create awareness about the work we are doing. A short movie detailing the work of FLAME was shown prior to ‘The Producers’, so the audience could get a realistic feel for the achievements and goals of FLAME. The effects of this exposure are already bringing renewed and fresh interest in FLAME. |
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Left: One of the huge Producers banners placed around the city by the FLAME team. Above: Shahyan Ahmed surrounded by his pearly ladies, backstage! |
The event itself represented the coming together of many people in the name of promoting literacy, from the support of those that attended the event, to the FLAME team, who committed so many hours of dedication to ensure the event managed to generate funds for FLAME children, to the remarkable characters we all watched perform with such passion and talent on stage. A colossal amount of work was required and many lessons were learned. FLAME would like to takethis opportunity to warmly thank all those people who made this event possible and dedicated their kindness, talents, influence, time and patience in the name of FLAME. We hope that this is the first of many successful fundraising ventures in Karachi.
Thank you to all the sponsors and supporters for this event including: Trakker Direct Insurance and Trakker, Faysal Bank, Habib Bank, Citi Bank, GlaxoSmithKline, Jang Group Marketing, PICIC Insurance Limited, KASB Bank Limited, Mothercare, Marine Group of Companies, TVOne, Unilever, FM 107, FM 91, Indus TV, The News and The Dawn newspaper.
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Opening ceremony FLAME’s First Primary
Health Care Clinic, Islamabad |
The 19th of July 2006 was a remarkable landmark in FLAME’s development as FLAME’S first Mother and Child clinic was officially inaugurated, in the area of Bhara Kahu, Islamabad.Flame has been working in the field of health since 2002 by providing Primary Health Care to FLAME students in the Islamabad area. In order to really target the communities most in need FLAME opened its first clinic in the extremely deprived area of Bhara Kahu in order to provide health care facilities to the wider community as well as to FLAME students. |
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Inauguration of the clinic
FLAME’s first Mother & Child clinic was inaugurated by Sec. Ministry of Health Syed. Anwer Mehmood on 19th July. The suitably modest function was attended by some far reaching and influencial figures. The ceremony beganwith the recitation of Holy Quran by one of FLAME’s students. Then the Director of FLAME, Islamabad, Mrs Zahra Fatemi welcomed all the distinguished guests who took the time from their busy schedule to attend and honor the function. This was followed by the speech of FLAME’s Chairman, retired Ambassador Mansoor Alam, who came from Karachi to speak and mark the occasion. He also thanked the guests especially from WHO, CARE, SIR SYED, and JICA who extended their support in establishing the clinic.
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Case studyIn his address, he emphasized the importance of education to build tomorrows stable, tolerant and vibrant societies. Extending healthcare to promote better life chances, access to education, and a quality of life is vital in empowering Pakistani's disadvantaged. The clinic will enable FLAME to not only promote literacy and provide free education but also provide free basic healthcare to its students. With the facilities at the new clinic, for the first time, new Mothers will access free healthcare and health education, because healthy bodies lead to healthy minds. Chief guest Sect. Health Syed Anwar Mehmood addressed the guestsgreatly appreciating the work done by the FLAME in the fields ofEducation & Health. He emphasized his wish that other organizations and NGO’s would also work in the same manner and the positive change that this would enable. He offered FLAME his help and support and wished FLAME luck for the future. Towards the end of the ceremony, Mansoor Alam distributed the Excellence performance certificates among FLAME staff and those who put their great effort in setting up the clinic.FLAME would like to congratulate all those who worked so hard toopen the new clinic, especially Mrs Zehra Fatemi, on the opening of an exciting new chapter in FLAME’s development. |
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New Website
Take a look at FLAME’s new website that Karachi FLAME have been working hard on over several months at www.allforflame.net
FLAME would like to thank Mr. Khalid Fazli Assistant Manager IT & Multimedia,
Pegasus Consultancy (Pvt.) Ltd. for working voluntarily during Ramadan to help finish the site and Mr Assim Siddiqui for his support.
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How to make a difference…
Choose to provide school supplies for one year: Rs 6500/ £58/ $107
(Water, blackboard, water cooler, fan, books, stationary, large floor matt and sign board.)
Send two children to school for one year:Rs1700 /£15 /$28
Or pay a teacher's salary in rural Pakistan for one year: Rs12000/ £106/$197
Your purchase is 100% tax deductible and will give children the opportunity to learn and build towards a better life.
Please contact: rosie@allforflame.org in FLAME’s Karachi office or zammo@allforflame.org in FLAME’s London office for any further information or to make donations.
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Adopt a school One important method of supporting FLAME’s work is by adopting a school. Adopt your very own school and devote it to a loved one/ your business and provide education for up to forty children in some of the poorest slums of Pakistan for a one off fee of just RS26000/£230/$430. In return you will receive updates and photographs and be able to visit your school when ever you wish.FLAME will open a school, with a plaque with your details/company name, equip the school with a blackboard, books, stationary, water, fans a black board and training and pay a teacher for one year and a field co-coordinator. |
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Mr Pervaiz Kauser of Pakistan State Oil made a generous donation to FLAME to support FLAME’s efforts to secure a hopeful, brighter future for its 6,000 pupils across Pakistan. PSO donated in support of FLAME’s work and presented the cheque to Mr Abu Khalid, member of the senior executive committee and Mrs Najia Siddiqui, September 23rd2006. FLAME would like to thank Mr Kauser for his generous gesture. |
| One Year on: FLAME joins hands with BRAC UK to face the despair and hope in Kashmir |
A year has passed since the devastating earthquake that shattered the northern areas of Pakistan and India on the 8th of October 2005. |
As many of us reflect upon that awful day, FLAME was awarded the shield from ‘The Capital Development Authority’ as a tribute for providing strong support to earthquake victims. Despite so many reports being published a year later, indicating misuse of charity funds, cases of corruption and bribery: FLAME alongside many other charities and humanitarian efforts is still working tirelessly within the earthquake affected areas, determined not to forget the millions of children destined to face another snowy winter underneath plastic, or roaming the streets. |
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The earthquake itself left 73,000 people dead and 120,000 injured. Over 3.3 million people were left homeless, 2 million of which were children. (UNICEF 2006). |
Following the terrible destruction, FLAME launched an emergency response and organized a special appeal in aid of disaster relief, joining hands with the President’s Relief Fund by sending them trauma kits and tents; this was promoted through FLAME’s London office. Initially, after the earthquake, reconstruction and relief efforts were plagued by the challenges of difficult mountainous terrain, poor infrastructure, extreme weather conditions, floods, landslides and frequent aftershocks. Facing such colossal damage, FLAME’s response was to, in addition to it’s regular non-formal schools in Islamabad, open two schools for Kashmiri children who were forced to leave Muzafarabad after the earthquake. FLAME providedfree books, stationary, uniform, sweaters, shoes and blankets to the children of these schools. FLAME appointed two educated ladies, who were also from the samearea of Kashmir as teachers so that they could teach in Kashmiri, share have a familiarity and understanding after suffering so much trauma. FLAME continued its Mobile Health Unit program to provide free health facilities to all itsstudents, including those who migrated from earthquake affected areas. |
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Since FLAME’s non-formal schools are in some of the poorest localities of Pakistan, many pupils in the Karachi and Islamabad schools are refugees from the earthquake hit areas. FLAME’s Islamabad chapter also opened a free clinic in one of the relief camps which was set up for those who were migrating from the northern areas after the earthquake. FLAME organized a one day free medical camp in village Malaka in district, Manshera which was badly hit by the earthquake and also provided several wheel-chairs. FLAME continues to support this village when ever specific cases of assistance are required. FLAME is now joining hands with BRAC UK (Bootle Refugee Aid Cumbria) to open The FLAME CENTRE. This will be in Bhara Kahu in Islamabad and this exciting project is set to include a clinic, pharmacy, computer and vocational centre. |
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BRACUK with the help of FLAME is planning to build 30 shelters, a primary school and primary health care centre.
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FLAMEwill be responsible for running and maintaining the centre for earthquake victims this will be based in Hisari district Manshera(NWFP). Joining forces with BRAC and utilizing FLAME’s local knowledge and understanding of both the psychological damage, community needs and geography of this district will no doubt ensure that this project gives some of the children who’s lives were so badly damaged, asafe environment in which to learn. With the freezing, harsh winter approaching in the northern areas, FLAME hopes to ensure that at least some of these children are not forgotten and is attempting to prevent further lives being lost. To donate directly to Kashmiri refugees or receive more information regarding this project contact FLAME’s Islamabad office on 0091 55-2857135 or e-mail flameislamabad@hotmail.com or donate directly to the new FLAME centre for Kashmiri refugees through the account: Friends of Literacy and Education, Account # 13114-5, Habib Bank Ltd, F-6 Branch, Islamabad. |
From staff, students and volunteers at FLAME to FLAME supporters, Ramadan Mubarak and thank you for your support! For any information or to make a donation contact Rosie in Karachi on rosie@allforflame.org (0092 215 833 948) or Zammo in London on zammo@allforflame.org (0044 207 280 9442).
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FLAME school children enjoying a song, Baldia, Sindh, October 2006. |
Photography and articles: Rosie Pannell, Resource manager, FLAME Karachi,
rosie@allforflame.org |
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