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(I) Education
Computer Literacy Program
Affiliated to Skill Development
Council (SDC) NWFP, SNCC (Serai Naurang Computer Centre) was set up
in November of 2002 where 6 months and 3- months courses are
conducted for which SDC certificates are awarded. The courses impart
to students basic knowledge of computer and IT to equip them for
secretariat related computer skills with a view to facilitate
finding them jobs. So far 192 students were enrolled at SNCC out of
which 106 have successfully completed their courses. Successful
candidates were awarded SDC certificates. Currently, 20 students are
attending the courses. These Courses are fairly popular in the
community.
The Foundation has upgraded the
SNCC by introducing one year diploma (DIT) classes in Information
Technology. For this, SNCC has been affiliated with the Board of
Technical Education, Peshawar. More than thirty (30) students have
been enrolled for the DIT classes and the first batch of Diploma
Classes appeared in their first semester examination in March 2005.
SNCC is one of the modal computer literacy institutes in District
Lakki Marwat where all the facilities like air conditioned computer
lab, computer books library, separate coaching class rooms,
qualified instructors, general reading room and sports facilities
for the students are available.
Due to great
demand of the young people of the area, the Foundation has started
evening shift to provide an opportunity to the adult working class.
More such
projects are under consideration to be set up in the under developed
areas of NWFP. For the purpose District Malakand is the proposed
region to start with during the current year.
(II) Health
Women and Children Hospital (WCH) Ghazni Khel
This is a public/private sector
cooperation project. The hospital building has been constructed over
an area of 70 canals (8.6 Acre) by a special grant of Federal
Government and completed in 1996. However, the District and
Provincial Governments could not use this hospital building for
almost 8 years due to non-availability of funds. SFSD offered to use
the building for setting up the Hospital. District Government Lakki
Marwat which owns the property, leased out the building to SFSD at a
mutually agreed annual rental for a period of 10 years.
After essential repairs and rehabilitation, construction of boundary
wall and provision of furniture and electrical fittings, the Women &
Children Hospital (WCH) has been made functional. WCH has now a male
and a female doctor along with essential staff of dispenser midwife
etc. WCH has also been provided first aid equipment and essential
medicines for free distribution to patients.
With the help of Family Planning Association of Pakistan, a Family
Health Cluster has been set up in W.C.H., with a Lady Health Visitor
(LHV) and a traditional mid-wife (Dai).
In the month of April 2004 when the WCH began to function fully,
more than 2000 patients were provided medical service and over 1000
patients received treatment/help at the Family Health Clinic.
Trust for
Voluntary Organizations (TVO) has provided WCH financial help of Rs.
802,750 (Rupees eight hundred two thousand seven hundred and fifty
) for the purchase of an Ambulance, Furniture/Equipment for indoor
treatment of female & child patients.
The Foundation
has with this fund set up eight (08) inpatient bed rooms, a
diagnostic laboratory, a labour room, purchased an ambulance van and
necessary furniture and fixtures for the doctor’s rooms.
Dr Iqbal
Saifullah Khan, an eminent cardiologist and head of the Cardiology
Dept. of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences Islamabad, with the
help of other doctor’s organized free medical camps once in every
quarter in the Women and Children Hospital Ghazni khel. Over 1500
(fifteen hundred) patients have been provided free medical
treatment during the last three medical camps. Such programs are
proposed to be continued and in future in other parts of NWFP as
well.
(III) Agriculture
Drip Irrigation System Project at Tajazai
The Foundation has financed a
model/demonstration project of Drip irrigation system at Tajazai
at a private agriculture farm. This system is a scientific and
productive way to irrigate plants, which help consume water with
minimum wastage caused due to evaporation or percolation into
sandy soil.
Drip irrigation is popular in the desert areas of UAE, Saudi
Arabia, and other countries of Middle East and Asia. The concept
is becoming popular because it can increase yields and reduce both
water requirements and labor. The concept behind drip irrigation
is to provide the plant with continuous, near optimal soil
moisture. This is accomplished by conducting water directly to
individual plants. This system of irrigation is eminently suited
for an area with inadequate water for irrigation in an arid
climate.
The Tajazai Drip Irrigation project has recently started
functioning. Already quite a few farmers of the area have seen it
and approached the Foundation for assistance and advice for
establishing similar systems at their own cost on their farms.
(IV) Afforestation and Environment
Protection Program
SFSD with the support of
community and local government has prepared program of tree
plantation twice a year. Under this scheme SFSD will establish
its own nurseries for ensuring availability of saplings in enough
quantity every year with the support of Forest Department.
Although Lakki District, the focused area, receives very
inadequate rain throughout the year, we expect plantation during
monsoon season would provide good survival percentage.
SFSD launched plantation
campaigns during spring and monsoon season by distributing
saplings free of cost among the community. These campaigns are
carried out with the participation of the district government,
educational institutions etc to ensure sustainability of the
programs.
The Foundation is keen for the
protection of natural environment and afforestation plays a
dynamic role in the promotion of natural environment. To engage
the community and make them available free saplings and other
technical support the Foundation has established its own plants
nurseries
(V) WOMEN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
Participation of women in the
development of the region is vital and therefore, the Foundation
is taking due care of this very important section of the
community. Setting up a Women and Children Hospital at
Ghaznikhel, the Foundation’s largest project is evidence of the
Foundation’s interest in the welfare of this section and their
engagement in developmental activities of the area.
The Foundation’s next project is
to establish a Vocational Training Institute for women at Ghazni
Khel. This institute will provide training to moderately literate
or illiterate women, skills i.e. stitching clothes, embroidery,
knitting, basket making etc. so that apart from domestic help,
women become earning members of the family. For this, we have
sought the help of the Social Welfare Department of Lakki
District and taken a building on lease near WCH where, among
other uses of the building, this Vocational Institute will be
located. Once the officials of the Foundation have successfully
run this new project at Ghazni Khel, we will replicate similar
institutes in other suitable parts of NWFP.
(VI) YOUTH PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES
a) Library and Reading Room
Ghazni Khel, we will replicate
similar institutes in other suitable parts of NWFP.
The Foundation set up a Library
and a Reading Room in the premises where the Computer Center is
located in Serai Naurang. This would also later on house
Vocational Training Center for the youth. The Reading Room is
designed to encourage the habit of reading newspapers on current
affairs in the country and around the world and also to encourage
the young to read/browse books of their interest. These are the
two significant habits which have suffered on account of arrival
of TV and Internet in the lives of the young. Once it is
popularized, the Reading Room facility will be upgraded to a
Community Center for the area where intellectuals, economists,
teachers and other local eminent people would assemble and
deliver lectures/talks on various issues.
b) Community Center
Young people in developing
countries are growing up without being aware of what is happening
around them and elsewhere in the world. They are ignorant of
great progress made by other societies & what great opportunities
are available to the young in developed countries. The young in
Pakistan don’t have jobs, means of healthy entertainment,
sporting activities etc. and are not aware of the importance of
these activities in their lives. The step to redress this unhappy
situation is to make them aware of what they lack in comparison
to young people of other countries. This aspect is being taken
care of by Lakki FM-88 to some extent. In addition, SFSD has set
up a reading room, a library and a community center where
facilities of games like Table Tennis, Badminton & Volley Ball
etc. are made available for young people.
(VII) LAKKI FM 88 RADIO
Awareness and Entertainment Programs
District Lakki Marwat covers an area
of approximately 3164 sq km and according to 1998 Census, has
population of 0.5 million, comprising equal number of males and
females. More than 90% of its population lives in rural areas,
majority of which lives below the poverty lines. The literacy rate is
about 30% (Male literacy being 50% while that of females’ is only
8.6%). This district has extremely poor health care facilities and
employment avenues for the young are woefully inadequate.
To redress backwardness, people have
to be made aware of their social and economic inadequacies. For this
purpose the Saifullah Foundation has launched a radio station, Lakki
FM-88 at Serai Naurang. This radio station broadcast programs in local
language to promote awareness among listeners on issues relating to
public health, population welfare & control, increasing agricultural
output with modern methods of cultivation, soil conservation, optimum
utilization of available irrigation water, promote education
especially among female members of population, reducing gender
inequality and other measures for public awareness including cultural
and recreational programs.
Lakki FM 88 Radio Station, has gained
significant popularity in very short span of time not only in district
Lakki but also in the surrounding regions like DI Khan, Mianwali,
Karak, Bannu, Miran Shah etc. Interviews of experts in different
fields are broadcast while many more people are now willing to do
short useful interviews in local language and in Urdu on subjects of
common interest.
Lakki FM-88
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