Provincial head says 7,000 volunteers remain alert in 24 districts round-the-clock
PESHAWAR: Having a significant number of trained volunteers across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and capable of rapid response in its seven focused areas mainly disaster and orphan care, the Al-Khidmat Foundation is one of the largest and efficient non-profit welfare organisations in the province.
“Al-Khidmat Foundation has been actively working in disaster - natural and man-made -, orphan care, health, education, Mawakhat (micro-finance), community services and provision of clean drinking water,” said Khalid Waqas, provincial president of the foundation, in an interview with The News.
The nearly 7,000 trained volunteers of the foundation remain alert in the 24 districts of the province round-the-clock to ensure the most rapid response in case of any untoward situation.
Khalid Waqas, who is also a district council member from Chamkani union council of the provincial metropolis, termed the disaster management programme of the foundation as an important part of their work. He said the volunteers were properly trained and equipped. “They also have a swift ambulance service, which is effectively utilised in the time of need,” he added.
He said during disaster they did not confine their activities to mere relief and rescue services. “We take proper care of the victims till the very last. The volunteers also extend a supporting hand to the government agencies in the relief activities,” he pointed out.
Khalid Waqas, who thrice served as president of the Al-Khidmat Foundation for Peshawar district, recalled some incidents in which he was involved in the relief activities and taking care of victims, especially handling the bodies of those killed.
He recalled that during the tragic bomb blast at the All Saints Church near Kohati Gate in Peshawar a few years ago, they cleaned, stitched, and provided coffins to 62 out of the total 82 persons who lost their lives.
He said it was really difficult to clean the bodies of those killed in the blast. “We were doing this in the basement of the Lady Reading Hospital at a time when there was threat of terror attack on the hospital. I can still remember the horrible scene,” he recalled.
“We provided such services to victims of hundreds of other blasts and other happenings in the province. The Qissa Khwani and the Army Public School incidents were the most atrocious,” he said.
“Besides provision of coffins, the bodies are dispatched to the respective hometowns through the ambulances of the foundation free of cost,” he added. He informed that the foundation had also provided exemplary services to the people from tribal as well as settled areas displaced by the military operations.
According to Khalid Waqas, the orphan care programme was another successful initiative of the foundation. This programme has two sections - Aghush and family support programme, he said. “Under Aghush programme, we have set up two boarding houses for orphaned kids in Pesahwar and Mansehra while a third one is under construction in Lower Dir. He said nearly 200 orphaned kids have been provided accommodation in the Aghush centres and free education at the best institutions and all other facilities are available to them. “Under the family support programme, some 7,000 orphaned children are provided monthly stipend amounting to Rs3,000 each for their education and support to their families,” he added.
The Al-Khidmat Foundation has also launched a big initiative to provide clean drinking water. Khalid Waqas said some 2,800 water supply schemes have been completed in the province and are benefiting nearly two million people.
Under its education project, the foundation has set up 21 schools of formal education for the students belonging to impoverished families. Majority of the students studying in these schools are provided free education while the remaining are charged nominal fees. Some 500 orphaned students are also provided free education in these schools. Three child protection centres, two skill development centres and three hostels are also organized by the foundation.
Khalid Waqas said the foundation has also established a chain of hospitals, diagnostic centres, health clinics, maternity homes and state of the art blood banks across the province. He stated that the two blood centres in Peshawar and Charsadda also serve as thalassemia centres.
He said the foundation recently launched another unique initiative under the title of Mawakhat programme offering small loans to the people to start small businesses. “We are also making efforts to rid the people of the menace of usury,” he added. The provincial chief of the foundation said their annual budget last year exceeded Rs613 million. He pointed out that local and foreign donors from the Muslim countries were their main sources of income. “Recently we arranged a donors’ conference in Peshawar where donations of Rs30 million were collected,” he said.