Tag: Al-Khidmat Foundation Pakistan

Lahore, December 28, 2022 (PPI-OT):Often lost amid the debates about Pakistan’s security situation are the problems its rural economy faces. Agriculture is the foundation of Pakistan’s economy – it accounts for over a third of export earnings and that sector is struggling.

The annual agricultural growth rate averaged just 2.8 percent from 2010 to 2022, a significant drop from the growth rates experienced during the previous two decades. While agriculture growth rates are often volatile year-on-year because of weather and market fluctuations, public policy and investment can have profound effects on reducing the impact of this volatility.

Pakistan cannot achieve robust overall growth without a boost to its agricultural and rural productivity and incomes, the authors write. That will require intensive efforts to manage land, soil, water, and energy more sustainably.

It will also require dramatic reforms to markets for seed, fertilizer, land, and commodities such as wheat, and policies to clarify land tenure issues, encourage rural enterprise development, and improve the status of rural women.

With growth comes the promise of reduced poverty, but growth alone will not be sufficient to eliminate poverty and its related problems in rural Pakistan. That will require dedicated attention to public services in the countryside – especially social safety nets and programs for health, education, community development, and women’s empowerment.

The book makes a set of specific recommendations on how rural Pakistan can achieve sustained growth and reduce poverty.

They include:

Adapt to climate change

Much of Pakistan is semi-arid, making the country particularly vulnerable to climate-related shocks. The book explores the impact of alternative policies and investments in water storage and distribution, including canal rehabilitation, maintenance, and drainage, to keep water flowing, protect against severe floods, and meet the country’s changing water and energy needs.

Reallocate public funding

To fund such reforms, the authors recommend that the Pakistani government shift spending from the domestic procurement, storage, and distribution of wheat, which amounted to 24.84 billion Pakistan rupees (PKR), about $255 million, in 2012/13. Savings can also be found by reducing subsidies to the fertilizer industry, with that money redirected to research and extension efforts designed to improve soil and fertility management.

Target Poverty

Improving conditions for the rural poor will require major investments and policy reforms at the national and provincial levels, including expanded, well-targeted social safety nets; improved health and education service delivery; an expansion of hygiene and sanitation infrastructure in rural areas; and capacity strengthening for public service provision at the provincial and local levels.

Rural Pakistan

The authors say, is at a turning point. Its agricultural sector has enormous potential, and can make significant progress in building the national economy and toward eliminating poverty – but only if leaders and policy makers seize the opportunity to invest and reform.

For more information, contact:
Al-Khidmat Foundation Pakistan
711, Block J-2 Johar Town, Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42 35957260
Fax: +92-42 35957261
Email: info@al-khidmatfoundation.org
Website: http://al-khidmatfoundation.org/

Lahore, December 23, 2022 (PPI-OT):Heavy rainfall earlier this year in the provinces of Balochistan and Sindh caused mass flooding in August which led to a natural catastrophe. Millions of people found themselves homeless and helpless, and in darkness. During this time, Alkhidmat foundation by the will of God became their hope. Construction, food and water provision, medical facilities provision campaigns were launched.

The non-profit organization continues its work even after many months to make sure to help. One of its most recent campaigns has been the Tameer e Wattan program which includes the farmer rehabilitation project. The floods have devastated the farmers in these provinces as their crops and lands were destroyed by the disaster.

Through this difficult time for them, Alkhidmat foundation has provided maximum assistance. These activities include the provision of pesticides, fertilizers, seeds and crop medicines in different cities and districts. For instance, fifty farmers in Quetta were provided with these, Aftab Ahmed was given help with his five acre of land crops that swept away in front of his eyes. In Qila Saifullah, 100 flood effected farmers were provided with seeds, fertilizers and pesticides.

In Pishin and Dera Ghazi Khan agricultural products were provided to a hundred farmers. Furthermore, seeds worth 10 million Rs, pesticides and fertilizers were distributed in Badin, Sindh. Another 10 million Rs worth of the inputs were distributed in district tando Mohammad khan. Moreover, 50 farmers in Panjgur Balochistan were given assistance. 25m Rs worth of seeds, fertilizers and pesticides were distributed in Umerkot, Sindh and 15 million Rs worth of the inputs were distributed Thatta.

According to the statistics, 5863 flood affected have been provided by the Alkhidmat foundation due to the countless donations from generous people all over the country. Thus, continue to donate to the foundation through the website because none of it is wasted or is in vain, because the organisation makes sure that all the donations are always used to help the ones suffering.

For more information, contact:
Al-Khidmat Foundation Pakistan
711, Block J-2 Johar Town, Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42 35957260
Fax: +92-42 35957261
Email: info@al-khidmatfoundation.org
Website: http://al-khidmatfoundation.org/

Lahore, December 08, 2022 (PPI-OT):While we are sitting on our warm sofas in heater-installed rooms drinking coffee, there are people who are forced to live under the open sky in this cold weather. Flood affectees, while fleeing their villages, towns didn’t bring anything with them and even if they did, it was either destroyed during the efforts to fight the might of flood waters or it was not enough for them.

Even those who were able to return to their villages found nothing but half destroyed houses, huge neighbourhoods vanished. Al-Khidmat tried its best to save the most important thing during the floods, Human life!

But the scale of the destruction was so huge that the supplies they provided at that time barely met their needs and now they are running out of supplies. Lack of supplies combined with the harshness of winter is very difficult even for the strongest of us, it is even more difficult for women, kids, elderly and sick.

Many people are without proper water supply, food, shelter these are the most basic things required for human survival. We all know how Al-Khidmat was fighting on the frontlines, the brave volunteers of Al-Khidmat proved that Al-Khidmat cares for Humanity!

People came forward and donated everything they could, people of Pakistan helped prevent a big humanitarian crises, but the effects of floods last for years. Farmers had their lands destroyed, people lost everything they had in the floods and they have nothing to survive even if they somehow find shelter.

Al-Khidmat is now preparing to do a huge winter drive; providing shelter, warm clothes. Al-Khidmat, with your support helped flood affectees survive, they need your support again to help. They are working on every front, from helping farmers in making their land farmable to helping the affectees rebuild their houses. This package costs 4500 PKR and it will help someone get some basic protection from the cold weather. It includes blankets, mattresses, and pillows. Let’s help those in need by contributing anything we can and make the affectees self-sufficient again!

For more information, contact:
Al-Khidmat Foundation Pakistan
711, Block J-2 Johar Town, Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42 35957260
Fax: +92-42 35957261
Email: info@al-khidmatfoundation.org
Website: http://al-khidmatfoundation.org/

Lahore, December 06, 2022 (PPI-OT):Months have passed since Pakistan’s biblical flood, which covered a third of the country’s landmass. As the calamity unfolds, the reality of what happened and its effects are only now becoming more apparent. The lives become miserable, people were homeless and with such huge damage to the livelihoods, people became helpless.

It has taken a heavy toll on Pakistan’s ability to feed its people, submerged vast tracts of farmland, destroyed crops and stocks. Have harmed nearly 3.4 million acres of crops in Sindh alone, totalling an estimated 8.3 million damaged acres of agriculture. According to official statistics, the estimated loss of cotton crop was 40% and rice crop was close to 15%. As a result of the flooding, many farming families lost their year-round access to their private grain reserves.

Al-Khidmat foundation, has stepped up to offer the impacted farmers with agriculture supplies that includes, fertilisers, seeds, and pesticides to assist them grow their crops. Following the months-long rescue and relief operations in the country’s flooded areas, under the project of “Farmer Rehabilitation Programme.”

This project is worth Rs400 million to help thousands of farmers who have less than five acres of land in flood-prone areas across the country. The president M Abdus Shakoor of AKF launched the first phase where he himself distributed agriculture inputs among the small farmers.

The initiative has started in the provinces of Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Overall 5673 farmers for now have received the assistance package. Up till now we have distributed seeds, fertilizers and pesticides worth of 10 Million PKR, in District Tando, Mohammad khan, Badin, and in Naushero Feroze, Sindh. Different areas of Balochistan and South Punjab were also provided with financial aid.

Our main goal is to help small farmers and families prevent malnutrition, starvation and poverty. Under this project we are utilising contemporary technology, expert training and support from agriculture firms to help close the gap between farm and market.

Farmer Rehabilitation Project aims to help restore small farmers’ means of survival and calls for an interactive and inclusive strategy that unites us all in support of this shared goal of empowering them. Let’s join hands with Al- Khidmat foundation and rebuild the damaged parts of our Pakistan so that it may stand on its own once again.

For more information, contact:
Al-Khidmat Foundation Pakistan
711, Block J-2 Johar Town, Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42 35957260
Fax: +92-42 35957261
Email: info@al-khidmatfoundation.org
Website: http://al-khidmatfoundation.org/

Lahore, November 10, 2022 (PPI-OT):Diwali is one of the major religious festivals in Hinduism. The Hindus across the world come together to celebrate the triumph of good over evil. Similarly, Hindus, which makes the largest minority group in Pakistan celebrate this event will the same zeal and fervour. However, this year things seemed different as Pakistan experienced the worst floods in its history, also causing a severe crisis for the Hindu community.

As narrated by one of the residents of the flood-affected area; “as a daily wage earner it is hard to celebrate Diwali rituals, and this time due to the deluge it is almost impossible for him.” However, Alkhidmat Foundation came forward pioneering the efforts to help Hindu brothers during the celebration of Diwali in flood-stricken areas of Sukkur, Kandhkot, Thar, Jacobabad, Mirpur Khas, Umarkot and Tando Allah Yar.

Even though Alkhidmat previously have supported less privileged Hindus in Pakistan during Diwali celebrations, this year was special. As the foundation organized special events in the temples across Sindh ahead of the Diwali festivals. Moreover, gifts were distributed among the Hindu community, which included food packages, hygiene kits, mosquito nets, and shoes.

In addition, the Alkhidmat foundation set up a Tuck shop for children and distributed cooked food among the Hindu community. The festivities were able to put a smile on children’s as well as adults’ faces. A woman named Seeta, a resident of Town Chak, Lakhi Ghulam Shah thanked the foundation by saying that her house was destroyed in the rains, and there is no one to earn for her, after the catastrophe of floods she even couldn’t think about the happiness of Diwali but because of Alkhidmat now it would be possible.

Furthermore, the Senior Vice President of Alkhidmat Foundation, Syed Ehsan Ullah Waqas was also present on the occasion and addressed attendees and stated that celebrating happiness is the right of all human beings. It is essential to actively take part in celebrations of people who might be deprived of their happiness for any reason whatsoever. He also pointed out the importance of such events and said that this is a message for the outer world that minorities are equal citizens of Pakistan. He said that Alkhidmat has also established a special platform called ‘Alkhidmat Minority Wing’, including Christian, Hindu, and Sikh members from all four provinces.

Overall, such events are crucial to uniting the country regardless of ethnicity or religion. And also help to the morale of the nation high during time of distress. Donate to Alkhidmat foundation today as it aims to rehabilitate flood victims all over the country and build a better and stronger Pakistan.

For more information, contact:
Al-Khidmat Foundation Pakistan
711, Block J-2 Johar Town, Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42 35957260
Fax: +92-42 35957261
Email: info@al-khidmatfoundation.org
Website: http://al-khidmatfoundation.org/

Lahore, November 02, 2022 (PPI-OT):Devastating floods have turned the whole Pakistan upside down. From losing livelihoods to drowning economy to no education everything is going downhill. ALKHIDMAT is a humanitarian organization who has been working in hope of bringing normalcy back again. According to the AlKhidmat report ‘ALKHIDMAT FLOOD RESPONSE’ released on 10th September 2022, 1396 mortalities have been reported and around 33 million people have displaced.

AlKhidmat team and volunteers carrying on their relief and rescue work continuously amid flood. Their bravery and act of kindness while rescuing flood victims from the monstrous pressure of rain is commendable. The flood didn’t deter the volunteers and they stood their ground. Starting off with a mitigation plan, victims were brought out of the lurking danger and avoiding any loss of life by targeting vulnerable areas or red zones. With effective preparedness, proper plans and actions have been devised to tackle problems on strategic and operational level. Flood Response in terms of providing emergency relief has been put in place.

Rescue operations via boats, providing food packages village tents and medical camps, all were delivered to the affected people to minimize the hazards created by the flood. 23 tent villages have been successfully established so far in the flood-stricken areas as it was a dire need of 1743345 displaced people who have lost their livelihoods and homes. 317 medical camps set up to combat growing infectious and waterborne illnesses such as cholera, diarrhea, dengue, malaria, snake bites etc. Medical camps were able to provide check-ups to 76270 patients. ALKHIDMAT Is trying its best with its rescue and relief work in flood stricken area amid flood-2022, in recovering and bringing back what has been lost in the flood to get back to life again.

From being the voice of the flood afectees to tactical planning such as provision of food, clothes and shelter, they had conducted meetings for long term collaborations with international and national humanitarian organization. Disasters are the natural processes leaving behind irreplaceable destruction. ALKHIDMAT is on a path to bring back all the colours and life in the society. Anybody can become a part of this Nobel aim by either volunteering for AlKhidmat or making donations or helping in any possible way.

For more information, contact:
Al-Khidmat Foundation Pakistan
711, Block J-2 Johar Town, Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42 35957260
Fax: +92-42 35957261
Email: info@al-khidmatfoundation.org
Website: http://al-khidmatfoundation.org/