Dear Donors, Supporters and Friends,
Welcome to your third quarterly newsletter. We’ve had quite a busy winter. Let me update you on what we’ve been doing.
First, we initiated a project to provide all the handicapped people in the village with aids such as wheelchairs, tricycle chairs and crutches. We held a free medical camp with orthopedic surgeon Dr Farooq Raja in January who diagnosed cases needing corrective surgery, braces, leg elevations and specially fitted shoes. Following these diagnoses, we plan to arrange for these patients to be treated as required. As part of our policy of community participation, each patient will make a contribution, no matter how small, to his or her own treatment.
Dr Raja also helped us identify common ailments in the village and common medicines we need to have in stock. This enabled us to plan on the type of medical camps we need to arrange later in the year, including general medicine, ear/nose/throat and eye.
Dr Farooq Raja and Air Commodore (Retd) Khalid Iqbal with Sikandar Ali as he tries out his new tricycle-wheelchair.
Second, prominent architect and conservation expert Arif Hasan visited the village and surveyed land for our primary school project. We have identified the land and are in the process of acquiring it for the school. We hope to begin construction this summer so the school can be opened when the academic year begins in April 2010. We still have a long way to go to meet our target of raising 12 million rupees.
Third, we began work to build a new sewerage system in the village to improve sanitation. This project was designed and is being implemented by our partners, Orangi Pilot Project, pioneers in this field.
Dr Farooq Raja examines a young girl at the medical camp.
Architect and planner Arif Hasan visits Khairo Dero along with our supporter Syed Ghulam Murtaza Shah from Sukkur.
We have begun with the biggest of the four catchment areas in the village. At present this catchment disposes sewage from open drains into a big pond. Since several homes are located along the edge of this sewage pond, the prevalence of preventable disease is high. We will build a sewage treatment unit near the pond into which the sewage will flow, be treated and then the clean water will be released via a pipe into a nearby irrigation canal. That way, the clean, recycled water can be used for fruit and vegetable farming.
Our team has motivated the local community to partially provide labor for this project on a voluntary basis. This is part of our plan to involve the local Volunteers from the village excavate the ground for the building of a sewage disposal unit.
community in every project. The materials for the project, including cement, pipes, sand, crush and stone will be provided by Ali Hasan Mangi Memorial Trust, courtesy of our donors.
Now for our plans for the next quarter. First, we plan to complete this initial phase of the sanitation project. Second, we hope to press ahead with fund raising for our school. Third, we plan to initiate basic hygiene training in the village. And we aim to set up a committee of local volunteers to spearhead the process of community motivation.
In the end, we appeal to you all once more for donations. As we press ahead in our projects, we need all the help we can get. The smallest of contributions make a world of a difference.
Please do circulate this newsletter to all your family and friends who you think would be interested in our work.
You’ll be hearing from us soon again through our regular updates. Meanwhile, do take a look at http://www.alihasanmangitrust.org, which will tell you more about our projects and plans. Do also write to us at mt@alihasanmangitrust.org with your feedback and suggestions. We’d love to hear from you.
Thank you once again from all of us and from the people of Khairo Dero, who send their gratitude and blessings.
All the best,
Naween A. Mangi
Managing Trustee
January 2009
Issue: 01/2009
