The children - boys and girls of various schools being run by Behbud Association gave a spectacular demonstration in various sports at the Bahbud's annual sports function here on Saturday.
The children winning various positions were later awarded medals by prominent city personalities.
Bahbud has been working in Karachi since 1970 for social and economic development of disadvantaged segments of the society.
Established by dedicated and committed women, Bahbud is fighting against poverty, illiteracy and economic marginalisation of women by using a three-pronged approach - education, health and skill training.
Its activities have greatly expanded over the years. The total number of direct beneficiaries from various programmes in the field of education, health, skills training, green and healthy environment initiative, and rehabilitation of the distressed, crossed 2,055,766 this year.
Special focus is put on quality and management improvements in all undertakings. Performance and quality indicators for each activity are developed, agreed upon and subsequently monitored.
In this connection, they have set up schools, OPD clinics, population welfare centres and vocational training centres for income generation and economic empowerment of these marginalised people.
In Karachi, they are located at ST-9, Block-I, Scheme-S (adjacent to Shirin Jinnah Colony), Clifton, and have a branch on 56-23, Mahmoodabad Road.
In the education programme, Behbud is running 14 schools and total students 2,500. The highlight of this year was the registration of one of their higher secondary schools with the Karachi Board of Secondary Education.
The first batch of students appeared in the Board examinations and did extremely well. Four of these schools are managed and run by elected members of the community with Behbud's support.
Ten similar school were set up in 1996 and handed over to the communities, and they continue to run them successfully, and have even expanded some of the schools. Four of their schools are registered, and there are four non-formal literacy centres.
Behbud also offers affordable courses in computers. It has set up a learning resource centre for the training and development of school teachers.
In the health sector, they have opened OPD clinics in two centres, where they have also set up specialists clinics for the treatment of various ailments - skin, diabetes, eye, hypertension, etc. There is a paediatric clinic under the MCC (mother and child care).
The MCC also has a diagnostic laboratory and ultra-sound facilities. Recently, a TB Centre was built with the help of Grassroots Assistance Programme of the Japanese Government. TB patients are treated with Directly Observed Therapy Short Course (DOTS) method. Behbud also runs eight reproductive health clinics (family planning centres).
Three vocational and skill development centres offer courses in sewing and cutting, machine and hand embroidery, block printing, leather goods-making and cooking.
Selected trainees are offered jobs in their production project. The items produced are sold from their outlet at Zamzama Commercial Area. Behbud now runs an electrician training course for boys. The Industrial Home in Korangi was opened in November last year.
In addition to the above, they have developed and maintained a park on ST-10, Block-01, Clifton that they adopted four years ago. This park covers an area of 3-1/2 acres. It used to be a parking lot for oil tankers and dump a place for throwing rubbish.
Behbud developed this park out of its own resources and also planted threes and shrubs and has developed playing fields. This park provides a clean and healthy environment as well as facilities for outdoor activities for our youth. It also has a "Purdah Bagh" for ladies who are confined within their homes and denied access to the open air.
Behbud also has a Distress & Rehabilitation Programme. Under this head, financial assistance is provided to old and disabled people, scholarships for higher education are given and poor students are provided funds for purchase of books and uniforms. Jahez is given to poor girls and the cost of hospitalisation and medical treatment is given to the poor.
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