VOCATIONAL AND SKILLS TRAINING PROGRAM

This particularly aims at:

	Conducting regular market research for identification of vocational training needs, organizing and conducting structured vocational training and arranging successful market placements. The trainings comprised of 'hotel management' and 'culinary arts'. Various beauty workshops were also organized for women interested to pursue the industry as a career or simply apply the art and knowledge for their economic empowerment. Other interests were also catered to like the art and technicalities of stitching and embroidery, also training of computers.

CHILD EDUCATION SUPPORT PROGRAM (CESP)

Access to quality education is a priority for Hashoo Foundation. Since 2004, our Child Education Support Program (CESP) has contributed to improve access to quality education in some of the most isolated areas of Pakistan. Initiated in the Northern Areas, CESP provides financial support to out-of-school children. These children are identified with the help of community leaders. They are then enrolled into one of the 120 schools established by AKESP. Hashoo Foundation pays for their tuition fees and provides them with books, shoes, stationery and a uniform. The same model applies to the region of Rawalpindi.

Hashoo Foundation Schools

Hashoo Foundation also supports education facilities in the four provinces of Pakistan. The Foundation runs a network of 10 primary schools, four of which are supported by British Petroleum, under their Corporate Social Responsibility program. These schools are established in the remote and extremely poor areas where access to education – even at the primary level – is still a problem.

Early Childhood Development Training

Early Childhood Development (ECD) program is an innovative training program, which focuses on building the capacities of teachers to stimulate learning at a very early age. ECD involves trainees, parents and children in a holistic experience centered on the child. In a country where corporal punishment is unfortunately still commonly used in the classroom, the ECD approach employs an interactive and humane approach to teaching which involves:

		Sessions based on practical activities as well as theory
		Hands-on training in classroom environment
		Summer camps involving parents and children Scholarship Program Hashoo Foundation's scholarship program identifies talented students who cannot afford university education, and supports them throughout their studies. This support enables them to break the poverty cycle and access better opportunities. A new policy, initiated recently, incites our scholars to contribute to the program, once they are gainfully employed after the end of their studies.

KNOWLEDGE NESTLED AMIDST THE QUEEN OF HILLS: MURREE

A Blog by Yawar Hussain

An organization, no matter how well designed, is only as good as the people who make up its work force or work in it. For the augmentation of the personal skills of the staff, Hashoo Foundation arranged a training session in collaboration with Reach Out To Asia (ROTA). This five days’ training session was held in the eye catching scenery of Murree, Pakistan.  After the hot tantalizing weather of Islamabad, the quite pleasant air of Murree embraced us and lulled our fragility. The core training topics were project management, financial management and proposal writing. I was thrilled to be a part of this session as I am always passionate to absorb many new dimensions and areas through which I can achieve my higher goals.

During the first two days of the training, we were introduced with the basic actualities about project management. The session on project management was fruitful and trained us on how to manage a project and its implementation by delivering smarter solutions on time and within budget. These session were followed by additional two days training on financial management. As finances are a crucial part of organizational management, thus it is always a better idea to maintain a “Financial Policy” for the efficient functioning of any organization. Financial management is the lifeblood of any organization and this part of session was primarily designed to strengthen the financial management skills and confidence of Hashoo staff to control the financial resources more efficiently and effectively.

The third part of this well-rounded training session was more enthralling to me as it was based on proposal writing. Being an employee in the enterprise development program, I knew the concepts about financial and project management. Although I am an adamant learner who never take any trivial chances to let go, I always purported that proposal writing is an easy job to do. But after taking this session, my mind set has changed and I realized that the proposal writing is the one of the most vital and  technical jobs; indeed it is the backbone of any project.

These training sessions were followed by constructive discussions which led to further enhance the knowledge and understanding of the participants about the subject matter.  I am happy to admit that I have learnt a great deal from this training and the input and collaboration has been a massive help to me in enhancing my technical knowledge.

NOT ALL HOSTEL EXPERIENCES ARE COUNTED AS NIGHTMARES!

A blog by Momina Abrar

Life at home cannot be compared to the life in a hostel. At home one has to live as per likes of other members of the family. Children find it difficult to stick to a timetable, ensure minimum 3 to 4 hours study a day and adhere to time management principles to develop good routines.
Nestled amidst the staggeringly beautiful snow-capped peaks, Hashoo Foundation’s Youth Development Centre in Gilgit Valley (YDC) is truly one of its kind. The hostel stands at the foot of the Karakoram Mountain range commanding breath taking vistas of the rugged Gilgit valley and river.  I wondered why Hashoo Foundation named it as “Youth Development Center” when it was just a hostel. But my visit, reflected an eye opener insight to the matter. To me, a hostel was like a place where a group of students lived with the warden (usually a bitter and old lady who inculcates a sense of fear among those destined to be at her mercy) is the head, a place you find no clean washrooms, a place where you are either stuck with three or more girls and bear with the indifferences. But, YDC in contrast had proven all those notions wrong! Not only it had a sweet lady serving as a warden but it was also like a safe home for boarders which allowed them to pursue their academic career. It provided them with a conducive environment for their holistic nurturing.

Here, the students do all the work by themselves, thus becoming self-dependent. Students learn the value of discipline. It teaches them a sense of responsibility in matters of taking care of each other. But more than that, here, the students get trained through Computer course, English language, career counseling sessions and subsequent exposure to different programs and seminars. Thus, training the students with necessary life skills to adapt to the rapid changes that the world demands. It will not be an exaggeration to say that only Hashoo Foundation’s YDC is the place where an all-round development of personality is possible.

LAYYAH EMPOWERED THROUGH LIVELIHOOD

A BLOG BY BUSHRA TAHIR

The 4th Project Steering Committee Meeting on “Community Empowerment through Livelihood” was held at the project office, Layyah on February 28th, 2014. The aim of the meeting was to review the progress of the CELD project and discuss the ways in which to tackle the bottlenecks. The meeting initiated with a detailed presentation from the project manager on the progress achieved and the way forward to formally conclude the project.  Hashoo Foundation has initiated the process of installing three chillers each within three dairy business centers owned by Community Based Organizations (CBO).This shall be completed by mid of March 2014. It was also proposed that HF should remain in Layyah rather than phase out after the project conclusion, to oversee the successful operations of the dairy business centers, while increasing its geographic focus in Southern Punjab.

The HF team visited the site to meet the community members and obtain their feedback about HF’s interventions. Ms. Fozia from Hamlet Siari, in Layyah was among the 1200 beneficiaries who undertook the dairy farming training and was later appointed as a Livestock Extension Worker (LEW) in the area. Ms. Fozia was provided with a kit for the vaccination and medication of livestock by the CBOs, which enabled her to practice the acquired skills more efficiently. “Now, I can earn more money per month by visiting 4-5 customers monthly to vaccinate their animals, in addition I have increased my income from improved milk production of 12-14 liters of milk at a time.” Ms. Fozia charges Rs. 200 from each of her customers for vaccinating their animals. “HF have made me more than just a housewife, I am now the captain of my own ship”, exclaims Ms.Fozia, with tears of joy in her eyes.

WE ARE REVIVING LIVES IN DISTRICT KOHAT

A BLOG BY MR. TALHA RAJA

Kohat is a city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province of Pakistan and the capital of the Kohat District. The town is well known for its British-era fort, various bazaars, military cantonment, mountains and the Kohat Dam. Filled with lush green fields, the land is suitable for cultivation of fruits and crops with Guavas as one of the best produce. The people are very hospitable and welcoming. Due to the unfortunate incident of sectarian violence, district Kohat has sheltered large off-camp Internally Dispersed Persons (IDPs). These IDPs have had to leave their homes to find shelter in the outskirts of the city. It was heart-wrenching to see these IDPs deprived of the basic necessities of life. Women and children were undernourished, consuming contaminated water causing diseases, with no access and affordability of medicines. In most of the households, one person is the bread-earner, supporting 6-8 people on average. As the camps are in the outskirts of the city, the IDPs need to walk for at least 5-6 km to reach their workplaces. On average, they are given work once in four days, meaning that they have to manage the entire household in Rs. 300 for whole week. But with the help of Hashoo Foundation and other active local and INGOs, they are now food secure, provided with shelter and have a renewed hope to feel alive again. With Hashoo Foundation making the off-camp IDPs food secure, they will be able to utilize their earnings on purchase of medicine and availing other basic healthcare facilities. Many households have been sent back to their respective areas in the beginning of 2014, while the remaining shall be sent back in the months to follow. In an area where people are not familiar with a term like NGO, Hashoo Foundation is a name every household is familiar with as a result of this intervention. 

MARBLE SHINE ASSOCIATES

Marble Shine Associates (MSA) is a unique income generating project of Hashoo Foundation, which offers high quality floor polishing services to commercial, government and private clients. 

Operating since 1999, MSA works with 5-star hotel chains, private hospitals and governmental facilities, as well as commercial buildings. The project employs and trains more than 70 staff. Excelling in the art of stone restoration and obtaining the best quality of workmanship, MSA uses the latest technology in its equipment and the finest diamond abrasives to restore the natural beauty of stone.

The revenues generated through the services provided by MSA contribute towards the operating costs of Hashoo Foundation. Additionally, over 1,000 workers trained by the project are earning their livelihood either through employment or operating their own enterprises