Concern for
Children Trust (CFC) is a non-profit, non-government organisation that was established in 1997. Its aim is to build models for sustainable development for children in at-risk populations.
Since March 2000, CFC has facilitated
healthcare services and health education to the impoverished
community of Mohammadi/Machar
Colony, Karachi to address the deplorable living conditions here. Additionally, following the October 8, 2005 disaster, CFC has opened its office in Kashmir in an effort to maintain constant presence and supervision for the organisations’ mental health, education and healthcare projects in the Jehlum Valley of Azad Jammu Kashmir.
To raise awareness and funds, CFC recently organised an art and photography
exhibition at the Alliance Francaise. About 1,000 paintings and artworks created by the students of Mohammadi Colony were on display. Each painting displayed an excerpt regarding its artists’ living conditions. Along with the paintings, photographs of the devastated area were also displayed at the exhibit.
“The artwork presented here depicts not only the skills of these children but also exposes the miseries of their lives,” said Karachi’s Naib Nazim Ms Nasreen Jalil, Chief Guest of the show.
“All proceeds from the sale of the exhibition will be used as seed money for the Education and
Public Health Initiatives in the Mohammadi Colony: Community Driven Development Project,” revealed Nasreen.
“It is important to stress that the event is an awareness raising endeavour. Funds enjoyed through the exhibition are prioritised as secondary. The exhibition aims to allow and stress to members of society to explore and become involved in efforts to improve the deplorable lifestyle suffered by the residents of Mohammadi Colony,” explained the Chief Guest.
Ms Mona, the organiser of the show informed that at present, CFC runs a Healthcare Initiative that includes a Mother Child Health Clinic (MCH) where service recipients are provided low cost health care services.
“Simultaneous to operations running at the MCH, the organisation has initiated Mobile Healthcare and a Tuberculosis Intervention Programme. Currently CFC’s Healthcare Initiative facilitates more than 3,000 patients each month and enjoys a steady attendance increase on a monthly basis,” explained she.
What about their future plans to aid the suffering humanity? “CFC is now looking towards launching a Public Health Initiative so that Mobile Healthcare is not limited to schools, but also extends to the community,” she replied. “Need-assessment surveys were taken by CFC’s Community Driven Development team where it was determined that clinics in the area do not provide service by qualified MBBS doctors at their facilities. The situation is worsened when it was identified that hygiene standards and other unethical practices are an established norm at these para-medical clinics,” she revealed. “They are mere business making schemes that misdirect and perpetuate ignorance prevailing amongst community members”.
“Hence, it has become vital that healthcare operations expand into a public health system and resources such as qualified MBBS doctors, appropriate medical equipment, and hygiene standards are introduced to local health clinics of the colony,” feels Mona.
Organisations like Concern for Children Trust are selflessly serving humanity in different ways and being good citizens. It’s our responsibility to encourage them and support them through all possible means.
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