Taking
the First Step
By Ahmad Amer
The National Commission for
Human Development (NCHD), along with the Pakistan
Human Development Fund (PHDF), the United Nations
Development Program (UNDP) and private citizens
living in Pakistan and abroad (individually and
through foundations), have been helping needy
Pakistani children and families to receive basic
educational and health care services---taking
the first step in providing a crucial link between
the community and Government.
NCHD has been extremely effective in the educational
sector, having opened over 9,000 community-based
feeder schools and providing basic education under
its signature “Universal Primary Education”
program to over 1.5 million previously out-of-school
children. NCHD realizes that literacy is not only
relevant to young people; over 9,000 Adult Literacy
Centers have been opened, with 86% female enrollees.
In the health sector, NCHD has become the largest
health care provider outside of the Government
of Pakistan through its Primary Health Care, Oral
Rehydration Solution and School Health programs.
At a minor cost of only $1.10 per person, NCHD
has vaccinated over 500,000 women and children
since 2002 and over 1.1 million Pakistanis receive
NCHD door-to-door health care on a monthly basis.
Now NCHD is coming to America to seek our support.
By hosting a series of Community Awareness Dinners
throughout the United States, NCHD is asking Overseas
Pakistanis to take their own pehla qadam in support
of its humanitarian and developmental activities.
The dinners are being held over the next six weeks
in major metropolitan centers. Please take your
own first step by attending this humanitarian
and charitable event by contacting your city’s
chair who can be found on the NCHD website: http://www.nchd.org.pk/ws/
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