Human Development Foundation of North America Organizes Fundraiser
The Human Development Foundation of North America Fundraiser at the Knotts Berry Resort Hotel on Saturday Oct. 26 th, 2013 vividly testified to the community’s sustained drive for improving the lot of the underprivileged people of Pakistan. The select group of community members raised money to support various projects of the HDF in all four provinces of Pakistan as well as Azad Kashmir.
As usual, the program started with a recitation from the Holy Qur'an by Faisal Qasim followed by the English translation of the verses read by Imran Qasim. Opening remarks were presented by Ghazala Khan. Dr Yasmin Qasim, who had once again brought the leading lights of the community to the event, then presented a slide show of her visit to the HDF School and a Clinic in Karachi. She shed light on how donations to the HDF were being utilized to educate boys and girls in the poorest areas and how the clinic is meeting the health care requirements of the needy and the underprivileged.
Mr. Javed Khan, Board Member of HDF, made a brief presentation highlighting the HDF history and mission. In a span of 14 years HDF has an impressive number of achievements to its credit. It has established adult literacy centers for women, schools for underprivileged boys and girls, and health care centers in the rural areas of Pakistan. The Foundation continues to enable people to help themselves by working in the most desolate areas of Pakistan, building schools and clinics, issuing loans for small business, and most importantly, giving people the light to see their potential to better their own lives. Mr Javed Khan made a fervent appeal to the audience to generously contribute to the HDF efforts.
Keynote speaker Dr Sana Khan, a radiologist/neurophysiologist is an accomplished physician, researcher, teacher and entrepreneur. He has built advanced medical diagnostic centers nationally, focused on accurate diagnoses of musculoskeletal injuries utilizing the Upright, Kinetic MRI. Dr Khan spoke on the requirements of our faith in giving to the needy and also how it helps us personally when we involve ourselves in charitable work. His emotional references to the Holy Qur'an, and its emphasis on giving, will have a lasting effect on the audience. He also spoke about ways of achieving success in establishing systems for helping people who are unable to do for themselves.
Mr Tasawar Khan, Consul General of Pakistan in Los Angeles, who was the Chief Guest, spotlighted the pressing need to help Pakistan alleviate poverty through a structured approach and promised the government's help in authorizing the partnering with NGO’s for a greater good, and once again reiterated HDF’s focus and importance of education, especially education of girls.
Parveen Imdad recited an emotional poem on the plight of the poor in Pakistan and the need for giving, which was appreciated by the guests.
Guests who made major donations include Dr Sana Khan, Dr Tahira Akram and Saleem and Yasmeen Adaya; others present also made donations from $100 to $1000.
Dr Yasmin Qasim has successfully organized HDF fundraisers in Southern California for the last ten years and indisputably each occasion has been a memorable one. She and her team - Ghazala Khan, Parveen Imdad, Fatima Khan, Abida Ahmed and Saman Mahmood - are to be duly commended for their efforts. Congrats to Dr Qasim for her hard work and continued support of HDF. Fatima Waqar, Ghazala Khan, Parveen Imdad, Abida Ahmed and Saman Mahmood played a prominent role in organizing the event and their contribution is greatly appreciated.
The guests were treated to a sumptuous dinner catered by Dara Khan of Shahnawaz Restaurant and music during dinner. After dinner the guest enjoyed a highly entertaining musical program late into the night by famous American singer and entertainer Janice Miller.
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