Successful ChildLife Foundation Fundraiser in Sacramento
By Ras H. Siddiqui
A group of Pakistani-origin physicians and their friends residing in and near Elk Grove, California, just south of Sacramento held a fundraising dinner for ChildLife Foundation at the Town & Country Event Center’s Platinum Hall in Rancho Cordova on Saturday, February 1, 2025. It was an evening of fine cuisine (thanks to Br Waqar and Br Aamir), community spirit, and philanthropy as the approximately 200 people in attendance were able to learn about the work of ChildLife and what it has been able to achieve in a country where need grows faster than economic growth. And there was entertainment too as Najam Sheraz was here to perform.
ChildLife Foundation ( https://childlifefoundation.org/ ) was incubated after the 2010 super floods in Pakistan, which exposed local shortcomings in the public emergency care system, especially for the children. ChildLife’s Vision is: “Children in Pakistan at an imminent risk of life will have access to quality care.” And one of the organization’s missions is to “Facilitate rapid access to quality urgent medical care.” It identifies high-risk children and intervenes with effective and cost-effective preventive measures. In the year 2024, it was estimated that Childlife had treated almost 2 million children in Pakistan. One can argue about many things except the fact that any country’s children are its future. And there is a great need to focus on them in Pakistan, and ChildLife is doing precisely that.
Appetizers and dinner were served at the beginning of the event, a move which was deeply appreciated. Our hosts including Rana Mahfooz Ali Khan, Mutahir Khan, Hafiz Usman, Omar Khan, and Wajahat Khan were quite active throughout the evening as the formalities began when area luminary Khydeeja Alam was invited to the stage to emcee the program. Khydeeja is the first South Asian Executive Director of the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs ((CAPIAA). Her family hails from Mian Channu, Pakistan. She was named the 2024 Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) “Change Maker of the Year” by the Sacramento Bee newspaper. Amongst her many other accomplishments, she is a very good emcee.
To start the program Hafiz Usman Khalid was invited to the stage for a Qur’an recitation which he presented along with the English translation of the verses. Usman’s mastery of delivery was quite evident and listening to his recitation proved to be an edifying experience. Khydeeja returned to the playing of the national anthems of the two countries that have continued to shape our lives. First to be played was the anthem of the United States, a country that has given us many opportunities to succeed. Next was the anthem of Pakistan where many of us were born. It was also the land that gave many of us the educational foundations to succeed in America, our adopted country.
Khydeeja next introduced the CEO of Childlife Foundation, Dr Ahson Rabbani, and invited him to deliver the evening keynote address. Rabbani brought with him a wealth of experience and knowledge on healthcare challenges in Pakistan, and even when we hear him annually, we still get to learn some new information. In his very professional delivery, Ahson said that ChildLife is now 15 years old and that he has been associated with it for 11 years. He did mention that there is a lot more to Pakistan than the cities of Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad which is the reason why ChildLife has over 300 locations, including many in remote areas to provide quality care for the youngest population of the country. He said that in protecting newborns and children below 5 years of age, we are contributing to the protection of motherhood in the country too.
It is estimated that 1,000 children die every day in Pakistan, with a death rate which is almost double that of Bangladesh and India so there is a great need to concentrate there, especially in the rural areas where a big part of the population lives. That is why ChildLife is now operating in every District and Tehsil (sub-district) in Pakistan, he said, and the treatment there now includes 24/7 coverage in Emergency Rooms and via a growing Telemedicine effort. This is how a doctor based in Karachi can assist in treating a child patient in remote areas like Pishin in Baluchistan. Such efforts led to a mother asking that her child be treated by a “Karachi Doctor” as telemedicine can now help to connect more Pakistanis. ChildLife in a way is involved in nation-building in Pakistan and is promoting national integration in the country, said the CEO.
There was a great deal more in Rabbani Sahib’s presentation including Sahir Ludhianvi’s Urdu poetry to reflect on. He asked the attendees at the event to come to Pakistan and visit one or more ChildLife medical facilities and see for themselves what kind of work is being done to help the children of the country. And the cost? Just $7 to treat a child, only $1 to provide oxygen to them when they need it because many cannot afford even this small amount. With an annual budget of only $14 million ChildLife is able to treat 2 million children. He also shared a video about work being done in a rural facility and said that ChildLife now has a foot in the door in every Tehsil in Pakistan.
A vibrant and informative Question & Answer session followed in which Khydeeja, Rabbani Sahib, and Dr Mutahir participated. This led to Rabbani elaborating on how ChildLife had performed since he was here early last year. Dr Mutahir Khan also filled us in on the genesis of the ChildLife support group in the Sacramento region. Indeed, love for one’s country of origin never really goes away. By this time the fundraising was also continuing concurrently. Two very beautiful calligraphic paintings by Sobia Faisal were also auctioned off for a good amount for this worthy cause.
But before we conclude reporting the fundraising segment it would be important to mention what the ChildLife CEO had to say a bit earlier. It has to do with politics or the lack of it when it concerns the welfare of children. It was good to hear that all of Pakistan’s political parties were on the same page on the issue of providing good medical care to the children of the country. One might add that we as Pakistani Americans should also not play politics with fundraising events here, no matter which party or leader we support in Pakistan!
The entertainment segment began and ended with the very versatile and talented former pop icon turned devotional singer Najam Sheraz. He started with his now patented “Yeh Moamla Koi Aur Hai” where he called for religious and sectarian harmony. Najam also delved into a song or two in English (Nasheed), Pakistani national songs (Milli Naghmay), and his tribute to the late Junaid Jamshed who had also successfully transformed himself from being a pop icon to a devotional performer. Sheraz also sang some Qawwalis including Allah Hu and closed with Bhar Do Jholi Meri, an appropriate ending for the evening.
