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Board Member’s Recent Visit to Pakistan
 On
April 8th, 2006 Dr. Zeenat Anwar, a member of the Human Development Foundation’s
Board of Directors, touched down in the Islamabad International Airport, carrying
four cartons of medical and surgical supplies destined for HDF health centers
and areas ravaged by the earthquake. This was Dr. Anwar’s most recent
visit to the Human Development Foundation’s programs in the Bugna area
of Pakistan, and she was excited to see the progress being made in the area.
That first day she was greeted by Dr. Mazhar Abbasi, the HDF Project Manager
Health, and she found him to be “very knowledgeable about the organization”,
and later presented him with a $60,000 donation to establish an emergency laboratory
in Bugna. The money will also be used to purchase medical equipment for treating
scabies, an endemic problem in the Bugna area.
Two days later she met with the HDF CEO Mr. Azhar Saleem, who introduced her
to the office staff. Together they toured the Islamabad Project, located approximately
35 kilometers from the capital. The project is composed of the towns Dhoke Tabarak,
Shaheed, Kalhia and four other villages, compromising 1100 households total.
Dr. Anwar was especially impressed with the improvements made in the largest
city, Kalhia:
“I was amazed to see the marked improvement in the four years: HDF
with the collaboration of NRSP was able to achieve these positive changes
in clean drinking water, neatly paved streets and underground sewage system
with septic tanks, the heaps of garbage outside homes had completely disappeared”
 Dr.
Anwar also noted the excellent relationship between HDF staff and community
members, “Members of these villages were very cooperative and grateful
to the HDF workers.” Good relationships are the fundament of sustainable
development, and HDF makes the cultivation of such partnerships a top priority.
Later that day Dr. Anwar visited the HDF Community Health Center, run by Mr.
Younas, a “goal oriented and ambitious activist”. The facility consists
of four health workers supervised by a physician, and a pharmacy that Dr. Anwar
found “sufficiently equipped for their basic needs”. In line with
the Human Development Foundation’s philosophy of sustainable development,
the Community Health Center emphasis preventative and curative healthcare, with
a new emphasis on family planning. HDF’s activities have proven successful,
and since 2004 the average family size has fallen from 6 to 4.9.
The Human Development Foundation has five schools with a total of 221 students
in the project area. Dr. Anwar sat down with Miss Asia (an MA in Economics)
over a delicious cup of chai and “had a very frank and productive exchange
of ideas”. The schools, including the HDF formal school in Islamabad which
recently opened, have proved to be enormously successful and are excellent models
for future projects.
 In
sum, the trip was a success and demonstrated the fantastic work HDF is doing
in Pakistan. Dr. Anwar says that she is “very proud of the difference
HDF is making. I found Mr. Azhar a hard working achiever, and I hope he will
stay long enough to pursue and achieve his goals”, goals that are very
attainable. HDF is thrilled that one of our valued Board Members was able to
see the projects first hand, and will continue to work towards sustainable social
development.
Date/Time Last Modified: 8/1/2006 10:55:43 AM
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