Friendship International NGO : Pakistan

Friendship International Pakistan Staff untimely demise

2010-12-10T00:09:00.000-08:00

Mr. Maqbool ur Rehman Abbassi

With profound grief and sorrow we announce the untimely death of that Mr. Maqbool ur Rehman Abbassi who represented Friendship International Pakistan in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. He passed away on the 18th of November 2010 in Muzzafarabad. Mr. Maqbool was a highly valuable and respected member of our team and the effects of his loss are being felt by the management at Friendship International, Pakistan.

During his many years here, his dedication and selfless nature was always something that many others could only hope to attain and all who knew him regarded him with great respect and admiration. During his time here he helped the organization move forward in great strides and his efforts and contributions will never be forgotten. We knew him to be kind, honest and a man of great honor and strength. He will be greatly missed and we are all saddened by his passing and our thoughts and prayers are with his family.

Pakistan Flood Projects 2010

2010-12-09T00:18:00.000-08:00

Hundreds gathered to receive food distributed by Friendship International. Pakistan

In July 2010, Pakistan experienced the worst floods in its history. The floods left a long trail of death and devastation, claiming over 1600 human lives, damaging infrastructure, and destroying standing crops. The economic losses caused by the calamity have pulled the country back in time.

A staggering 20 million people have been affected by the floods – and the crisis is far from over. The flood waters have mostly receded, but Pakistan is still recovering from the disastrous floods.

Friendship International Pakistan {FI} embarked upon the ‘Flood Project’ during this trying time for Pakistan. Out of the four provinces in Pakistan, the province of Khyber Puktunkhwa and Sindh have been the ones most affected. Friendship International Pakistan was assigned these two provinces to start their humanitarian work. FI set up Medical Camps in the Charsadda and Nowhsera region in the Khyber Puktunkwha province and embarked upon a Food Distribution project in various parts of Sindh.

Medical Camps: The Friendship International Muzaffarabad mobile clinic, ambulance and staff relocated to the Nowshera region to set up a Satellite Clinic on the 14^th of September 2010. The medical team included two doctors, two paramedics and two helpers. Every morning the FI team set up clinics in the four to five camps chosen in Nowshera. Averages of 250 patients per day were attended to by the FI team. The doctors diagnosed their problems and provided them with medicines free of cost. A total of 1515 families were attended to by the FI staff in Nowshera till the end of the project in November 2010.

A second Medical Camp was set up in the Charsadda region and the areas leading to Swat during the same time. A different team consisting of one doctor, one paramedic and two helpers was hired for the medical camp in Charsadda. Daily Medical Camps were held in the chosen locations and averages of 250 patients were attended to in these areas. A total of 1115 families were treated and provided with medicines by the FI team in Charsadda till the end of the project in November 2010.

Food Distribution: FI, Pakistan was allotted with the food distribution project for the Hindu community of Sindh as they were the most deprived community and faced a real shortage of food supplies. FI rose to the occasion and helped the flood victims by distributing food bags to over 900 families in Sindh. The food bags contained basic food essentials like rice, flour, milk, sugar, cooking oil, lentils etc as well as basic household items such as toilet soaps, washing powder, cooking utensils, floor mats and matches. The locations were food was distributed in Sindh were:

1. Makli Graveyard in District Thatta

2. Tehsil Gharo in District Thatta:

3. Village Behla, Saeedpur, Sujawal, Camp in Thatta

4. Tehsil Jati in the Thatta district and in the

5. Maheshwary Community Centre, Saddar, Karachi

One of our volunteers for the Food Distribution Project, Ravi Kumar Kanner, lost his life while performing ablution in a nearby stream in Thatta where he had travelled to with the Friendship International team. To commemorate his services to Friendship International Pakistan, four commercial water coolers each equipped with four taps and a capacity of 45 litres of water were installed in areas that were frequently visited by Ravi Kumar and people from his community.

Temporary Latrines Project: In the wake of the devastation, the victims have been deprived of basic amenities such as toilets. Friendship International, Pakistan once again rose to the occasion to provide basic sanitation solutions to the displaced people living in camps in Sindh by constructing and installing 100 toilets in Sindh in different locations. FI put 25 toilets in the Hawksbay area and another 75 in the interior of Sindh in Makli.

Friendship International Flood Relief Project with OAKDF:

Funds were provided to OAKDF for Food Distribution to 400 families in Kohistan

Funds were provided to OAKDF for rebuilding a suspension bridge in Kohistan

Future Plans:

Friendship International Pakistan plans to provide warm clothes to the flood affectees
Friendship International Pakistan plans to install Water Tanks in the villages and plans to train the local people on administering water purification tablets to the tanks
Friendship International Pakistan will provide material to the flood affectees to rebuild wooden shacks that they are accustomed to living in. If need be, temporary latrines like the ones already installed in the interior of Sindh will be built along with their wooden shacks

PAKISTAN FLOOD RELIEF 2010: Call for Volunteers & Doctors!

2010-08-14T23:05:00.001-07:00

Friendship International Pakistan

The floods have resulted in millions of homeless families whose conditions are worsening day by day, due to lack of facilities and adequate health care. Friendship International being most experienced in primary health care wishes to work at camp grounds in areas of Khyber-Pukhtoonkwa, by conducting daily OPD and free treatment.

Diseases are growing rapidly, Friendship International Pakistan proposes to work on site at the refugee camps set up by the government of Pakistan, these camps house very large numbers of people and are located near the Capital. Our main areas of focus would be:
1. Nowshera
2. Charsadda
3. Mardan
Friendship International is looking for doctors / volunteers who are interested in working with Friendship International Pakistan.

Contact Person
Azam Durrani
friendshipinternationalpk@gmail.com
Friendship International
Country Head Pakistan

Living conditions at IDP camps

2009-07-07T23:49:00.001-07:00

Friendship International is working at the several IDP camps in the Mardan area, which are established within schools or private establishments. Nearly all of these camps are not attended to by any NGO's or other welfare resources. The living conditions in these camps is poor and hygiene and sanitation is the biggest concern. The images below will give you an insight into the daily lives of the people at these camps. All of these people have left their homes and settled lives and have retreated to these areas. They are suffering not only physically but also mentally. It is heart wrenching to see the small girl below trying to wash her clothes, but it is a positive notion that she amongst many others has not given up and is concerned about her conditions and cleanliness. Friendship International is working diligently in these camps and trying to improve the quality of life.

Friendship International continues work at IDP camps

2009-07-07T23:41:00.001-07:00

Friendship International : Latest updates from Mardan

2009-07-05T23:58:00.001-07:00

The images below capture the essence of the Friendship International activities in Mardan during the past week. FI staff has been dedicatedly serving IDP camps, set up mostly within schools and private lands throughout the month. The staff also spends some time a week working on documentation, which includes patient and disease profiles, as well as OPD lists. The doctors and paramedics are whole heatedly serving patients without any hesitation and there are days when up to 300 patients are treated. In the images below you will see the FI medical team at work, on site at the camps and while doing administrative work. Most of the patients treated are suffering from hygiene related diseases such as scabies and other major skin ailments. One girl child below suffers from maggots and the doctor is seen treating her. Burns, gynaecological complications, diabetes and gastric ailments are amongst the most common diseases being treated. To combat hygiene related problems FI is initiating a hygiene pack distribution and awareness program with the assistance of a sponsor, more details on this program are upcoming.

FI serving IDP camps: Updates from Islamabad & Mardan

2009-06-21T22:10:00.000-07:00

Above: FI medical camp at Siranjam IDP Camp, Mardan June 18th 2009

Above: FI serves IDP Camp at Gullybagh High School, Mardan June 23, 2009

Above: Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh visits FI working group in Islamabad

Above: FI medical camp at Govt H.School Kiskorona Mardan 20th June 2009

Inauguration of Lifebuoy-Friendship Abbotabad clinic

2009-06-09T22:58:00.003-07:00

The opening ceremony of the Lifebuoy-Friendship Abbotabad Clinic was held in the presence of Ms.Runa Khan (Director Friendship), Mr. Ali Asghar Khan ( Director OAKDF) and

Dr. Christian Echinard.

Activities in Muzzafarabad clinic

2009-06-09T22:52:00.000-07:00

'Lifebuoy-Friendship' Abbotabad Clinic - Field work

2009-05-30T06:09:00.001-07:00

The Fi staff has been traveling to villages near Abottabad as per regular schedule to serve needy patients. The images document visits to Dara, Sirla, Paswall and Banjgali. Sirla is the only location which will no longer be served due to logistical issues. The staff is still in process of finalizing locations keeping in ind travel time, need, safety and travel conditions.

PRESS

2009-05-30T06:01:00.001-07:00

Friendship International Pakistan - Recent press coverage of 'life-buoy friendship clinic' Abottabad.

Health awareness camp at children's school in Kashmir April 2009

2009-05-24T22:55:00.001-07:00

(Above: FI staff and country representative Azam Durrani conducting camp)

FI conducted a health awareness camp at a local children's school in Muzaffarabad AJK in May 2009. The FI staff interacted with the school children and school staff teaching them about basic health and hygiene. A general check up of all the children was carried out as well. FI is continually working on its out reach program and with the help of local supporters and friends is able to expand its network and help the people of the area.

FI serving IDP camps

2009-05-23T00:58:00.000-07:00

FI Pakistan will soon be serving patients at the Internally displaced person's camps (IDP) near Islamabad. The map below shows the area FI mobile dispensary and staff will be traveling through during a period of one month. The staff will be providing primary medical health care to patients, especially children and women who are suffering from diseases common in refugee and IDP camps, such as : stomach infections, skin diseases, viruses, and will cater to general health and well-being of these patients.

Lifebuoy-Friendship Clinic

2009-05-23T00:32:00.000-07:00

(Above: FI Ambulance & Lady Doctor Ms.Iram with patients)

On the 31st of March 2009, Friendship International a.s.b.l. inaugurated: The Lifebuoy Friendship Clinic in Abottabad, to provide Primary Health Care services with special focus on Women and Children, to the poor and underpriveledged in the area. Present at the inaugural ceremony was Dr Christian Echinard from France consulting surgeon for FI, Mr. Ali Asghar Khan ED OAKDF, and Mrs Runa Khan, ED Friendship.

Medical services are provided through a static clinic in Abottabad for consultations, pathology, referral linkages and an ambulance. This is connected with the remote unaddressed hillside villages through weekly satellite clinics, carrying doctors and paramedics to different prescheduled locations. Local paramedical village workers and TBAs will undergo training and guidance to continue simple services in their villages.

Friendship International has been working in Pakistan since 2007. In Muzaffarabad, Azad Jummu Kashmir, FI started the first mobile clinic in the area, to give health services to the remote hard to reach mountain areas. A static clinic provides follow up services. Over one hundred patients are being served daily.

Based on the success of this model Unilever sponsored the Lifebuoy Friendship Clinic in Abbotabad. Unilever, has a successful 9 year working partnership in health, with Friendship in Bangladesh, through the Lifebuoy Friendship Hospital, the first mobile floating hospital in Bangladesh. In Abbotabad, Friendship International is working in cooperation with the local NGO OAKDF (Omar Asghar Khan Development Foundation).

Friendship International is a value-based organization. Its good will is not used for any political, religious or commercial advantages for its stakeholders. It’s mandate is to work incorporating environmental and Human Rights in all its programmes.

For more information and details kindly contact:

Azam Durrani - Country Representative Pakistan

Email: Friendshipinternationalpk@gmail.com

Friendship International (FI) : AJK Project

2009-05-23T00:00:00.001-07:00

Friendship International (FI) is a Humanitarian organization based in Luxembourg. FI Pakistan is the first project of FI and registered in Pakistan in 2006.

It is presently working on health in the earthquake zones of Muzaffarabad, Pakistan having a static clinic and a mobile clinic in areas which are remote and have no access to other health services. FI is presently working in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and due to expanded services of the mobile unit into the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) by the end of 2007.

FI specializes in working in hard to reach areas, piloting and setting up innovative replicable basic infrastructural units especially for primary health, extending in many places to secondary health. FI works directly as an implementing agent giving service delivery, and also helps to advice and structure practical working health systems.

Working Area

After a survey of the earthquake area from February to March 2006, it was found that there was a need for sustainable health service in the region. The work done by the Government and NGOs was commendable.

Yet every institution which was aware of the terrible aftermath had a moral responsibility to do its part, as an INGO, internationally known by its exemplary work done for rehabilitation in hard to reach areas, Friendship International realized the need for setting up a system after the thrust of emergency relief would be gone from the area, for basic primary health cares which was simple and effective. From experience we know that no other development intervention is possible when one suffers. Hence to try to ease this suffering Friendship International started the first fully equipped mobile clinic supported by a base Static Clinic in Muzaffarabad which would expand services to the NWFP.

Static and Mobile Clinics

The Static Clinic (Base Clinic) is operational every day, located in the midst of the camps for the earthquake victims, servicing the outskirts of Muzaffarabad and surrounding areas. It operates from 16:00 hrs till 22:00 hrs 6 days a week and in the mornings twice a week.

The mobile clinic operates in the morning from 9:00 hrs till 13:00 hrs in different locations, going back to the same location weekly or monthly, depending on the schedule. Even women from different segments of the society who have very little access easily get this health service.

The objective is not to give ad hoc intervention of health camps once in a while, but to give sustainable dependable service, returning back the same area, to the same community systematically. All medicines and medical care are free of charge.

Health Services

Friendship International started its services to the beneficiaries in AJK in February 2007. From then it is providing its health facilities to numerous patients through both its static and mobile health facilities. People from different ages and sex are getting their health facilities.

We have started our services in AJK in May 2007. It is a simple effective model which brings CARE to the people. Today, the clinics output is far exceeding the expectations.

Primary Health Care

General Treatment for communicable diseases, deficiency diseases, fever, skin infection and limited curative care
Child Health Care including ARI, diarrhea, limited curative care and immunization
Reproductive Health Care including ANC, PNC, family planning, STI/RTI, non-clinical contraceptives (pill, condom, injectables)
First Aid -- stitches, plastering, accident victims including road accidents

Behavior Change Communication(BCC)

Individual Personal Contact (IPC)
Group Meeting
Health Education with demonstration (HE)

Referral Services

The satellite clinics will not provide the secondary health services, hence patients are referred to static private clinics and GOP facilities

CHANGE IN EMAIL ADDRESS

2009-05-22T01:31:00.001-07:00

Dear Friends,

Kindly note that the friendship International Pakistan will now be using the following email address, kindly use the following for all correspondence:

friendshipinternationalpk@gmail.com

Thank you.

Eid Greetings

2008-09-24T09:46:00.001-07:00

Friendship International Pakistan wishes its well-wishers around the world a joyful Eid.

May your continued support enable us to serve thosein need. Messages of peace and joy from Pakistan,

Warmest regards,

Staff & Volunteers

Friendship International Pakistan ( Karachi & AJK)

Azam Durrani’s visit to Friendship International Bangladesh

2008-05-28T11:59:00.000-07:00

Friendship Carrefour Mobile Dispensary Pakistan

2008-05-28T11:27:00.000-07:00

Muzaffarabad Primary Health Care Unit & Mobile Dispensary

2008-05-28T11:00:00.001-07:00

On the way to the camp

Young boy registers as patient

Carrefour-Friendship Mobile Dispensary, Muzaffarabad, AJK

PHC unit, patient visits

Friendship International NGO : Pakistan Office

2008-05-28T09:33:00.000-07:00

Azam Khan Durrani - Country Head Pakistan.
EMAIL: mailto:friendshipinternationalpk@gmail.com