By Anoosha Hassan
KARACHI: Having started off not even a year ago, Mango Women Pakistan has already become a family of 1.5k+ members, all thanks to the founders, Sara Khurram’s and Jaweria Faheem’s, and its moderator, Anoosha Hassan’s constant work as a team to convey the best of what they can.
With two previous events done in the past and receiving a great response, on this 23rd March, MWP set out to partner with Umeed Gah Rehabilitation Welfare Trust, to spend a day with the children there who require our help, empathy, love, and compassion. Umeed Gah is a rehabilitation welfare trust that basically gives the special disabled children, a systematic approach for their betterment and growth. They have a very healthy environment where the children willingly come to learn, befriend others like them and spend their day. Umeed Gah’s teaching staff and management staff both prove to be working with all their skills and patience for the prosperity of the children there. Although based in a small building, they have done their best to provide the children with the best of what they can.
Partnering with Umeed Gah, Mango Women Pakistan naturally needed sponsors to do the best they can to make the children’s day, and within the period of two days, five sponsors had come forward to become a part of it and joined hands with MWP, and soon MWP found itself linked with LaKachi Charity Foundation, Cake City, Gum Bear Bear Clothing, Psycho Deserts and the media partner, BizToday.
The day started with everyone arriving at 11am at Umeed Gah, the children, dressed in their best attire, excitedly welcomed the visitors with a roaring “Asalam Alaikum.” The team of Mango Women went inside and sat with the founder of Umeed Gah, Salma Bahader, and others in the office and briefly discussed the need for aid and help the children needs.
The sponsors had contributed in the form of gifts, food, and handmade Pakistan Day paper crowns for all the children who were more than excited at the sight of them and eagerly raised their hands to wear the crowns. The children then continued to happily sing patriotic songs and did a performance for the visitors as well. The kids happily enjoyed the event and behaved with discipline and showed the best of their behavior. Looking at which anyone could tell that Umeed Gah is really a great environment to send your children to for their growth and learning. SOPs were highly minded throughout the event.
The star sponsor of the day, LaKachi Charity Foundation, who sponsored lunch in the event, is a new initiative and is already doing very well. Founded only recently, LaKachi Charity Foundation basically wishes to help the needy in whatever way possible, starting with basic food distribution to the needy people, LaKachi wishes to expand its foundation and work on unemployment in Pakistan, teaching technical skills by establishing an institute for the poor, set up mosques and renovate them as well and much more. Their main purpose is to spread kindness and mend their Akhirah and become a way of Sadqa-e-Jariya for their parents by helping the needy with their earnings. The founders wish to remain anonymous for now.
Psycho Deserts by Ayesha Hassan sponsored goodie bags and handmade paper crowns for children. Ayesha and her teammates worked altogether in this cause and became a reason for children’s happiness. They plan on visiting Umeed Gah more frequently again in the future.
Cake City by Sara Khurram sponsored water bottles and hand sanitizers for the children to help them fight the upcoming summer heat and to keep their hands sanitized during Covid-19. The children were more than happy to receive the bottles and even told her about their favorite bottle color.
Likewise, Jaweria Faheem, bought in the cake for the cake cutting ceremony, and the cake cutting took place; for which, Salma Bahader, called the seniors present at the event to do the honor, and gave a little speech on how grateful she felt to be surrounded by everyone present there.
The event then followed by more performances, discussions, and speeches, the children were patient and well behaved all along and interacted with the visitors happily. Meanwhile, MWP and Umeed Gah interacted with each other and discussed what can be done in the future as well. Watching the kids being happy and performing with all their might, surely brought tears to the eyes of the visitors. According to them, it felt like the kids knew them since forever, because of the acceptance and love they gave back.
The event ended with food and cake distribution amongst the children and visitors and further interaction. When it was time to bid farewell, the kids and visitors seemed to have made a connection, and few of the children even asked that when will they be visited again. This showed how much the children wait for people to come to see them and it only proves furthermore that children with special needs and people with needs require our assistance and presence. Normal kids and people can strive in life on their own but it is them who needs us the most, and somewhere in this busy world, it’s us who needs them too.
