The Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) organised Amtul Raqeeb Award ceremony for the female community members engaged in organisation’s supported community development initiatives across the country to mark International Women’s Day 2017.
This year the award was conferred upon seven deserving recipients, whose contribution to PPAF-supported communities in self-advancement and socio-economic development of the area they inhabit is invaluable.
Chief Guest, the Ambassador of Italy Stefano Pontecorvo said that he was glad that the money was going to people and initiatives that actually make a noticeably profound difference. “I am overwhelmed by the examples that these women are setting. I have an unshakeable belief that women are a lot better than men. It’s women that change the status quo and if they don’t, then the men are going nowhere.”
PPAF Chairperson Roshan Khursheed Bharucha said, “It is these women, and women like them, who through their strength, courage, compassion and capabilities have made, and are making a difference, not only in their lives, but the lives of so many others.”
PPAF held the first Amtul Raqeeb Award ceremony in 2012. So far, 33 women and two men have been conferred with Amtul Raqeeb award during the last five years. Hailing from different regions of the country, this year’s Amtul Raqeeb Award recipients included Bibi Toseera (Killa Saifullah), Zahida Bibi (Lasbela), and Saleema Bibi (Panjgur) from Balochistan, Shamshera Afzal (Chitral) and Sabeeha Naz (Nowshera) from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Zulekhan Bibi (Tharparkar) from Sindh, and Saira Tasleem (Rajan Pur) from Punjab.
Speaking on the occasion, PPAF CEO Qazi Azmat Isa said, “Women are the backbone of any nation and the women here are great examples of self-awareness and empowerment, to drive themselves and their surroundings towards a better standard of living. PPAF has vowed to sustain this initiative of uplifting Pakistani communities.
“PPAF is focusing on those Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that directly impact health, well-being and prosperity of our communities. These include maternal and child health, girl education, women empowerment and equality amongst others. The importance of these SDGs is conveyed by the Community Resource Persons (CRPs) who are our activists for supporting the community to develop and implement solutions to their problems.”
PPAF instituted the award in recognition of courage of Amtul Raqeeb, a programme officer at Balochistan Rural Support Programme (BRSP), Quetta. Amtul was killed, along with two other colleagues, on the way back to Quetta after performing her duties in Mastung on January 24, 2011. Her immense contribution in capacity building of local traditional birth attendants resulted in a significant reduction of the mother-child mortality rate in the inaccessible regions of Balochistan.