KARACHI: The Thar Foundation (TF) and Shahid Afridi Foundation (SAF) have formally entered an agreement to work together in the areas of health, education and drinking water in Tharparkkar, one of the poorest districts of Pakistan.
This partnership is aimed at making sustainable and productive social interventions in Thar, where the people are facing serious social and economic issues.
Addressing a press conference here on Monday, Thar Foundation Chief Executive Officer Shams-Ud-din A Shaikh and chief of the organisation Shahid Afridi said both the organisations would work together in establishing and running schools, hospitals and build safe drinking water infrastructures, including ROs, in targeted areas of Tharparkar district in the province.
They have also agreed that all the social uplift schemes would be run through professional organisations of the health and education sectors.
For this purpose, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by Shamsuddin A Shaikh and Advisor to SAF Zeeshan Afzal. The MoU was co-signed by Engro President Ghias Khan and SAF chief Shahid Afridi.
“We would welcome every individual and organisation to work for the betterment of the people of Tharparkar,” Shaikh said.
Shamsuddin A Shaikh said that the foundation had planned to construct a 100 bed, state-of-the-art hospital in Islamkot to be managed by the Indus Hospital. The SAF would sponsor the construction of mother and child block’, which would be named as ‘Shahid Afridi Foundation Block’.
He said that the TF had planned to construct up to 50 solar RO plants that included pre-treatment and mineralisation units along with an operation and maintenance cost, whereas the SAF would sponsor the construction of as many RO Plants as possible.
The TF would also build eight schools one each in tehsil of district Tharparkar and would be run through The Citizen Foundation (TCF), whereas, the SAF had shown an intent and willingness to consider sponsoring one of the TCF schools.
Shahid Afridi said that the SAF had a mission to enable world understanding, goodwill and peace through the improvement of health, support of education, eradication of poverty, helping the needy and to see Pakistani people prosper, educated and healthy in the upcoming years.
To a question, Shahid Afridi said that at his planned academy in Karachi, the youth would not only learn about sports but many courses would be offered to them.
