Newtraid is providing space on this site and opportunities to support Project Reaching for the Stars. This is a small but important international collaboration for charity which raises awareness of and funds for charities working to provide opportunities in health and education for underprivileged children in Pakistan.
 Project Reaching for the Stars
Something New!
Newtraid.org has not only totally revised it's web site in both appearnace and content but is making efforts to reach a wider "customer" base by involvement with organisations who need support from Newtraid volunteers.
Project Reaching for the Stars is such an organisation. This global effort has been started to help raise funding for the education of some of Pakistan’s poorest and most disadvantaged children whose hope of attending school is as remote as touching a star.
Today nearly half of Pakistan’s 150 million people live below the poverty line and sixty per cent of Pakistanis are illiterate. Young people, under the age of eighteen, who are Pakistan’s future, account for forty-nine per cent of the population and the majority of them are missing out on an education. Achieving universal primary education is one of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.
For its first initiative, 'Project Reaching for the Stars’ is working in collaboration with The Citizens Foundation (TCF), South Asia’s largest not-for-profit organisation in the field of formal education to help run a primary school. Funding will be channelled through the British charity, Friends of the Citizens Foundation (FTCF)
About the Project
The Project is the brainchild of a young lawyer and writer, Mahnaz Malik, who believes that without a proper education young people are easy targets for the more extreme elements in society. A major aim of ‘Project Reaching for the Stars’ is that through education, young Pakistanis, particularly those from poor slum areas, will absorb the values of good citizenship and the need for global harmony. This is reflected in the international nature of the support that the Project has already attracted. Of course poverty also results in major health problems, and in future Project funds will also be directed towards charities working in the field of child health.
The objectives of the Project are:
- raising awareness of the work of selected charities in Pakistan who focus on children’s education and health
- raising funds for selected charities through initiatives in the field of art, literature and music
- providing a volunteer resource for these charities through the internet site, www.newtraid.org
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This is where Newtraid comes in! Mahnaz realised that there are a lot of technical and managerial inputs required to make her vision a reality. She turned to Newtraid to find volunteers who could help by supporting the project with their skills and knowledge. As she said “I know there are a lot of good people out there who would want to help, but I need to contact them!”
Through our involvement with Reaching for the Stars we have been asked to provide support for this exciting project as well as to other charities working in children's health and education in Pakistan. Both volunteers interested in working in this area as well as charities who work in children's health and education in Pakistan are welcome to register.
Newtraids objective is to provide a Meeting Place for Volunteers and Clients where charities aided by "Reaching for the Stars" can access support from volunteers.
If you have visited this page because of your interest in Project Reaching for the Stars then you can go to our "Get Support" page or send us an email outlining your needs.
If you want to contribute supported charities as a volunteer then go to the Volunteer Registration page - we will be pleased to hear from you
'Project Reaching for the Stars’ was launched in London on 15 June 2005 by Ms Cherie Booth Q.C., and Dr Maleeha Lodhi, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the UK. The event also launched the children's book, ‘Mo's Star’, which is the story of a small, lonely, penguin who forms a friendship with a distant star. 'Mo’s Star’ is written by Mahnaz Malik and illustrated by the American artist, Cora Lynn Deibler, both of whom have donated their work.
All proceeds from the sale of the picture story "Mo's Star", will go towards supporting a TCF primary school for children from poor families in Pakistan.
It takes £6000 to run a primary school for a year. £36,000 to build one,
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