 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
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’ waslaunched 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,
|
