In today's issue
The sound of hope
Pakistani and Indian singers join hands to raise funds for Pakistani earthquake victims at the Umeed 2006 concert to be held in Dubai on March 23.
- By Jyoti Kalsi, Gulf News Report
- Published: 00:00 March 15, 2006
- Date: March 23
- Venue: Dubai Media City
- Performers: Strings, Bombay Vikings, Atif Aslam and Shehzad Roy
- Tickets: are priced at Dh100, 150 and 250. They are available at all Spinneys outlets in the UAE, Sind Punjab andBarbeque Delight restaurants in Dubai and Delhi restaurant in Sharjah.
- For more information: Contact 04-3662233 or e-mail at umeed2006@callcentreme.com, fayeeza@officefn.com or siddique@emirates.net.ae
Well-known bands Strings and Bombay Vikings and popular Pakistani singers Atif Aslam and Shehzad Roy will perform at Umeed 2006 to be held at Dubai Media City on March 23.
Umeed means hope in Urdu and this concert, presented by Aramex and Spinneys Dubai, has been organised by the Dubai based charity group Saharay to bring hope into the lives of those devastated by last year's earthquake in Kashmir. All proceeds will go towards the reconstruction and rehabilitation of a quake-affected village in Kashmir called Timber that has been adopted by Saharay.
Fundraising
Saharay is an informal group of 15 Dubai-based women.
Over the last six years they have organised various events to raise funds for charitable causes such as relief efforts for tsunami victims in Indonesia and earthquake affected people in India, the Shaikh Mohammad Humanitarian Trust for the children of Iraq, education charities in Jordan and the education of underprivileged children in the UAE.
Saharay works with many charities in Pakistan to support projects such as eye hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, accident and emergency centres, reconstructive surgery of acid burn victims and the rehabilitation of government schools. The group also raised funds for the construction and running of a school for underprivileged children in Pakistan.
Relief and rehabilitation
Over the last few months Saharay has concentrated its efforts on the relief and rehabilitation of quake victims in Kashmir.
Immediately after the tragedy, the group raised Dh700,000 and arranged to send tents, blankets, food, medicines and other relief goods to the affected areas.
Saharay volunteers Shahida Siddique, Fayeeza Naqvi and Rukhsana Khan visited the affected villages to understand the specific needs of victims and relief workers and to ensure that the aid sent by donors in Dubai reached those who needed it.
Model village
While continuing to help with relief efforts, the group has now focused on the long-term rehabilitation of the victims. Saharay has adopted a village called Timber, located 25 kms from Muzaffarabad in Pakistan. It hopes to transform what is now just rubble into a model village by building 52 homes to house 500 people, a school for 150 children, a medical centre, a mosque, infrastructure for transport, safe drinking water, irrigation and sanitation.
Construction and cost
Saharay also has a commitment from an international agency to provide micro loans to empower widowed women in the village to earn a livelihood.
The construction, which commences next month, will be undertaken by The Citizen's Foundation (TCF), a charitable organisation based in Pakistan. TCF architects have designed permanent, quake-resistant houses that can be made from indigenous materials.
The rebuilding project will involve the local community, providing them with knowledge and skills that will empower them to build further. The estimated cost of the project is Dh1,562,500. Saharay has already raised Dh563,778 and hopes to raise Dh750,000 through Umeed 2006.
Generous support
"Despite being a small, informal group we were able to do so much thanks to the generous support of our families, friends and the community. Our children organised fundraisers in their schools, friends, acquaintances and corporate groups such as The One, GEAP INT'L, SAKS Fifth Avenue and Life Pharmacy gave us donations of cash and relief goods. But our work is not done. Thousands of people are still living in temporary shelters and looking at a bleak future. Timber is just one among hundreds of devastated villages, but it is a start.
"We hope that people from all over the UAE will support us by participating whole heartedly in Umeed 2006," says Sameena Ahmad, a Saharay member.
Umeed 2006
All proceeds will go towards the reconstruction and rehabilitation of a quake-affected village in Kashmir called Timber that has been adopted by Dubai-based charity group Saharay.
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