| ACHIEVEMENTS | 2008 UPDATE & ONGOING PROJECTS AND DONATIONS |
Seyed El Shohada Charitable Hospital
PKCF funded 70% of the cost of a CT Scanning Unit, a vitally needed piece of equipment for this active hospital in Tehran. This unit was installed and inaugurated in November 2008 during an inspection visit by Mahnaz Larizadeh (Trustee) & Mina Larizadeh, (Committee Member of PKCF respectively).
Daheshpour Cancer Foundation
A grant was made for purchase of chemotherapy medication for treatment of children & young persons. www.behnamcharity.org.ir
Arjan Ala Trust (Friends of Iran Haemophilia) Iran A grant was made for the purchase of urgently needed medicine for the treatment of haemophilia. www.alatrust.or g
Children in Crisis, UK The aim of Children in Crisis is to give children in some of the world’s poorest countries the educational opportunities they need to help transform their lives. A donation was made towards construction of a school for children in East Timor. www.childrenincrisis.org
Wherevertheneed , UK PKCF donated funds to build and equip a school in Ennangaram, in the Cuddalore district of Tamilnadu, India. www.wherevertheneed.org.uk
Sick Children’s Trust, UK A donation was been made to help with the building of a new floor for parents of sick children at this centre in Newcastle. The extension is vital to keep pace with growing demand for accommodation from 350 families of sick children every year. www.sickchildrenstrust.org
Facing Africa (NOMA) Facing Africa is a charity concerned with the prevention and treatment of the horrific children’s disease Noma. It is an acute and ravaging gangrenous infection affecting the face. The victims are mainly young children caught in a vicious circle of extreme poverty and chronic malnutrition. A donation has been made to help with the treatment of Noma. www.facingafrica.org
Afghan Connection, UK A grant was made to assist with a much needed school in Sang Boran located in the mountainous region of Baghlan Province. The school takes 2,000 boys aged 7-17. The boys have now moved in to the new school building (previously schooled in tents or outside in the open . PKCF funds has paid for 3 classrooms & necessary furnishing. www.afghanconnection.org
LAFTI – India A donation was made to LAFTI, which aims to raise the social status and acceptability of the Dalit Caste (Untouchables). LAFTI also helps villages to replace mud huts with brick housing, and runs hostels to house the children of Untouchables so they can attend school. www.lafti.net
Global Action Plan, UK A grant was made to Global Action Plan in line with current environmental concerns. Global Action Plan was set up in 1993. To date, it has worked with over 300 school, using tools including energy and waste audits as well as fun, interactive learning to deliver results such as an average 41% reduction in waste. www.globalactionplan.org.uk
Women for Women Humanitarian organisation dedicated to the educational, economic and interpersonal support of women worldwide who are survivors of war and genocide. A donation has been made towards the building of training centres for women in Sudan. www.womenforwomen.org
ON GOING PROJECTS
7th Tir Orphanage (now Malaekeh Centre) Tehran
On going funding was made available in 2008 to the Malaekeh Centre for the Centre’s upkeep and requirements. Malaekeh Centre which houses 100 physically disabled girls was PKCF's first project. Although publicly funded, the orphanage relies substantially on private donors. The Foundation has, to date, constructed and furnished a 2-storey building for teaching, which includes vocational classrooms, computer rooms, a library and a multipurpose auditorium with a capacity for 300 seats. PKCF has also refurbished and furnished three live-in wards, set up an administration department, purchased specialised medical equipment, funded the provision of physiotherapy, purchased a 20 seater Minibus, funded the purchase of computers and supported the continuous maintenance of the welfare and education of the residents. The Foundation has also subsidized the salaries of the teachers – these include nine girls who, upon completing their education at 7th Tir, were employed at the Centre.
Crisis, UK
Crisis works to relieve the problem of homelessness in the UK and includes amongst its achievements the establishment of a shelter that aims to provide a safe house for abused women. The Foundation has supported Crisis's work since 2000 and each year provides a grant towards a specific, goal orientated project.
PKCF Vocational School, Tehran
Providing over 300 aged between 14-18 girls with qualifications in Computer Sciences, Accountancy, Physical Education and Drafting in addition to the standard curriculum.
Construction of the Popli Khalatbari Vocational School in Tehran was completed in the autumn of 2005 and on the 2nd October the school opened its doors to its first pupils.
The school is located in a relatively underprivileged neighbourhood and is intended to serve the needs of local residents whose children require practical skills to assist them with their search for work following high school graduation.
The Foundation has two appointees to the school's Board and will consequently continue to be involved in the future development of the school. Through this representation, it is hoped to ensure that the school continues to be managed in accordance with the principles and intentions of those who funded its creation.
UNHCR, ninemillion.org
Ninemillion.org is a UN Refugee Agency led campaign to raise funds for education and sport programs for refugee youth, many of whom are forced to spend years of their young lives away from home with little hope of returning. There are nine million such children around the world today. PKCF committed to providing assistance to this worthy campaign over the course of three years, with the aim of making sports and education available to the refugee children who would otherwise not have access to such facilities. To date, the Foundation has funded the construction and/or equipping of educational and vocational centres in refugee camps in Sudan and on the Thai/Myanmar border.
PKCF/Hakim Farabi Vocational School, Bam
PKCF launched a special 'Bam Fund' immediately in response to the earthquake of December 2003, with an initial deposit of £100,000 made from the Foundation's capital. As PKCF is not a relief organisation, it was decided that any monies raised would not go towards the provision of temporary care/facilities for the victims of the quake and that instead they would be spent on a 'bricks and mortar' project with long-term sustainability. It was subsequently determined that a vocational school would serve the devastated region best, providing local youth with the skills required to become self-sufficient, productive adults. Construction of a school for 400 children was completed in 2007 and pupils are now studying for qualifications in Computer Sciences, Accountancy and Physical Education, in addition to the standard curriculum. PKCF continues to support the maintenance of the school and the welfare of its pupils.
PKCF Middle School, Jaffar Abad, Ghazvin
Eighty-five boys and girls from this impoverished region are benefiting greatly from this 8-class school, which includes a library, laboratory and courtyard for the purpose of sporting activities. With our support, this small school could become a great educational and sports centre for the children of Jaffar Abad as well as children from other nearby villages.
Shriners Hospital, Los Angeles
Shriners Hospitals for Children is a network of 22 pediatric hospitals in the U.S., Canada and Mexico providing specialized care for orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries and cleft lip and palate. All services are provided at no charge. Annual donations are made to this Hospital that provides free specialized medical care to children. (www.shrinershq.org)
Society for Protection of Street & Working Children, Karaj
PKCF's initial donation enabled the purchase and subsequent furnishing of premises to accommodate the safety and education of local children who would otherwise spend their days walking the streets in pursuit of earnings. The Foundation now supports the operations of the school on an ongoing basis, ensuring that the SPSWC is not deprived of the financial resources needed to continue with its valuable work.
Le Kinkeliba, Senegal (starting in mid 2008)
Le Kinkeliba is a small medical and educational aid organization operating in communities in rural Senegal, West Africa. It provides professional health care as well as education in healthcare and sanitation to a vulnerable population in a region affected by malaria, tuberculosis, cholera and HIV/AIDS. Le Kinkeliba also actively engages in the creation and operation of schools and is dedicated to building a medical and educational infrastructure. PKCF has funded the construction of a kindergarten in the township of Sinthian. This centre consists of three classrooms, modern sanitary facilities, storeroom and a well with solar powered water pump. (www.lekinkelibaus.org)
Cystic Fibrosis Trust, UK
Cystic Fibrosis is the UK's most common life-threatening inherited disease. PKCF provides financial assistance towards the research into the discovery of an effective treatment for this disease. (www.cftrust.org.uk)
Bam Spinal Cord Injury Association (BSCIA)
The Foundation worked in partnership with Targetfollow Group to construct and equip a commercial building which includes a Netcafe & stationery shop. The facilities provide an opportunity for local disabled residents to gain independence and participate in the economic regeneration of the region. PKCF will continue to supervise the centre's progress and will provide support on an as-needed basis.
Bachehayeh Ma, Kerman
PKCF has funded the construction of two houses, a library and a playground for orphans in the region. The two buildings were completed in mid 2008 and the children have already moved in and are very happy in their new homes. The houses are run not as orphanages but as family homes, the children refer to each other as their siblings and to the couple in charge of the homes as their parents.
Ashyaneh Ali Orphanage, Kerman
PKCF provides annual financial support for the welfare and education of 14 children orphaned by the Bam earthquake.
Shariaty Centre, Tehran
PKCF provides annual financial support for the welfare and education of the young people who attend this centre for those suffering from Downs Syndrome.