By Asma Rao | Head of Resource Mobilization
Nur Foundation (NF) with its’ mission to act as a catalyst of change to bring about socio- economic development of under-served communities, through an integrated approach to healthcare, education and economic empowerment runs several programmes in the health, education and social development sector. Under the Nur Community Outreach Programme (NCOP). NF runs schools in the outreach areas of Lahore. As of 2014, 18000 students from under-privileged backgrounds have completed their primary & secondary education. NUR Foundation School was also setup in the flood hit area of Haibat Mastui in District DG Khan and Muzaffargarh. Currently, 1850 students are studying in eight peri-urban areas of Lahore.
In the current state of the country, it is difficult to be hopeful. The story of Sadia is like light at the end of the tunnel. Sadia is currently studying in eighth grade at the NF school. Describing her socioeconomic status, Sadia said, “I am the eldest of seven children. My father is disabled and my mother is a domestic worker. It is extremely difficult for us to make ends meet. Sometimes we have to survive with eating just one meal a day. In the face of such circumstances, the fact that I am enrolled in eighth grade and not a victim of child labour is a miracle.” She continued, “This is a miracle that is called Nur Foundation, where I can quench my thirst to learn at no cost.”
Sadia stated NF has made a difference in her life at the personal level. She reminisced the day when NF’s team of nutritionists came to the school and put up a free nutritional assessment camp. She reported “The team conducted nutritional screening and assessment. A lot of girls’ including me were found to be underweight and were given therapeutic diet counseling.” She continued to share that now she eats a healthier diet and advises her family to do so as well.
Sadia like other students is the vehicle to carry health promotional messages back home and the community. Nur Center for Research and Policy (NCRP), went one step further and conducted a health food fair on 24th February at the Fatima Memorial System. The entire purpose behind the health food fair was to promote healthy eating on low budget. Students from private schools and colleges with nutrition majors were invited to participate in a budget cooking competition. The students served the school lunches to students from the Nur Foundation schools and later distributed school lunch recipe books to mothers. Sadia shared her experience from the event in the following words, “It was a memorable day. We had such delicious school lunches made by the ‘Bajis’ and the best part was it was only worth Rs. 50/-. A team from Bunyad along with a gardener from the Fatima Memorial System educated us on how to plant seeds of different vegetables. As tokens we were all given packets of seeds of different vegetables of the season. I have planted those seeds in my courtyard at home and my family enjoys cooking and eating them.”
By Asma Rao | Head of Resource Mobilization
By Asma Rao | Head of Resource Mobilization
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