Govt. of Pakistan Govt. of KPK
Project on the Promotion of
Social Participation of
Persons with Disabilities
|
Govt. of Pakistan Govt. of KPK |
Project on the Promotion of |
|
| Home NEWS About Project Survey Calendar Publish Link |
| News 2010 |
Dec.2008 - Dec.2009 Jan.2011-  A STAR Radio Program on March 2011Awareness Raising, target to the people in rural area, illiterate, women and PWDs / Family
 BRIEFING TO THE SECRETARYSOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA, PESHAWAR, March 31, 2011 1. Participant Social Welfare & Women Development Department, KP, Peshawar.
Dr. Idrees Masood Chief SS. P&D, KP Mr. Rooh Ullah Khan, Additional Secretar Mr. M. Yousaf Shah, District Officer Mr. M. Younas, Social Welfare Officer Mr. M. Tariq Safi, Planning Officer
Mr. M. Riaz-ul-Haq Sani, District Officer, Soc. Wel. & Women Dev. Dept. Abbottabad Mr. M. Siddique Advocate, PST Member A STAR Project Mr. M. Amin Abbasi, A STAR Project Ms. Nuzhat Rehman, A STAR Project 2. Introduction of the Project (Aims & Objectives) Briefing was started with recitation from the Holy Qur’an, Project Director briefed the participants that the National Plan of Action (NPA), 2006 was developed for the implementation of approved National Policy for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs). The overall vision of the National Policy for PWDs is to provide an enabling environment that would allow full realization of the potentials of PWDs through their integration into mainstream of Development. However, most of PWDs don’t have access, lack in inclusion and equal opportunities of participation in social activities. For this purpose Federal Government of Pakistan requested JICA for assistance in implementation of NPA. In response to this request, JICA constituted and send a Project Formulation Study Team, for 3-4 months to Pakistan. The Team was mandated to identify possible areas of support in line with the GOP priorities, national policies, and international commitments and propose a strategic framework for JICA’s long-term potential support for PWDs in Pakistan. A series of meetings and discussions took place between Federal, Provincial (KP), District Government (Abbottabad) and concerned NGOs and in the result MOU was signed among Federal, Provincial and District Government and JICA with visible participation from PWDs. The project was started in Dec, 2008 in 12 selected union councils of District Abbottabad for a period of 3 years. Later on, the project director gave brief and high lighted the progress and various aspects, activities and potentials and shared his experience with the participants. 3. REMARKS BY CHIEF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
Dr. Idrees Masood Chief Planning officer was highly impressed by the performance of the project he said that he will request to Secretary Planning and Development to include this project in next ADP all participant were agreed on this point. 4. PROJECT EXTENT The Project Director proposed that the project would be replicated in the three districts of KPK Province with the total cost of 50 Million, the Secretary Social Welfare & Women Development Department agreed with the proposal and will considered the inclusion of the project in next ADP 2011-12.
 5th HEAR SEMINAR, March 18 2011Peshawar University, Peshawar
Participants; Total participants: 150-200
Dr. Sara Safder (Dean Social Works Department) District Officer Social Welfare Department, Abbottabad 150 Students of Social Works Dept, Sociology & Gender Studies Project manager and 4 PST members of A STAR Project Salient Features of activity:
2: Facilitator of activity is from Peshawar University. 3: Refreshment was arranged by Peshawar University. Welcome Note Welcome note was given by Dr. Sara Safdar she also introduced the participant and Project Staff and she welcomed to all very warmly. Project Introduction Brief introduction of Project was given by Mr. Riaz-ul-Haq Sani District Officer Social Welfare/Project Manager, and presentation about the Project activities was given, he also briefed the participants how we can replicate this project in other district after that SMART Clips was also shown which was highly appreciated by the participants. Speech of Chief Guest Mr. Joher Ali (Chief Guest) defined disabilities and different types of disability and society behavior toward the PWDs and that how we can make empower to PWDs. Inclusive Education Mr. Shams-ur-Rehman (Visually Impaired/PST Member) speaks was as on Inclusive Education he told the participant that he got his basic education from Special Education and his inclusive education was stated from intermediate there he felt very changing he become able to the problems and performed his duty and his work by depending on himself. He also advised the student that never show sympathy toward PWDs as they have more abilities then normal peoples he told them that he heard the typical sound of showing sympathy when SMART clips was showing on. He asked the participants no sympathy by empathy, there is no need for showing sympathy but need for to make them able. Barrier free Society Dr. Amjad Hassan (PST Member) briefed the participants about the Barrier Free Society. He briefed the participant on the functional limitation and attitudetional limitations. He also briefed the participants that never show sympathy toward PWDs always encourage and it is not that the impairment makes one disable it’s the apathy of the society that makes people disabled. Social Participation of Persons with Disabilities in Japan Mr. Abdul Wahid Mir told the participants that he is not going to speak on the topic as students are looking very tired so he started that questioning about the socialism and about social participation of persons with Disabilities and how student can replicate this project by their-self in Peshawar and other district. Concluding Remarks Mr. M. Riaz-ul-Haq Sani DO Social Welfare/Project Manager while giving his concluding remarks he told the participants that A STAR Project was started 12 U/Cs of District Abbottabad by Government of Pakistan with collaboration of JICA and now planning to replicate this project in all the Union Council of Abbottabad and then other districts. He briefed the students that they can play a big role in this field as they are student of social work, sociology and Gender studies. Vote of Thanks by Dr. Sara Safdar At the end Dr. Sara Safdar appreciated the efforts of project management and staff and she was very thanked to all participants
 Seminar of DASTAK Association(March 15, 2011)DASTAK Association (Self Help Group) arranged a seminar in the Message School, Abbottabad. The purpose of the meeting was importance of education for PWDs. The following topics were discussed;
2. Barriers and difficulties for Persons with Disabilities in Education by Ex-Trainee 3. Importance of the Awareness Raising on Educational needs by Ex-Trainee 4. Education and Job opportunities of Persons with Disabilities by PST member 5. Support from the educational institute by School Principal
Self Help Group preparation Meeting in Banda Pir KhanMarch 9, 2011 The Self Help Group Preparation Meeting was held on March.10.2011 at Mr. Ishtaiq Husain (Ex-Trainee) in union council Banda Pir Khan. The following topics were discussed;
2. Achievement of the DASTAK (SHG) by Ex-Trainee (10 Students with Disabilities admitted to the schools) 3. Problem and needs of Persons with Disabilities in the society by Ex-Trainee 4. Betterment in the education for Students with Disabilities by School Principals 5. Group Discussion
 Ceremony for International Women Day, March 8 2011Participants: Total participants (400) Features of ceremony:
The 8th march is celebration in the whole world as “International Day for Women” on this specific day many awareness raising activities is arranged to highlight the problems and issue regarding women in the society .Many seminar walks and other awareness raising activity are arrange on particular day. In the district Abbottabad, the international day for women was celebrated at 8 March through a star project and Project Steering Team of Distt Abbottabad. The ceremony was celebrating in the Jalal Baba Auditorium Hall, the reception was received at 9:30. The ceremony was started with the recitation of the holy Quran, student from lighthouse name Ms Sumaira . The naat was presentation by Ex-trainee of A STAR Project Ms. Rashida Habib. 2. Women Development and A STAR Project Mr. Riaz ul Haq Sani Project Manager of ASTAR Project delivered the Briefing about the features of Social Welfare Department. Ms Bushra Jamal Baig, has many rights in the society ,we all have to fight for our rights with unity . just like non disabled women, the women with disability has equal rights in our society, the A STAR Project. Has been providing the services enhancing their ability in the society, many women with disability in the society the services in the A STAR Project sharing their best commitments. 3. Poem and Play The poem was presented by Ms Zanib and Ms Urooj regarding issues of women with disabilities in the society with beautiful manner. The “play” was presented by the Ex trainee of 3rd leadership training and ex staff of A STAR Project. The participants training and EX Staff of A STAR Project .the participants appreciated the acting and performance and creation of play Team. 4. Panel Discussion For further proceeding of ceremony, the penal discussion was arranged by representative of sungi foundation ,Umer Asghar foundation and shere-zad welfare society, the participation provide their best possible knowledge and information according to the topics the participants from ceremony were provided the sufficient answer to their questions. 5. Speech by DCO, Abbottabad (A STAR Project Director) Mr. Zaheer-ul-Islam D.C.O Abbottabad ,Project Director of A STAR Project delivered his speech in his speech he said that the women has equal rights in the society. We all have to support the women of the society has to try to fight. The A STAR Project has honor to empower and provide the training to move in the society independently and with out being the burden on the families and society. Announcement from DIA International for provision of sewing machine and free treatment for women with disabilities. 6. Folk song, National Anthem and closing Ms Rafia Bano (folk singer) women with disabilities sung a song and entertained all participants with her melodious voice and participants enjoyed and dancer on the performance of Ms Rafia Bano. Before closing the ceremony, the national anthem was sung and all the participants took part in standing motion. The refreshment was provided to the participants of at the end of the ceremony the Chief Guest, Govt. Officer, NGOs representative’s persons with disabilities visited the stall of different organization to encourage and appreciate the creative work on different stalls. Security arrangement was very sound and secure.
 Legal Opinion for Persons with Disabilities(March 4, 2011)Based on the idea of Mr. M. Siddeeque, PST member (Govt. Lawyer), the Legal Opinion room for Persons with Disabilities was opened on the 1st week of March. The room is located at the District Social Welfare Department building and open on every Friday from 15:00 to 17:00, where people know as a department for the issue of Disability Certificate. M. Siddeeque provides the service with one Project staff voluntary. Persons with Disabilities living in Abbottabad can get the legal consultation here without any fees.
 Placement of the govt. staff from District Govt. to the Project(February, 2011)Already three govt. staff are deputed to the Project as follows
There are 14 staff including the above mentioned staff as follows;
 RIVER(Resource Identifying and VERification)(February, 2011)Local Resource Person List / ／A STAR Volunteer membership The important theme of A STAR Project is the utilization of local resources. RIVER is one of the activities, which aims to identify the local resource. The Project has been identifying the local (human) resources since the first year of the Project, that is, the fund rising for various kind of awareness raising activities. Here I’d like to introduce two new activities related to RIVER, which started from February 2011, 1) Local Resource Person List, 2) A STAR Volunteer Membership. 1. Local Resource Person List (academia, professional, businessman, doctor etc) The Local Resource Person List is being prepared now. The purpose of the activity is to identify and invite the local resource as a facilitator/lecturer of the Leadership Training of Persons with Disabilities and focal person of A STAR Radio Program etc. More than 30 persons are registered in the list, which includes the PST members and the experts, working in the disability related organizations. There is a column in the list, in which their specialties are mentioned. The Project is planning to identify more resource persons through the awareness raising activities. 2. A STAR Volunteer Membership (Persons with Disabilities and family members etc) A STAR Volunteer Membership program started in order to identify the local human resources, who work voluntarily for the Project as supporters, photographers and sign language interpreters of the awareness raising activities and the training. Already ten members had been registered. The Project is planning to identify more resource person including the college and university students through the awareness raising activities and the network of PST members. The Project identify the local human resource and the local network resource at the same time. The human resource is related to information resource, place/building resource and facility resource etc. We can say, “Human resource is equal to comprehensive local resource” in this area. To motivate the volunteers, the pin-budge will be provided to all the registered volunteer and a letter of appreciation or shield will be sent from District Government to them, whose voluntary participation in the project activity.
A STAR Radio Program (February, 2011)(Awareness Raising, target to the people in rural area, illiterate, women and PWDs / Family)
Here we’d like to introduce the 17th program Syed Zaheer ul Islam spoke about his experiences of social rehabilitation when he visited Japan last month. He apprised the listeners regarding contribution of the project regarding social rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities. Mr. Abdul Wahid Mir shared his experiences gained during his association with the movement of Persons with Disabilities. He informed the listeners regarding availability of different assistive aids at different institutions. He also gave the listeners two URL addresses of websites related to Persons with Disabilities. He also reinforced the information regarding different organizations that are working for the rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities.
Public Relation(February, 2011)COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Abbottabad published the newsletter (Oct. – Dec. 2011), which introduced the 2nd HEAR Seminar, held in COSATS Institute on October 12, 2011. This is a kind of the local media resource utilization regarding the sustainability of the project activity.
Awareness Raising Material and Public Relation(February, 2011)Table & Wall Calendar 2011 and Project Brochure second edition The Project designed the table calendar for last two years. Not only table calendars, but also wall calendars were prepared for this year, 2011. At the same time, the second edition of the project brochure was designed along with the changes of the project activities. Both materials are designed based on the needs in the project target area, the capacity of project related personnel and the method & the selection of target people. The ownership of the designing of Awareness Raising Materials is shifted from the Expert to Project Steering Team.
The 3rd Leadership Training of PWDs and Family members(Jan.3-Mar.8, 2011)The 3rd Leadership Training of Persons with Disabilities and family members started since Jan. 3. The target area of the training is three Union Councils. The timing of the training is 9:30 to 12:30 from Monday to Thursday and Saturday, and 9:30 to 12:00 for Friday. The schedule of the training is as follows;
SHGs Formulation Workshop by the 3rd Leadership Trainees(Feb.26, 2011)The Self Help Group Preparation Meeting was held on Feb.26.2011 at Mr.Jahanzeb House Trainee A Star Project in union council Mirpur. Mr Ishtaiq Husain Star the Meeting and introduce himself and also told the audience about A Star Project and its Training after that the programme start with the recitation of Holy Quran.and after this Natt presented by Mr.Ishtaiq Ahmed. Mr Hafeez Abbasi Project Steering Team member introduce the project in detail and told others about the activities of the Project, Purpose of the Leadership Training after the detail briefing of the Mr.Hafeez,they Call Mr.jahanzeb to tell the audience about the purpose of the Meeting.Mr.jahanzeb told them that we are working for awareness in community that person with Disabilities are also the part of our Community. we need to give them opportunities to come forward and give them every possible help to make the useful citizen.Mr.Abdul Basit also told briefly the purpose of the meeting and the Problem which person with Disabilities are facing in society due to the lack of awairness. after that Mr.Shamriaz and Miss Jabeen Iqbal also Shair his views with audience. Mr.Aftab Alam Project Steering Team Member Briefly explain about the importance of the Self Help Group and He really appreciate the activities of the Project and trainees efforts which they are doing for making self help group. Mr.Naqeeb Ullah Principle Iqra Public School also really appreciates the trainee’s efforts to make the groups of person with disabilities. he also says that in Iqra Public School they will open the admissions for person with disabilities and give them every possible help related to the Education. and he will make the barrier free School in Future. Mr.Waqas Gul Principle Bright Career Public School also explains his views and told the he will try to make his school barrier free for person with disabilities. He will give them the opportunities for education and help them to make the barrier free society for all. Mr.Abdul Wahid Mir. Project steering Team Member and Principle Modernage Public School and Collage really appreciate the Trainees for conducting the meeting and told that Modernage will be accessible totally for Persons With Disabilities in June 2012. he will try his est to Give every possible opportunity to Persons with Disabilities and Further says that we always keep it in our minds that they are not Disables they are differently abled we don’t try to understand them. Don’t say him Disabled But call them Persons with Disabilities as mention in United nations. He further says that give them every possible help that they will move in society they are not Persons with Disabilities but we make them useful citizen of the Country. he thanked all the participants. Mr.Abdul Wahid Siraj gave a vote of thanks to all the participants and also highlighted few barriers of the society being faced by Persons With Disabilities. All the members from community says that they will provide them every possible help. The meeting was adjourned after the refreshment.Photos related to the Report are also attached below.
 The 23rd Scavenging for Awareness Raising Initiatives(Feb.24, 2011)The scavenging Activity was arranged in the Jahngi Qazian by the A STAR Project with the collaboration of community , Ex-councilor , Project staff and the PST members . Before starting the Scavenging Activity , opening ceremony has arranged for briefing the activity to the community representatives , students and other people . The Host of the activity was the Persons With Hearing Disability Ms Fauzia with the help of Sign language interpreter Ms Urooj. The ceremony started with the Reactions of the Holy Quran by Khyber School System Ms.Mubeen. After that Mr. Abdul Wahid PST Member provided the activity briefing to the participants, he told that through this activity we are creating the awareness in the society about the role of the Persons with disabilities in the society. The aim of the activity is to promote the social participation of Persons With Disabilities in the society and to neat and clean the society by the involvement of the whole society because we are the part of the society. Further she guided the participants how to arrange and participated in the activity. Ms Bushra the PST member also provided her speech in the ceremony , she said that if the society include the Persons With Disabilities in the social life they can be the useful part of the society , this activity is the big example of their ability and talents because all the arrangements of the activity has been done by disabled staff of the project the PST members of the project is always here to support for any kind of activity.
HEAR:4th Seminar(Feb.8, 2011)
2: Facilitator of activity is from college faculty and he is a Person with Disability. 3: Refreshment was arranged by the college. 4: This was the first time when the seminar was participatory.
The project briefing was delivered by Mr. Abdul Wahid Mir (PST members A STAR Project) he briefed the audience on how and why A STAR Project was initiated in Abbottabad. He said that the society needs to bring balance in its attitude towards its different sections and especially those which are considered less privileged. Persons with disability were not being considered to worth taking into the main social stream of the society. The project very successfully worked to change this negative perception. Now majority of Persons with Disabilities in the target areas of the project know about the rights and how to spend their leisure time, how and where to obtain education and which institutions are there to provide them job opportunities or different facilities. Mr. Abdul Wahid Mir appreciated different organizations like Telenor Abbottabad and, the administration of Ladies Garden that made their facilities accessible. He also appreciated all the ones who made this seminar successful. After that the Certificate Distribution Ceremony was held. The Principal of the host College delivered the speech regarding the activities of his college. Later he appreciated the project and its noble cause. The HEAR Activity has provided the Awareness among the students and teachers of the College regarding issues related to disability and emphasized the need to create an inclusive society. The Member of Provincial Assembly KPK, Mr. Sardar Aurangzeb Nalota PML(N), also delivered the speech and appreciated the services of A STAR Project. He also emphasized the positive and proactive role of the opinion makers so persons with Disabilities could get their rightful place in the society. He said that it is not only our moral value but religious obligation that we show empathy to Persons with Disabilities. At the end, the students shared their views regarding the ceremony and how this ceremony changed their perception.
Project Introduction in District Govt. Meeting(Feb.8, 2011)Participants: All Executive District Officers, District Officers, Deputy District Officers of Abbottabad District Muhammad Amin and Nawaz from A-Star Project Presentation: After their discussion on agenda points of the meeting Riaz-ul-Haq Sani District Officer Social Welfare (Project Manager A STAR) gets allow from the chair and started the presentation and briefed the forum on the following points: 1) Purpose of the Project, Design, Duration and Targeted Areas The purpose of A STAR Project is social participation of persons with Disabilities, both men and women, is promoted in Abbottabad and the project is working in 12 Union Councils in District Abbottabad for the duration of three years (Dec, 2008-Nov2011). 2) Group-wise Progress
3) Short Movie produced by A STAR Project After the Project Manager’s briefing DCO (Project Director) also gave brief about the SMART clips which was shown on projector screen and he told the forum that A-Star is a joint venture of Federal, Provincial District Govt. and JICA and he also briefed the forum that how these special peoples are being treat in Japan as he noticed in his visit to Japan and at the end he ordered to all EDOs, DOs and DDOs to strictly observe the 2% fixed quota for Disable Persons as they can work more superior then normal persons. Meeting was ended with the votes of thanks by the chair (District Coordination Officer, Abbottabad).
Capacity Development of Counterpart (Government Officials)Important point in the Technical Cooperation Project is to transfer the technique to the counterpart, Government officials and organizations. One point to be evaluated is that “After the termination of the Project, project counterpart can continue the activity with technique transferred from the Project?” A STAR Project is shifting the implementing body from the experts to staff, from staff to Project Steering Team (PST) and from PST to the Project Counterpart (DGSE, Fed. M/o Social Welfare & Special Education, Social Welfare Dept, KPK, and District Officer, Social Welfare Dept, Abbottabad). This process include the concept, “Showing how to work”, “On the job training” and “Increasing the interest in the Project by Fascinating and frequent activity”, in order to develop the capacity of the project related personnel. The Project is making efforts to get the budgets from the Government of Pakistan by showing the achievement of the Project.
Technical Transfer from Experts to Project Manager
 SMART (Short Movie for Awareness Raising Trial)15 clips prepared SMART (Short Movie for Awareness Raising Trials) activity started since February 2010. It took 11 months with more than ten meetings between the government officials and Project Steering Team, to prepare the 15 clips of the 20 seconds short movie and all the clips are approved by the Government of Pakistan and the Project. We considered the cross disability balance, Gender balance and Topic balance and inserted the sign language interpreter. All the clips would show the positive image. The plan is that the request to broadcasting would be sent from the Project to Ministry of Social Welfare and Special Education and to Ministry of Information. The Ministry of Information ordered PEMRA (Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority) to broadcast the SMART Clips in the every TV program by using the time for the social welfare related things. The detail is as follows;
The 23rd Scavenging ActivityUnion Council Nawanshahr, January 28, 2011 The 23rd Activity was held in Union Council Nawanshahr on January 28, 2011. The salient feature of the activity is as follows;
- Not students of the school, but the chhildren in the community were invited - The cost of refreshment was donated byy the resource person in the community
A STAR Radio Program, January 2011(Awareness Raising, target to the people in rural area, illiterate, women and PWDs / Family)
Here we’d like to introduce the 14th program Mr. Sajid is a PST member since the establishment of the Project, who have worked in the NGO (CAMP) to support the Persons with Disabilities in the 2005 earthquake affected area. He talked about the problem of the deterioration of the disabilities caused by the late intervention to and detection of the disabilities. All these problems are originated from a lack of understanding, knowledge and information of people in the community. He provided the information on the way to detect early the disabilities and explained the possibility of the prevention of the disabilities and the deterioration of the disabilities.
Meeting between Zakat Committee and 2nd Leadership Trainees(Jan. 27, 2011) One month has passed since the completion of the 2nd Leadership Training of Persons with Disabilities and family members, which was conducted for two months from Nov. to Dec. 2010. During and after the training, all the trainees have been making efforts to formulate the Self-Help Group in their own communities. However, the trainees complained the difficulties to make the Persons with Disabilities in their community understand “the importance of the Self-Help Group”, while the most of them suffer the extreme poverty. Based on the situations and problems, Empowerment group members of A STAR Project Steering Team arranged the meeting between the Leadership Training Ex-Participants and the Zakat Committee Members, who have the various kinds of information regarding the services for the citizen and the network, in order to promote the participation in the existing informative network not only from Zakat committee to ex-trainees, but also from ex-trainees to the Persons with Disabilities in the communities. There were twenty participants in the meeting, including the District Officer, Social Welfare, Abbottabad (A STAR Project Mananger), the District Zakat Officer, Abbottabad (A STAR PST networking group member), seven Zakat committee members from three Union Councils and eleven 2nd Leadership Trainees. After the sharing of the situation and problem by trainees, District Zakat Officer and Zakat Committee members explained the information and network resources, which Zakat committee could provide them. All the problem were not solved, but Project related personnel thought that the SHGs formulation had one step ahead through this meeting. This meeting gave an side effect to the Project as follows; 1. Network between Zakat Committee and District Officer, Social Welfare, was strengthend, 2. Zakat Committee members became to know the A STAR Project itself and the service of Special Education Center, where the Project office is located. The Project is planning to arrange the meeting between 1st Leadership Trainees and Zakat Committee members.
The 3rd Leadership Training of Persons with Disabilities and family members was startedThe 3rd Leadership Training of Persons with Disabilities and family members was started! The 3rd Leadership Training of Persons with Disabilities and family members living in 3 Union Councils in Abbottabad, was started on 3rd January 2011. There are 17 members are selected, considering the kind of disability and gender balance. In this report, we’d like to introduce the 1st and 2nd week of the training in detail. During the 1st week of the training, Ms. Nuzhat Rehman facilitated the orientation workshop, who participated in the leadership training of Persons with Disabilities in foreign Country for 2 months from October 2009 to December 2009. She belongs to the Federal Government. Ms. Nuzaht tries to promote the learning of the trainees by the fascinating, interesting and not boring topics and facilitation method. She is one of STAR in the Project.
During the 2nd week, the Project focuses on the fieldwork. And the end of the week, Saturday, Mr. Aftab Shah, who is the Project Steering Team member, the person with physical disabilities and belongs to Pakistan International Airline, delivered the lecture. He participated in the Leadership Training of Persons with Disabilities in foreign country last year.
Counterpart Training in Foreign Country, Jan. 12 - 20, 20111. Objective of the Training To promote social participation of PWDs, this project has strengthened governmental organization, partnership between GO and NGOs, Self-Help organization. Also this project urged understanding toward PWDs in a community. However, this process has not been strong enough. Therefore, to ensure social participation of PWDs, it is highly recommendable to see many success cases. Trainees can learn many ideas through observing, discussing and studying such success cases. Even though cultural back ground and concept of social promotion may be different, trainees can get a hint for further progress of social participation of PWDs.
2. Participatns of the Training
Participants Selection Criteria
- 30% Quota for Women Gender balannce - One participant from each government ((Federal, Provincial and District Govt) Govt. balance - Participants must have six months’ mmembership of Project Steering Team Contribution - Participants must have conducted more than one project related activity Contribution - PST meeting participation ratio must bbe more than 75% Enthusiasm The 22nd Scavenging ActivityAwareness Raising of Disability Issue and Environmental Issue, Dec. 22 The 22nd activity was held at the Govt. Primary School. The special features are as follows;
2. 10 Persons with disabilities and 12 non disabled persons participated from the community 3. The cost of refreshment, Rs. 640 was covered by the PST member 4. This is a first activity organized by two female staff with disabilities
A STAR Radio Program, December 2010(Awareness Raising for people living in village, illiterates and Persons with Disabilities)
Self-Help Group Workshop for the 1st & 2nd Trainees and PST membersDec. 24 2010 There is most important output, “To support to establish and strengthen the Self-Help Group of Persons with Disabilities and family members”, in order to achieve the project purpose, “To promote the Social Participation of Persons with Disabilities”. As the activity of the 1st year, the Project conducted the assessment and survey to identify the leader candidate of Persons with Disabilities and family members and to collect the basic information on the social participation of them and the necessary information on the establishment of Self-Help Group. The Project started to deliver the leadership training of Persons with Disabilities and family members in the 2nd year. Then the 3rd year’s plan of the Project is to focus on the establishment of Self-Help Group of Persons with Disabilities and family members. As one of the activity regarding to the establishment of SHGs, Mr. Nizamani, APCD resource person was invited as a facilitator of the workshop, held on Dec. 24 2010. There are more than 20 participants including the 5 nominees of 1st leadership trainees, all 2nd leadership trainees and 5 members of Project Steering team. Three hours workshop was consist of the very practical facilitation, lecture and group discussion.
Self-Help Group Preparation Meeting by the 1st leadership traineesDec. 9, 2010 As a follow-up of the 1st Leadership training of Persons with Disabilities and family members, which was held from June 2010 to July 2010, the Project supported the trainees to hold the Self-Help Group Preparation meeting in their community. The 1st leadership training did not included the concrete guideline regarding to the establishment of Self-Help Groups. Based on the trainees request, the Project held the follow-up workshop as preparation of this meeting. The meeting was held at Cantonment Garden, which was located in the area the some trainees live. Planning, preparation and organization of the meeting were done by the trainees with help of the Project. Three leaders of the trainees made the list of 45 Persons with Disabilities in three Union Councils and invite them. There were only 11 participants in the meeting, because the meeting was held weekday and there is a lack of preparation. The 2nd preparation meeting will be held on January 2011 Interview and home visit of the 3rd Leadership Training of
Persons with Disabilities and family members, Dec. 2012
The interview and home visit of the 3rd Leadership training were conducted in order to nominate the trainees from 3 Union Councils, Kakul, Mir Pur and Banda Pir Khan. All the process of the trainees selection included the PST empowerment group members and District Zakat Officer (PST network group member) as well as Local Zakat Committee members as interviewers. Based on the recommendation of the Mid Term Evaluation, the involvement of Zakat Committees in the trainee selection, which will help the follow up of the activity of leadership trainees. The utilization of the existing personal, network and system resources leads the establishment and strengthening of the Self-Help Group of Persons with Disabilities and Family members. Underline: Zakat Committee: Local Voluntary Group. There are 193 committees in District Abbottabad
The second Leadership Training of Persons with Disabilities and family members
Independent Living, Disability Awareness & Equality Training The second Leadership Training of Persons with Disabilities and family members included resource persons, who were trained by APCD, JICA and Duskin Ainowa Fund, as facilitator and lecturer. The topics are as followings; 1. Independent Living (Nov. 1 - 3,) Milestone members facilitated the independent Living training from Nov. 1 to 3, 2010. As first session, Mr. Akmal introduced the approach for Persons with Disabilities, hidden in their house, and secluded from the society by their family members. He shared his personal history as one of peer counseling methods. Mr. Farooque gave the explanation of the personal assistance and practice of the Persons with severe disabilities and with various kinds of disabilities. Mr. Shafique focused on the advocacy.
2. Disability Awareness Training (Nov. 24 - 25) DAT was delivered by Mr. Atif and Mr. Ali Shabbar, STEP. Empowerment Group member of Project Steering Team participated in this training, in order to develop the capacity of Empowerment Group.
3. Disability Equality Training (Dec. 20 - 24) DET was delivered by Mr. Nizamani, resource person of APCD. Especially, Mr. Nizamani focused on the establishment of Self-Help Group of Persons with Disabilities and family members in this DET.
International Day of Persons With Disabilities: Ceremony(Dec. 3, 2010)The international day of persons with disabilities was celebrated in Abbottabad, in collaboration with two Disabled Peoples Organizations (DPOs), SEWA(Social Welfare Energetic Association) and PBA(Pakistan Blind Association, Abbottabad) Same as the ceremony held las year, planning, preparing and organizing are done by these two DPOs. The president of the former organization is the ex-staff of A STAR Project and the Projeject Steering Team (PST) member at present. The president of the later organization is the PST member. Some of A STAR PST members, staff and the leadership trainees supported them to give speeches, preside the ceremony and joined as drama actor/actress. All A STAR staff who joined in the ceremony, took a day off. It means that there was no financial input for the ceremony from A STAR Project. The cost for the rent of the ceremony hall, sound system and the refreshment was covered by the fund raised by SEWA. The program included the welcome note of the PST member (Executive Director of Pak-Irish Rehabilitation Center), the local songs by the guest and his students with visual disabilities from Mansehra, speeches by the presidents, SEWA and PBA, the songs by the PST member (famous singer), the short drama, "Clothes Shop" by the president, SEWA and actor, and the speeches by the KPK Provincial Minister of Food and A STAR Project Director (DCO, Abbottabad). In the short drama, president of SEWA as the shop keeper with his collegue had a conversation with three persons with hearing, visual and physical disabilities, who were A STAR staff and leadership trainee. The drama showed the current situation and problem in disability issue and tried to rise the awareness through the funy drama. Finally the Minister and Project Director gave their speeched that we try to make efforts to achieve the job quota.
 ART-ART:12th Activity,"Disc Jocky Competition"Theme: Inclusive Society(Nov. 30, 2010) The twelve awareness rising through art activity was held on 30 Nov 2010 at Modernage public school and college boys section the chief guest of the function was Mr. Sardar Aman Khan Advocate. The competition was of radio jockeying in which ten schools participated in two categories as follows;
1. Syed Ahmed Shaheed Special Education Center 2. Kingston School for Inclusive Education 3. Lighthouse School for Visually Impaired Girls 4. Govt. Institute for Blinds
School of Children without Disabilities The activity was started at 10:00 am by the recitation of holy Quran from Hafiz M. Jameel with visually impaired, the leadership trainee. The naat by Ms. Rashida with visually impaired, the leadership trainee. A STAR project steering team member, Mr. Wahid and Dr. / Prof. Amjad threw light on the purpose and activities of A STAR Project. A lecture on inclusive education was delivered by Ms. Hajra from Hearing and Speech center, Al Huda Association. The chief guest highly appreciated the awareness raising activities of A STAR Project as well as the innovative idea of radio joking competition. The prizes were distributed to the position holders and the participation certificates to all the participating schools by the chief guest. The two judges for the competition were Mr. M. Haun Usmani and Mr. Mahmood Jan Haideri from Radio Pakistan Abbottabad. The judgment was done in two categories that is for the school of children with disabilities and the school of children without disabilities. The vote of thanks on behalf of A STAR Project was given by Prof. Dr. Amjad Hassan, A STAR Project Steering Team member. The donation for prizes and refreshment of Rs. 5,000/ was also given by the chief guest. The stage was conducted by A STAR Project staff, photography and sign language interpreter by A STAR Project staff. Chief guest gave comments, “I didn’t feel this is the activity only for disabled children. I’ve never spent this kinds of precious time before”. Guests from Radio Pakistan gave comments, “We’d like to provide time for these children’s program in Radio Pakistan Program”
1st UC Nawanshahr SHG Preparation MeetingAs one of practical works of the leadership training, the preparation meeting for Self-Help Group of persons with disabilities was held in Union Council Nawanshahr on 27th November 2010, which was organized by the leadership trainees. All work for preparation and implementation of the meeting were done by the trainees with support of A STAR staff, including deciding the venue and agenda, making participants list, explaining and inviting the participants, facilitating the meeting, and making the minutes of meetings etc. There were total 40 participants, who were 14 trainees, persons with disabilities and their family members, principal of Govt. school, ex-counselor, college students and shopkeepers etc. After the project briefing by A STAR staff, trainees introduced their own personal history, out frame of the leadership training and the objectives of the meeting.
Feedback:
Note: Detail of the meeting is as follows;
Question & Answer
Q1:
Q2:
Capacity Development of Staff with disabilities(Nov. 2010)One of special feature of A STAR Project, “Persons with Disabilities as implementers”, give birth of a various strong / good points, but also difficulties. In this report, let me introduce the difficulties in the capacity development of staff with disabilities and how the project solves this issues. Problem: Almost staff employed by the project, did not have an job experience in their life. For example, it took a whole day for them to learn how to staple papers together.
1st year of the project:
2nd year of the project: One Day Schedule (Monday - Saturday)
On the job training
A STAR Radio Program(No. 6 - 8)(Nov. 2010)(Awareness Raising for people living in village, illeterated people, persons with disabilities and their family members)
First of all, Mr. Shams-ur-Rehman, Professor of Govt. Post Graduate College No.1, who is a person with visual impairments, introduced his own personal history, education background and his present job. He explained three topics, first was about the personal life style of persons with visual impairments, second was surrounding barriers against persons with visual impairments and third was the educational system of persons with visual impairments. According to the barriers, Mr. Jahangir, member of SEWA (Social Energetic Welfare Association) mentioned the accessibly issue like physical barriers and communication barriers. In the conversation between DJ and Resource persons, the topic was extended to the assistive device and the sign language. Ms. Shaista, Adovocator, gave the project briefing and introduced the issue of women with disabilities.
HEAR:3rd Seminar, "Inclusive Society"Higher Education including Awareness Raising(Nov. 25, 2010) The 3rd activity was held at the Govt. Post Graduate College No.1. The feature of the activity is as follows;
- Tea was served by the College - 3 PST members participated as panelistts Some of the participants asked basic questions like “What is the difference between General, Special and Inclusive Education?”, “What is the difficulties in the disability prevention?” and “What is an assistive device?”. Regarding to the disability prevention, Dr. Sardar answered that there were still prejudice against the polio vaccination by the parents and misunderstanding by religious leaders. We tried to rise the awareness and there is no polio case in this district.
1st PWDs & Family Leadership Trainees Follow up Meeting(5 Nov. 2010)The Project held the follow up meeting for the trainees of 1st PWDs & Family Leadership Training, which was held from June 2010 to July 2010. The objectives of the meeting are to check the progress of the work as a leader and to decide the future plan for the establishment of the group of PWDs. They worked individually like supporting to issue the disability certificate of PWDs in their community, but there was not noticeable work as a leader. Based on the situation and problem, PST member with physical disabilities (Govt. Lawyer) emphasized the importance of their self awareness and responsibility as a leader, and Project Manager (Govt. Officer, Social Welfare Dept.) explained the procedure to establish the group. Final decisions had been done as follows;
- Leader will arrange the SHGs (Self-Hellp Group) preparation meeting in collaboration with the Project. “We don’t know how to formulate the self help group. Please give us the guideline.” A1: “The project try to prepare the SHGs formulation guideline. Let me tell you how to start CCB, Community Citizen Board.”
Q2:
Project Manager(Govt. Officer, Social Welfare) Sign language / English interpreterwith physical disabilities PST member with Physical Disabilities(President of DPO: SEWA) Ex- Trainee With Hearing disabilities Ex- Trainee With Hearing disabilities
2nd PWDs & Family Leadership Training: Training Trip(4 Nov. 2010)As one section of the training, the Project made a plan of training trip to Islamabad. They visited Umeed-e-Noor (NGO), which was pioneer institute for the persons with severe disabilities and DPDO (Disabled People Development Organization), which was established recently. Project Steering Team members also participated in the trip for the capacity development of PST members themselves and making friendship between them and the trainees. Note: PST members were selected from each objective wise group from the point of gender and disability perspectives.
2nd PWDs & Family Leadership Training (October, 2010)Almost half of the 2nd Persons with Disabilities and Family Leadership training was completed. Especially the aim of the 2nd training was to support to establish Self-Help Group, Disabled Peoples’ Organization and Family group of persons with disabilities.
The 21st SARI(Scavenging for Awareness Raising Initiative)“Inclusive Green Society” (Oct. 20, 2010) The 21st activity was held at the commerce college of management science, Abbottabad. The feature of the activity is as follows;
- Inclusion group of PST organized the aactivity for the first time - The cost for refreshments, Rs. 2,000 wwas donated by the guest
White cane safety Day: Ceremony & Walk(Oct. 15, 2010)Pakistan Association of the Blind, Govt. Institute for the Blind and SEWA (Social Energetic Welfare Association: DPO) organized the walk and ceremony for the White cane safety Day, Oct. 15, 2010.
The feature of this activity was as follows;
Many guests were invited, like the Commissioner of Hazara Division, District Coordination Officer, Abbottabad and the representatives both of public and private sectors.
A STAR RADIO Program(October, 2010)(Targets are illeterated, person living in rural area, person with visual disabilities etc) A STAR Project started the radio program on Radio Pakistan. The detail is as follows. The target of this activity is people living in Hazara Division.
September and October's program is as follows;
HEAR: 2nd Seminar (Oct 12, 2010)Higher Education including Awareness Raising 2nd activity was held at the Comsats University of Information Technolo. The feature of the activity is as follows;
- The university provided the cost of reefreshments - The Head of the Management Science Deppartment of Comsats University promised to improve the physical accessibility of the building of the university
- Ms. Ubaida Qureshi, the Ex-trainee of A STAR PWDs & Family Leadership Training - Mr. Khalid Naeem, Project National Cooordinator, A STAR Project Panelists focused on the barriers specially in education field. There were discussions about the inclusive education at university level and sharing the problem in the university by a student with physical disabilities. Mr. Sardar Mushtaq Ahmad was invited as a chief guest. In his speech, he promised to set up the five accessible bathroom and corridor for the persons with disabilities, and after the discussion with the director of the university, to make a fully accessible university in the future.
The 11th ART-ART Activity "Newspaper Making"(Sep. 28, 2010)Theme: Inclusive and Barrier free Society The Project held the 11th ART-ART activity at Govt. high school for the boys. The participants got together from 5 schools for the children with disabilities and 6 ordinary schools both in private and public sectors and joined the news paper making and speech contest with a theme of “an Inclusive Society”. There were also 70 more audiences including students and teachers from the above-mentioned schools. The total number was more than 120. Editor of Shumal News papers was invited as a chief guest in honor of the newspaper making competition
- Fed. Govt. Special Education Center - Al-Huda hearing and speech center - Kingstone Inclusive Education School - International public school - Khybar schooling system - City school
[Speech]
[チーフゲスト]
[PSTメンバー]
[A STAR Staff]
- Activity running cost, Rs. 5,000 was ddonated by the chief guest - Modernage school donated the recorded book and gave the certificate to ten prize winners
 ARPS(Awareness Raising in Public/Private Sectors)
A STAR Project has been holding the awareness raising activities for the various targets by the various approaches. The scavenging activities were held with a theme “Disability Issue and Environmental Issue”, in which children with / without disabilities got together. The ART-ART activities were held with a theme, “Peach”, “Family”, “Gender”, “Environment”, “Poverty”, “Education”, “Water”, “Polio prevention” etc. These kinds of activities were held as an event or campaign for many targets. On the other hand, the Project started the individual / personal awareness raising activity as a name of ARPS (Awareness Raising in Public / Private Sectors). The targets of ARPS are the people in high society like Govt. officers, Professor, Doctor, Manager etc. The project staff visit the target and not only raise awareness on the disability issue, but also give information and awareness raising materials through interview with these people. The staff asked them the following five question and get the current situation of the awareness of these people.
- Do you know the Disability Certificatee? - Do you know the Quota for PWDs? - Do you know the National Policy for PWWDs or National Action Plan of PWDs? - DO you know the Accessibility Code?
The 2nd PWDs & Family Leadership Training(Sep. 27, 2010 -)A STAR Project started to deliver the 2nd PWDs & Family Leadership Training to the leader candidate selected from the three UCs, Nawanshahr, Dhamtour and Khutwal. Especially the Project focused on the trainees selection this time. Through the following selection process, thirteen members were selected
2. Selection from the interview by the Empowerment Group Members of PST 3. Selection meeting by the Empowerment Group Members of PST (Consideration of Gender & Disabilility Balance) 4. Home visit by the Empowerment Group Members of PST
Disability Equality Training (Sep. 20 ? 24, 2010)Mr. Ghulab Nabi Nizamani, who is one of APCD Resource Persons and work at international level, delivered disability Equality Training to A STAR Project Steering Team Members and staff of Disability Related Organizations both in public and private sectors.
Salient Feature of the training was as follows;
Review: The Role of Project Steering Team(August 2010)At the begining of 2009, A STAR Project Steering Team was established as a project implimentor. Already 33 meetings had been held every after two weeks since its establishment. The role of PST is to impliment and monitor the project. Under the PST Guideline, which was prepared by PST member themselves at the end of 2009, The PST has been holding the regular meetings. The activity and member of PST is as follows; Activity
Member The PST consists of the project counterparts and experts and about 20 volunteers, who are selected in Government and NGOs/Private sectors, under the consideration about the participation of PWDs & Family, Gender balance and socio-economic background. PWDs and Family members are written by red fonts. There're three sub-groups in PST, 1) Networking, 2)Empowerment and 3) Inclusion.
The 1st preparation meeting for SHGs in UC-Jhangi(Aug. 21, 2010)The first meeting was held on August 21 as the activity to support the establishment of Self Help Group of PWDs. Union Council Jhangi was selected as a model area in the last PST meeting. The empowerment group members of PST as well as an executive director of Pak-Irish Rehabilitation Center, Lecturer of Abbottabad International Medical College and two A STAR Project Office staff. Also there was a participation from massmedia. The project sent the invitation letters to about 80 PWDs and family members, who were identified in the assessment & survey, held on 2008, 2009 and 2010. Total thirteen PWDs and family members (Male:5, Female:8) participated in the meeting, including A STAR Project seven ex-staff (Male:1, Female:6) The program included the agenda of the purpose of the meeting, project briefing, benefit of SHGs and Disability related information sharing. After the speeches, group discussion and experience sharing had been started by the suggestion of organizers. There were some mistakes and delay of the invitation letter preparation/sending/remind and preparation of the meeting itself. By these problems, participation was very little and the organizer could not hear their voices. However all organizers prepared/implemented/follow-up the meeting voluntary in spite of not only Ramadan, but also holiday, which should be noticed as the sustainability.
The 1st PWDs & Family Leadership Training, Closing Ceremony(Aug. 10, 2010)The 1st PWDs & Family Leadership Training was completed, which was started since July 7. The trainees, who are trained through two month training, showed their achievement for us as well as their family and project related personnel in the closing ceremony, which was held by trainees themselves. 16 trainees talked their plan after the training in the final interview by the Project
After identifying PWDs in their own community and want to ;
The 10th ART-ART Activity "Collage"(Aug. 7, 2010)The 10th activity was held at Modernage Public School as a theme "Inclusive Society". This was a very first time to hold the collage competition and very unique for all participants. A few days before the competition, the organizer of the activity, teachers of Modernage Public School visited other schools and gave guidance. It helped to hold the first competition smoothly. There were 100 participants including students and teachers from the following schools and others.
- Federal Special Education Center - International Public School - Modernage Public School - Al-Huda Hearing and Speech Center
2. Running cost of the activity, Rs. 3000 was doneted by chief guest 3. Rs. 10,000 was given to 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize winner 4. Journalist participated full time Short clips, "ART-ART", was produced by one of PST members. What is Collage?(wiki pedia) A collage (From the French: coller, to glue) is a work of formal art, primarily in the visual arts, made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole. A collage may include newspaper clippings, ribbons, bits of colored or hand-made papers, portions of other artwork, photographs and other found objects, glued to a piece of paper or canvas. The origins of collage can be traced back hundreds of years, but this technique made a dramatic reappearance in the early 20th century as an art form of novelty. The term collage derives from the French "coller" meaning "glue". This term was coined by both Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso in the beginning of the 20th century when collage became a distinctive part of modern art.
Disability Equality Training(Aug. 3 - 6, 2010)At the end of the two month's PWDs and Family Leadership Training, Mr. Ghulam Nabi Nizamani was invited as a facilitator of DET, who is one of resource person of APCD. The DET was given to the traniees from Aug. 3 to Aug. 6.
The feature of this training is as follows;
Disability Awareness Training(Jul. 21 - 23, 2010)STEP works nationally and internationally on disability issue. The president of STEP, Mr. Atif Sheikh sent the STEP’s member to A STAR Project for the three days Disability Awareness Training. Mr. Ali Shabbar, who have taken many high level training in and out of the countries, facilitated the training at this time. All trainees looks being satisfied with Mr. Ali’s facilitation, though he is a man with visual disabilities.
The meeting between A STAR Project and
Planning & Development Department and Financial Department, KPK Province, 21st July 2010A STAR is an only project, which launched without PC-I. One of the reasons is that the Government of Pakistan doesn’t focus on the disability issue at present and the priority of support for PWDs was not high. If someone wait the PC-I, they will not be able to start the project. The Project has started discussion about the PC-I for future and its replication, based on the interest rising in government sector and the achievement of the Project. This meeting was one of a series meeting between the Project and the Government. Mr. Zaheer ul Islam, DCO, Abbottabad chaired the meeting as A STAR Project Director. Self introduction, the objectives of the meeting and the progress were reported by the project side. After the sharing about the project, we started the discussion about the budget for the existing and future project as well as replication to other districts. The meeting concluded two points; One is that all the related personnel prepare to get the budget of next fiscal year (July 2011 - ), Other is that the Project National Coordinator will prepare the firs draft of PC-I by 10th August, 2010. The logistics and preparation for the meeting was not satisfied, because of low capacity of A STAR Staff and a lack of coordination between the project related personnel. However we will make an effort to improve the logistics work, which is most important in government sectors.
Lecturers by local government, NGOs and private sectors
9th, 16th, 30th July 2010 Doctor (Physically Disabled) and chief of physiotherapy department of Medical Complex, Prosthesis & Orthopedics doctor of Pak Irish Rehabilitation Center, finance officer (Physically Disabled) of PIA Hazara branch and doctor of district health department gave lectures of their specific field and experience on Friday regular workshop for the trainees of PWDs & family leadership training. All lectures were given without lecture frees. This is one of activities, which utilize the community resource and decrease the financial input from the Project. Regarding to the communication, some lecturers talked in Hindico (Local language) for trainees without hearing disabilities, while sign language interpreter talked in local sign language with trainees with hearing disabilities.
The first Meeting of National Plan of Action (NPA) Working Group
16th July 2010
As an aim to have a discussion about the NPA implementation through A STAR Project and to involve the provincial government into the Project, the first meeting of NPA Working Group was held in Islamabad on 16th July 2010. There were more than twenty five participants from Federal, KPK Provincial and District Abbottabad governments, Disabled Peoples’ Organizations, International NGOs and the member of A STAR Project Steering Team. Prince Abbas Khan, Director General of Special Education, Ministry of Social Welfare and Special Education chaired the meeting and the addresses were delivered by Ms. Aneela Mehfooz Durani, Additional Secretary, Social Welfare Department, KPK and Mr. Zaheer ul Islam, DCO, Abbottabad. The history, progress and plan of A STAR Project was shared by Mr. Niaz Muhammad Khan, District Officer, Social Welfare Department, Abbottabad and Expert. Based on their presentation, all the participants had a brainstorming, which was very heated discussion.
Effectiveness of Assessment of Disabled People by Disabled People(July 2010)A STAR Project identified approximately 1700 PWDs in 12 UCs since the pilot survey on 2008. From the beginning, the assessment of Disabled People was done by Disabled People by themselves. However it took more than one year and cost much, the project did not do the internal evaluation on the effectiveness of the assessment. The assessment sheet was developed in Urdu, based on the ICF (International Classification of Functioning) and the Pakistan’s socio-cultural factors. It has thirteen pages and sixty questions for Disabled People and their family. We prepared the simple one-page assessment sheet in order to find the achievement, effectiveness and changes after the pre-assessment. The sheet asks the questions like “ Did you get the disability certificate after the assessment?”, “Did you get the assistive device or financial support after the assessment?” about the services and “Did you change your mind and situation after the assessment?” about the social participation, which includes the four place, Education, Job, Leisure and Daily Life. Especially, two special question are added, which are the participation in the house work for women with disabilities and the participation in the communication with family for severe disabled people etc. Until now, thirty assessment had been done and the data entry, analyze are going on. We can find the great changes after the assessment. The result of the assessment will be showed three months later.
Awareness Raising Material: Booklets(July 2010)There are several kinds of disability related magazines being published in Pakistan. A STAR Project are preparing the four kinds of booklets for awareness raising on disability issue in collaboration with Pakistan Special Publisher. It cost Rs. 75 only for a booklet.
- Success Story of PWDs and Family - Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy annd Special Education - Famous People with Disabilities in thee World and Pakistan
Assessment in Main Bazaar(July 2010)A STAR Project has done the assessment of four thousands Non-Disabled People last year. The purpose of the assessment were not only collecting information, but also raising awareness of disability issue individually. The project found it difficult to identify the effectiveness of the assessment. The project made a plan to do the assessment for specified people, “Shop keepers” at specified place, “main bazaar”. We will be able to identify the effectiveness of assessment through the evaluation after some times. The assessment at bazaar is done by the project PWDs & Family leadership trainees. It makes them to get confidence and remove their hesitation as well as peoples’ prejudice against PWDs like “PWDs can not work at all”.
Seminor by Alumni of ex-trainees(Jul. 3, 2010)There are a several thousands of ex-trainees working both in the public and private sectors. Especially in the field of the support of PWDs, like medical, Social Welfare, Education, Vocational Training, Sports and PWDs Leadership Training, fifty more professionals were trained. Based on the policies of A STAR Project are utilization of community resource and collaboration with other scheme, the Project has been looking for the way of collaboration with ex-trainees. Until now, we have some kinds of achievement like the invitation as facilitators for the workshop and training for PWDs leaders and Staff with disabilities, and as participants for the policy-making meetings. The seminar on the rehabilitation for PWDs, themed as “How we can help” was held by the Alumni Association of Pakistan at National Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine on 3rd July, 2010. There were more than 100 participants at the hall. Before the presentation by the experts of each specific field like physiotherapy, pediatrics and etc, A STAR Project staff who belonged to federal government as well as being trained abroad last year, gave a presentation about A STAR Project. Especially most impressed thing was that all the professional sent messages, “Disabilities is not individual problem, but social problem ”
Independent Living Training(Jun. 29 - Jul. 1, 2010)Milestone is one of the most famous Disabled Peoples’ Organization, which has three ex-participants of Duskin PWDs Leadership Training. They provided the three days Independent Living Training for the PWDs & Family Leadership Trainees. Mr. Shafique ur Rehman, Presidnet of Milestone mentioned two points in their report. One is the positive comment, “Trainees selection is great”. Another is the negative one, “The level of trainees are different and we felt difficulty to give the training”.
Awareness Raising Material: Booklets(June, 2010)There are several kinds of disability related magazines being published in Pakistan. A STAR Project are preparing the four kinds of booklets for awareness raising on disability issue in collaboration with Pakistan Special Publisher. It cost Rs. 75 only for a booklet.
- Success Story of PWDs and Family - Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy annd Special Education - Famous People with Disabilities in thee World and Pakistan
Success Story(Left) A STAR & Pakistan Special selected best 37 success stories in the last ten years magazines. Front-page design is originated from the drawing of student with hearing disabilities, who got 1st prize in last ART-ART Activities Disabilities and Diseases(Right) Booklet explain about 20 kinds of disabilities and disease, famous in Pakistan, like Polio.  EARTH Exhibition at Women Medical College:Empowerment and Awareness Raising Through Handicraft(Jun. 16, 2010) Fun Fair was held at Women Medical College, Abbottabad on June 16 and the organizer invited A STAR Project. They promised to provide the place for exhibition and handicraft shop, which lead to EARTH activity. About 300 people joined the Fun Fair and almost guests visited at A STAR Project booth. The various kinds of handicrafts were arranged for sail and some kinds of Pakistani snacks, like samosa, pakora and chana chat were available in A STAR booth. One of the indicators of the achievement of the Project is the number of participation of persons with disabilities in the existing community event. At this time, A STAR Project staff mainly planed and implemented the activity, but in future, the Project will just support the promotion of participation in the community event.
PWDs & Family Leadership Training (Jun. 7, 2010)Most important activity in A STAR Project, "Leadership Training of Persons with disabilities and family members", was started on June 7, 2010. There is a noticeable approach to solve the complex disability issue. Persons with disabilities change the society by themselves. The contents of the training is as follows;
9th ART-ART "Ocean" (Jun. 8, 2010)The ninth activity was held at Modernage Public School, as a celebration of the World Ocean Day (June 8) and the No Tobacco Day (May 31). The feature of the activity was as follows;
2. Activity running cost, Rs. 3,000 was donated by the community resource persons 3. 100 chairs were rent by the local tent service with free of charge 4. Six volunteers participate in the activity 5. Federal government office visited at the activity Program was started from the introduction of A STAR Project and ART-ART activity, the speech & lecture about World Ocean Day. There were two kinds of competition in this activity. One was the drawing competition about the ocean. The other was the speech competition about No-Tobacco. As usual, the other participants enjoyed the sports & games at the same time. Almost 120 students and teachers participated from Al-Huda School for children with hearing and speech disabilities, Kingstone School for inclusive education and several private schools. After the enthusiastic lecture on the ocean by the professor, the drawing competition was started. Almost all the students who live in Abbottabad, have never seen the real ocean. However, they imagine it and made drawings. Also speech competition on the theme of No-Tobacco was done, in which the students made great speeches about the bad effect of tobacco from children’s point of view. One participant said, “It is important that this type (inclusive approach) of activity is continuously held”
EARTH Exhibition:Empowerment and Awareness Raising Through Handicraft(May 30, 2010) Regular exhibition events was held at Lok Virsa, Islamabad on May 27 ? 30, 2010 for four days and EARTH participated with handicrafts which were produced by Persons With Disabilities living in Abbottabad. Even in this event, A STAR Project made an effort to sustainable project through decreasing the project’s input and utilizing the community personnel resource and existing opportunity (exhibition). These handicrafts were prepared under the following processes;
2. Identifying the resource persons and raising fund for EARTH, through RIVER activity 3. Purchasing materials by the fund by RIVER and asking PWDs to produce handicraft 4. Exhibiting the handicraft, which were produce by PWDs
1. Govt. Officer, Embassy of America, International NGO’s
visit, interest, encouragement
2. Mass media’s interview to EARTH Leader, A STAR Project
7 companies National Broadcasting TV
HEAR: 1st Seminar (May 19, 2010)The 1st activity was held as a seminar at the Women Medical College on May 19, 2010. The feature of the activity was;
- Tea was served by the Women Medical Coollege The program was started from the introduction of the A STAR Project and HEARS Activity to watching disability related movie and panel discussion. As panelists, principal of special education center for hearing impaired children from Islamabad, principal of Light house for the Blind and project assistant from A STAR Project from Abbottabad were invited. Eighteen members including the professors of college and university both in public and private sector participated in the seminar. Because of security reasons, small number of participants joined the activity. We learn from last activity and hope for next activity.
8th ART-ART "My Family" (May 14, 2010)The 8th Activity was held at International Islamic Public School as a cerebration of “International Day of Family”. The feature of the activity is;
- Activity running cost, Rs. 4,000 was ddonated by community resource person - Two schools ask us to pay the entry feee for the activity - Ten community volunteers got together< - Thirteen schools joined the activity The program consist of the briefing for A STAR Project & ART-ART, Speech about International Day of Family, Lecture about FAMILY, Drawing competition and games. There were about 120 participants including students and teachers of two special school, Special Education Center and Kingstone School for Inclusive Education, and ten private schools. After the lecture by the professor, the drawing competition was started. Some students tearing their hair out, some peeping other’s drawing and completely absorbed in the drawing… All students made images of the family and concentrated in the drawing under the burning sun. The chief guest mentioned that the non-disabled people do not work hard in this country, while you, disabled people hold great activities and was impressed it. There are discrimination against disabled people at family level. All participants showed their interest in the importance of family. They hoped that the people with and without disabilities live together in this district, Abbottabad.
20th Scavenging Activity@District Secretariat(May 6, 2010)19th activity was held at the District Secretariat Building, Abbottabad. The feature of this activity was as followings;
2. Assistant Coordination Officer gave their own staff an order to keep the place clean There were about 60 participants including students and teachers of Govt. Special Education Centre for the children with physical disabilities, and two private schools. All participants listen the briefing of A STAR Project & Scavenging Activity and the importance of environment issue and cleanness. Owner of electronic shop and his wife were invited as the chief guest. The activity sensitized the people that it was their duty to keep the place and building clean. The chief guest said, "I will move step by step with persons with disabilities"
7th ART-ART "Save the Water" (Mar. 22, 2010)7th activity was held at Aebec Hall School, celebrated for the World Day for Water, with the theme as “Save The Water”. The feature of this activity was as followings;
2. Chief guest donated the cost for the activity 3. Principal of Aebec Hall school was inspired to hold such activity by themselves The program consist of the briefing for A STAR Project & ART-ART, Speech about World Day for Water, Lecture about water, Drawing competition and Message/Poetry/Slogan Competition. There were about 90 participants including students and teachers of three special school, Special Education Center, Kingstone School for Inclusive Education, Al-Huda School for the Deaf, and tree private schools. In the lecture about water, District Agriculture Officer gave the lecture about the circulation of the water in nature in easy ways for the students. In his speech, Chief Guest mentioned that he had never seen like this event, which was implemented by Persons With Disabilities and hoped it would be continued. The Water Project has been launched in Abbottabad, which include the awareness raising on water. It was difficult for this project related personnel to join this activity for the World Day for Water, because of security reasons. We hope that small collaboration make big effect for the people living in Abbottabad. This is one of Inclusive Development.
6th ART-ART "Education For All"(Mar. 18, 2010)6th activity was held at the International Public School, Abbottabad with the theme as Education For All, which is famous phrase in education sector at international levels. The feature of this activity was as following;
2. They, mentioned above, donated Rs. 10,000 for the cost of this activity The activity was three hours great campaign for awareness raising on education issue in Pakistan. Program was consist of the Speech by the guest, Drawing competition, Games. There were about 100 participants including students and teachers of Kingstone School for the Inclusive Education (NGO) and 7 private schools. Unexpected prize money, Rs. 500 each were given by the Chief Guest, to three students who got the 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes.
 CARATS: 1st Inclusive Education Seminar(Mar. 17, 2010)1st Inclusive Education Seminar was held as one of CARATS Activity at District Secretariat Hall. The feature of this activity was as followings;
2. The Director of Benajir Butto Income Support Program joined the activity 3. Cost of the activity, Rs. 3,500 was donated by resource person The program consist of the Speech about the importance of education for all including children with or without disabilities, the Briefing of A STAR Project & CARATS, Awareness Raising Movie (Indian Film, “Black”: Helen Keller Story), Panel Discussion (Three panelist: Principal of Modernage school, Teacher of Kingstone school for inclusive education and staff of A STAR Project). Assistant District Officer, Education mentioned about the education guideline and guarantee for over-aged students and Director of Benajir Butto Income Support Program promised about the practical proposal for disability related issue in the program and he donated Rs. 1,000 for this activity.
19th Scavenging Activity@Cantt. Garden(Mar. 13, 2010)19th activity was held at the Cantt. Garden, locate in the central city, Abbottabad. The feature of this activity was as followings;
2. President of Book Agency donated the cost for the refreshment of the activity There were about seventy participants including students and teachers of Govt. School for the Deaf, two private schools. All participants listen the briefing of A STAR Project & Scavenging Activity and the importance of environment issue and cleanness. In his speech, the Chief Guest said, “This is a first time, when I recognize that many persons with disabilities in Abbottabad, actually. I’d like to make an effort in the renovation for disability friendly garden. And I hope this kind of great activity would be done continuously”.
International Women Day's Seminar(Mar. 8, 2010)A STAR Project held the seminar, celebrating for International Women Day, at Jalalbaba Auditrium, with the theme as “Women With Disability in Pakistan”. The feature of the activity was as followings;
2. Most of the participants were women with disabilities The program consist of the Speech about the day, Short Drama about the situation and problem of women with disabilities in Pakistan, Panel Discussion (Representatives from Women Development NGO, DPO of Earthquake effected area, Handicap International, A STAR Project) and the Speech by MPA. MPA was invited as chief guest and four panelist were invited from in&outside of Abbottabad. There were more than two hundred participants including eighty female students of four medical college & university, women with disabilities leader candidates of twelve Union Councils, representatives of Local NGO working in gender issue and disability issue and Project Steering team members and staff of A STAR Project.
18th Scavenging Activity & Planting@Simla Pahli(Mar. 2, 2010)18th activity was held at Simla Hills, locate on top of the hill, 20 minutes from the central city. The feature of this activity were as followings;
2.The president of vegetable market, invited as a chief guest, donated Rs. 3000 for the cost of refreshment, which was twice as expected 3.The cost of the four hundred nursery trees was covered by the representative of Garment Company
There were more than hundred participants including ten staff of local NGO working for the environment issue, 85 students and teachers of National Special Education Center and four private schools. All participants listen the briefing of A STAR Project & Scavenging Activity and the importance of environment issue and cleanness. In his speech, the Chief Guest said, “I’ve never participated in like this great activity, which Persons With Disabilities implement by themselves”. He distributed the prizes to the participants and specially gave the prize money, Rs. 500, for the religious songs given by the students of Special Education Centre.
New Activity:HEAR(Feb. 2010)Until now, ART-ART, TRY&SPORTS, CARATS and Scavenging activities had been done continuously as awareness raising activity at the primary and middle level of education. The Project planned the new activity, named as HEAR, Higher Education including Awareness Raising, for the higher education like university and college. Through this activity including workshop and seminar, the Project challenge to raise awareness on disability issue, promote the students with disabilities, improve the physical and information accessbility. In addition, HEAR activity promote the students volunteer for A STAR awareness raising acitivities, translation work, recording for visually challenged, typing and assistant of A STAR staff with disabilities in future.
 New Activity: CB-SEP (Community Based Self Employment Program)A STAR Project is about to launch the new activity named as CB-SEP, Community Based Self Employment Program. This activity was designed based on the needs of PWDs and the request of the government of Pakistan. CB-SEP was prepared suitable for the situation and problem of PWDs in Abbottabad. A STAR Project holds down the expense to continue the activity and sustain the activity to continue by utilizing community resource and considering the situation of the community. 1．Concept
1) To identify PWDs and their needs for job New Activity:SMART(Feb. 2010)New activity is about to be launched, names as SMART, Short Movie for Awareness Raising Trials, in the collaboration with Director General of Special Education, Ministry of Social Welfare and Special Education. Shot movies or video clips will be prepared as specific theme, based on the promotion of National Plan of Action to implement the National Policy for PWDs. These audio/visual materials will be broadcasted on the national wide.
 First Special Vehicle arrived in Pakistan(Feb. 2010)Special vehicle was donated to the district government, Abbottabad on January, 2010. The vehicle is wheelchair accessible and has the capacity of two wheelchairs inside. There is a lift at the backside of the vehicle, shown as a picture. A STAR Project is planning to have a drawing competition between the children with disabilities and their drawings will be printed on the side of the vehicle. Basis of Welcab Development (Source is from the website of TOYOTA company) With the advent of an aged society in view, the roles which vehicles are being required to fulfill are growing in terms of promoting participation in society by elderly and handicapped persons. People want their vehicles to possess a range of user-friendly devices and functions to cope with various lifestyles: handicapped people driving their own vehicles, transporting elderly or handicapped passengers, or having handicapped family members join in family outings. Toyota has been quick to undertake the development and popularization of Welcab1 vehicles for the disabled, under the philosophy of offering all people easy mobility, and as of the end of FY2002 had extended it to 109 types2 in 51 vehicle series. With the aim of giving all people access to the user-friendly technology Toyota has accumulated, ongoing development is being promoted under five key points: (1) Communication and care; (2) Friendliness to drivers and carers; (3) Ease of ingress and egress; (4) High comfort; and (5) Reasonable pricing.
Type: Differentiated by Welcab Wheelchair-adapted model, Welcab Side Lift-up Seat model, etc.
ART-ART "Polio Prevention" (Feb. 26, 2010)4th ART-ART competition and Female Sport & Games was held at Modernage Public School, Girls Section, Abbottabad. The feature of the activity was that it was first collaboration with JICA EPI Polio Project, Haripur, 60% of the cost for the event was supported by Ex-UC Nazim and the place was built barrier free by the effect of A STAR Project. After the lecture about POLIO by the doctor of JICA EPI Polio Project, all participants join the drawing competition, which theme is “Polio Prevention”. There are 80 students from private schools and a half of participants enjoy the sports and games. Ex-Nazim was invited as a chief guest and Executive District Officer, Health, doctor of EPI Polio and JICA experts of the EPI Polio Project from health sector and staff from JICA Pakistan were invited as guests. School staff and people from community and A STAR staff join the activity. Total numbers of participants were more than 150. The approach of JICA EPI Polio Project and A STAR Project are different, but the overall goal is that Pakistan will be developed. Through such collaboration, A STAR Project continue the dynamic and inclusive activities with big vision.
17th Scavenging Activity：Illyasi Mosque, Abbottabad (Feb. 13, 2010)17th activity was held at the Illyasi Mosque, famous as sightseeing place in Abbottabad. The feature of this activity was that International NGO, IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resource) joined in the activity for the first step to collaboration in future, and Union Council Nazim financially supported to hold this activity. Almost hundred participants participated in this activity, ten students from Al-Huda School for the Deaf, forty students from the private school and fifty persons from community and A STAR Project. After the introduction of A STAR Project and the activity itself and the speech for the importance of cleanness in the Quran’s phrase.
1st DET in Pakistan: Disability Equality Training (Feb. 10-12, 2010)The very first DET, Disability Equality Training has been held from February 10 to 12, 2010 for three days at the hall of Federal Government, Special Education Centre, Abbottabad. Mr. Ghulam Nabi Nizamani was invited as a facilitator, who is also famous as a resource person of APCD (Asia Pacific Development Center on Disability). All programs including the power point data for presentation and distributed documents was translated into urdu language to promote the understanding of all participants. Also the materials and text were designed suitable for the political, economical, cultural and religious background of Pakistan.
At the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:
Chief editor of local newspaper was invited as a chief guest and Medical Superintendent and staffs
from Ayub Medical Complex, Director of Rehabilitation Center, PWDs volunteers,
twenty students from International Public School and A STAR Project Staff.
Unfortunatelly it was rain after four months, but all participants clean around the Hospital,
collaboration with each other.
15th Scavenging Activity@Comsats University(Jan. 21, 2010)15th scavenging activity has been held at Comsats University, Abbottabad. There are future plan to implement the awareness raising activity at university level and to extend the various approach for various target. Director of the university was invited as a chief guest and couples of staff and students volunteers from the university and A STAR Project staff participated in the activity. There are so many steps, which is not friendly for PWDs, but some of the participants helped the Visually Challenged and Physically Challenged.
EARTH: Empowerment and Awareness Raising Through Handicaraft (Jan. 20, 2010)A STAR Project has been doing the various awareness-raising activities on disability issue, and the assessment of non-disabled people and disabled people in four categories. Based on the experience and the needs of the communities, the Project launched the new activity, named as EARTH (Empowerment and Awareness Raising Through Handicraft) from Octover, 2009. The purpose of this activity are as followings;
2. Awareness raising through handicraft made by PWDs in the community The Project takes notice the sustainability, which means all activities will be continued after the end of the Project. Under the policy of the Project, we utilize not the resource from outside, but the existing community resource. At first, EARTH members identified the women with disabilities in the community, who have high technique to make handicraft. Based on the database of the assessment of physically challenged being done on 2008 and 2009, EARTH members visited at their home again. Today, Jan. 20, A STAR Project held the first ever exhibition of handicraft made by PWDs, in collaboration with Creative Hands, which is the local NGO working on the vocational training for PWDs
3rd Female Sports Cometition & ART-ART(Jan. 15, 2010)The third Awareness Raising Through-ART activity was held at Islamia Foundation Grammar School Kakul Abbottabad, The purpose of the activity is awareness raising, making barrier free society, and promoting inclusive education. The activity was done with the participation 35 students and teachers of 7 schools from private sector abbottabad. The theme of the activity was environment and tree plantation, plantation season will start from March, and project has already working on ecological issues through awareness raising. The chief Guest was president of Alfalah association abbottabad. Opening contents of the activity were Tilawat Quran, Naat, and project briefing. The prize among the winner was distributed by Chief Guest of the activity.
14th Scavenging Activity@Private school(Jan. 8, 2010)The plan to conduct scavenging activities has changed in 14th scavenging activity, and scavenging activity staff has divided into two groups. The old group went to conduct scavenging activity at Taxila. Taxila Pakistan is situated 35kms away from the capital Islamabad. In the earlier times, Taxila in Pakistan was famous for its art and philosophy. It is now among the most visited tourist destination in Pakistan. Most of the archaeologists from all around the world come to this place for their research work. Pakistan Taxila is rich in the Gandhara sculpture and showcases the Buddhist heritage that attracts a lot of tourists all around the world and especially the people from the Central Asian countries. Activity in Taxila started with the recite of Holy Quran by Raja Iqbal from Special education centre Taxila, Naat was presented by Qari Sorab Teacher from S.E.C Taxila. Project assisntant from A STAR project had a short briefing about project and its activities, activity in charge introduce the activity and its purposes to the participants. Chief Guest Mr. Khalid Khan Tehsil Municipal officer said this activity is a message for us to clean our area, however you came in our city for awareness we really thankful to all of you. He said that in future they will own arrange such activity in their areas, and will also invite A STAR project in that activity. We should think about this that why we could not keep our area clean? This is shame for us that PWDs of the society doing this, and we should have to do this. We feeling shame in cleaning the place but at throwing the dirt we didn’t, and it is shame for us. We really learn a lot from this activity. Medical superintendent of the T.H.Q hospital, along hospital staff participated in the activity, local media cover this activity, one of them asked about this activity, when he knows about this activity bountiful tears were dropping from his eyes. He asked to the peoples who were theirs that it is shame for all of you, the peoples whose are normally discriminated and considered burden on the society but actually they are doing tremendous job.
13th Scavenging Activity at@District Secretariat Building, Abbottabad(Dec.31, 2009)One year of the A STAR has completed in the month of December, 2009. The project has started as a model project in the country based on National Plan of Action, in the first year of the project, project has conducted many awareness raising activities, in the sense to promote PWDs social participation, one of the famous activity is scavenging, which has many purposes but the main purpose is to participation of PWDs in social activities. A main part of the society took part in these activities, first activity was held in Abbottabad, with the passage of time this activity spread in many cities as well as in other provinces, one of the great activities was held at Islamabad with Director General Sanitary, Ministry of Social Welfare and DPOs, like Milestone, STEP, and DPDO. The very last 13th scavenging activity was held at District Secretariat Building Abbottabad, which is very famous public building in Abbottabad, and offices of the line departments of the Abbottabad located in this building, like A.C.O, Assistant Commissioner, District Planning Officer, EDOs, Nazim-e-Ala, Traffic police offices, etc. This building has an area of 12650 square meters. With the beginning of the activity all the Govt. staff came out including male and female staff, and they also took part in scavenging activity. The building has been cleaned after the period of seven years. The lunch was distributed among the participants.
The Quaid-e Azam Day(Dec.25, 2009)As A STAR project is working on the social participation of PWDs, and their participation in the main stream of the society, promotion of PWDs social participation can promote through many sources, and through awareness raising on disabilities issues we can promote, PWDs social participation, so that why A STAR project has many kinds of Awareness raising activities to promote PWDs social participation since one year, with no area limitation. The celebrations of birth day of the great leader of the world Muhammad Ali Jinnah “Quaid-e-Azam” was celebrated with enthusiasm that we all the PWDs as citizens of Pakistan shall obey the principals of our Quaid and we all shall make Pakistan as postures and develop as Quaid wanted it to be. In three hours program different kinds of shows were presented by project staff and students. Program started with the Recite of Holy Quran by project staff with physical challenged, and Naat by project staff with visually challenged. The speaker persons were both project staff with physical challenged. In total participation of 150 about 70 were students from private sector, who participated with full intension and also participated in different program and par famed well. In speech content of the event about 6 persons both from project and schools participated, national anthem was present by persons with hearing challenged staff and others as well. Some of the staff told about their self life experience, they told about the changing’s in theirs life after joining this project. The Chief Guest Managing Director of Modern School System and President Tehreek insaf District Abbottabad thanks PWDs to invite him as Chief Guest, in his speech he spooked about the life of great leader of world, and said if PWDs participating in main stream of the society, they also can lead the world. Two under training assistant’s commissioner also address the audience.
2nd Female Sports Festival(Dec. 21, 2009)The second women sports festival held at Rehmania Public School, Abbottabad December 21.2009 There were Round about 300 participants, program started with the recite of Holy Quran by a student from Rehmania Public School and Naat by Ayesha from light house school for Visually Challenged persons. Project Assistant briefed the purpose and activities of the project shortly. This sport program has much kind of games like, Naat Competition, Balloon blowing, Wearing bangles Banana Eating Musical Chair, etc total six schools were invited both from governmental and private sector, and each school participated with 10 students in games. Chief Guest in her speech appreciated the project activities and said “These activities will make more effect in friendly, barrier free society making” the society is not aware about the issues of PWDs, so these kinds of awareness raising activities will aware the society on such a important issue. In two hours program participants and visitors took interest, and really enjoyed the program. In Naat competition Student from Rehmania got first prize, bangles wearing the winner was Light House school, balloon blowing first prize win Govt. High school Kunj for girls, Banana eating competition first prize goes to Rehmania public school, and in musical chair student from Rehmania public school got first prize. In closing remarks Principal Rehmania Public School thanks project to conduct such an excited event in their school.
12th Scavenging Activity at Tehsile District Hospital, Hasanabdal(Dec.19, 2009)The 12th scavenging activity was arranged on December 19, 2009 and this time the selected place for scavenging was Tehsil Head Quarter Hospital Hasanabdal. Hassan Abdal is an historic town in Northern Punjab consists on 2 Union Councils and is a town of District Attock. It is located where Grand Trunk Road meets the Karakoram Highway near the N.W.F.P, northwest of Wah & it is 40 km northwest of Rawalpindi with the estimated population of about over 50,000. Hassan Abdal is famous for Gurdwara Sri Panja Sahib, one of the most sacred places of Sikhism. Thousands of Sikhs visit the Gurudwara on the eve of Besakhi every year. The other historical place is a tomb erroneously called Lala Rukh Tomb. There is a grave inside a square walled Garden and a fresh water fish pond near the tomb. William Finch who traveled through India between 1608 and 1611 describes Hassan Abdal to be a “pleasant town with a small river and many fair tanks in which are many fishes with golden rings in their noses, the water was so clear that you may see a penny in the bottom”. The activity was started at 10.30 am with Qirat by a Patient of Hospital & Naat-e-Rasool-e-Maqbool by a student with disability from S.E.C, Hasanabdal The Chief Guest, Tehsil Nazim Hassan Abdal & the MS of the hospital during their short speeches have appreciated the organizers for conducting such types of awareness raising campaigns & thanks the Project Staff being selected the town of Hassan Abdal After the short ceremony the scavenging was started in a very organized & disciplined way. All the students & the Project Staff’s participated wholeheartedly. The visitors in the area appreciated the participants in a very positive manner & the viewers committed themselves that they will clean their houses, schools, city & their beloved country with the same zeal & dedication as shown by the participants.
ART-ART: Drawing Competition "Quie-e-Azam"(Dec. 14, 2009)The fourth awareness raising ART-ART activity held on Monday. 14. December 2009. At Government Comprehensive School for girls Abbottabad, the total number of participants was about 150, including supporters, guests and participants. Thirty students took part in drawing competition and twelve participated in poetry competition. The Chief Guest was the District officer Social Welfare and women Development Department Abbottabad, in this activity both governmental and private school participated, including students with disabilities The purpose of this activity is to create the opportunity while children with and without disabilities have a good time together and support for the first step of the interchange in future between schools and teachers. Program started with the Recitation of Holy Quran by a student from Kingstone School for inclusive education, and Naat by Ms. Shagufta from Government Girls High School Sheikh ul Bandi, with the conclusion of Naat, Project Assistant shortly briefed the project. The theme of the drawing competition was Quied-e-Azam “Muhammah Ali Jinnah” the leader in world. In respect of 25th December as Quied-e-Azam day, we have selected theme of the function honoring Queid-e-Azam “Muhammad Ali Jinnah” Program established with two parts, one was poetry and second was drawing, with the closing of drawing competition the second part of the program which was poetry competition started, and twelve students took part. Two poets were invited, and they participated voluntary for selection of the best poems/poetry, with the closing of poetry competition Chief Guest share view , he very appreciated our this activity and encourage us to do other activities like this in future, and he suggested that parents and teacher should join this activity with their participation they will have knowledge on different disability issues. The prize distribution ceremony started, in ART-ART competition the first prize goes to Abic Hall School Abbottabad. In the poetry competition Govt. Girls High School Sheikh-ul-Bandi got the first prize.
11th Scavenging Activity at Ayub Park, Haripur (Dec. 05, 2009)The 11th scavenging activity was arranged on December 5, 2009. Haripur is a District which was invaded by a Sikh General Heri Singh Nalva in 1822; it was renamed after his name. There are 45 Union Councils in Haripur & is a lush green area. Haripur is a birth place of some renowned personalities such as Field Marshal (Rtd) & the Ex-President Ayub Khan. & a great poet Qateel Shifaee. Some fruits of this district like Orange (Blood Malta) is a produce of this soil. The activity was started at 10.00 am with Qirat by Mubashir from Special Education. & Naat-e-Rasool-e-Maqbool (S.A.W) by Osama of Iqra Academy The Chief Guest, Tehsil Nazim of the day during his short speech has praised the participant’s for their dedications for conducting such types of awareness raising campaigns & appreciated the Project Staff. Govt. Special Education for PH & MR School Khalabat, and Iqra Academy School Khalabat Town participated with their school children’s The scavenging was started in a very organized & disciplined way. All the students & the people around of the local area participated wholeheartedly. The visitors in the park appreciated the participants in a very positive manner & the viewers committed themselves that they will clean their houses, schools, city & their beloved country with the same zeal & dedication as shown by the participants. At the end of the activity lunch was arranged in the Banazir Bhutto Shaheed Hall adjacent to the Tehsil Nazim Office where a light musical program was also arranged by the students of Special School Students Khalabat Haripur.
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES(Dec.03, 2009)As usual PWDs day was celebrated with great pump and show through out the country, the program was also conducted by the PWDs of A STAR project in Abbottabad city by their own. The activity was arranged at Jalal Baba auditorium. Member of Provincial Assembly was the Chief Guest of the Activity. The stage speakers persons were both PWDs and with gender balance. The participants delivered very informative speeches on the disability issues. A tableau was presented by PWD, s and non-PWD’s, the theme of the tableau was that why WWD could not get education, they are more intelligent then others, if they are given chance, they will prove their talent, they can participate in the society like others citizens. The participants also enjoyed songs, this part of the program was presented by PWDs and some how also non-PWDs. Some of the schools from Inclusive and special education took part in that program. This was the first program that PWDs hold without the support of donor, in Abbottabad, PWDs arranged all financial, human resources on self basis, some of the business sector of Abbottabad provided financial support for this program. This colorful activity was comprised of different segments. Chief guest in her presidential address said that she was amused to see such unique arrangements; PWDs have extra ordinary talent. She assured to provide her volunteer service at any time. D.C.O Abbottabad congratulated on the program arrangement, He said that PWD,s are the valuable asset of our society. He showed his intension to arrange such program on his own behalf in future. A t the end of the program a musical program was celebrated.
1st Female Sports Festival(Nov. 24, 2009)The 17th All Pakistan Sports Festival for Special Persons was held on June. However most of the participants were male, because of the cultural and social background. Now A STAR Project held the small, but the very first Female Sports Festival at the police line ground. More than 30 participants including Students from Special Schools, teachers and A STAR Project staff enjoyed the game. The Deputy Superintendent of Police was invited as a chief guest.
Music Chair:Students from school for the Deaf,
Staff with multiple disabilities(Visual & Physical)
Students from school for the Blind ART-ART:Drawing Competition"Scenery"(Nov. 19, 2009)One of the awareness raising activities has launched, which was named by ART-ART, Awareness Raising Through ART. This activity was done in the form of drawing competition at Al-Huda School for Hearing Impaired. The theme was "Scenery". There were about 50 participants, supporters and guests, including five students from each schools, Al-Huda School, Kingstone Inclusive School, Special Education Centre for children with physical and intellectual disabilities, Govt. Girls High School and Govt. Boys High School, and two teachers from each schools, A STAR Project Staff. The chief guest was the former district officer, Social Welfare Department, Abbottabad. Two hours competition was started after Tilawat by student from Special Education Centre and Naat by stundent from Govt. Girls High School. The 1st price was given to student from Al-Huda School and the 2nd for student from Govt. Gilrs High School and 3rd for Kingstone school. The purpose of this activity is to creat the opportunity while children with and without disabilities have a good time together and support for the first step of the interchange in future between schools and teachers. A STAR Project makes efforts the activities to be sustainable, by reducing the human/financial/material input to a minimum cost. The input and cost of this activity was only Rs. 2,000 for snacks, Trophies and stationaries, and some staff for A STAR Project.
Sign Language Interpretation by A STAR Project Staff
Competition under the sky
Art is common all over the world  100 Great Persons in Disability Movement of Pakistan(Nov. 19, 2009)There are a huge number of great persons with/without disabilities in Pakistan. All of them have been making effort in Disability Movement of Pakistan. But their great achievements looks like just buried in each personnel and some of them are passed into oblivion. Then A STAR Project proposed the booklet making, titled as “100 Great Persons in Disability Movement of Pakistan”. There are other purposes, like strengthening network between government and non-government organization, which is also one of output of A STAR Project. At first, A STAR Project selected core members for this initiative based on the collaboration with A STAR Project in the past, Mr. Atif Sheikh, STEP, Mr. Farhat Abbass, Pakistan Special, Mr. Ghulam Nabi Nizamani, ASHA and Mr. Shafique-ur-Rehman, Milestone. 1st meeting was held on Nov. 20 at Pakistan Special Office, where Mr. Farhat, Mr. Shafique and representatives from A STAR Project had discussion about next step of this initiative, criteria of the selection of great persons and so on. We made a plan to collect the basic data of great persons individuals through Pakistan Special magazine, post, e-mail, related-ML and website for a month, December 2009 and held 2nd meeting on January 2010. You can download the form, "Look for STARS" We’re looking forward to getting your information!
Form "Look for STARS", MS-Doc：106kb
Zia ul Haqq
Dr. Fatima Shah CARATS, 1 st Meeting(Nov. 16, 2009)CARATS means Campaign of Awareness Raising Among Teachers and Students, in order to promote inclusive education. This initiative was originated from the local needs and the strength of District Abbottabad and the Project. It is famous that Abbottabad is City of Education, which has more than a thousand schools in public sectors, same number of schools in private schools and numerous madrassa and informal schools. Otherwise a few percent of children with disabilities go to school. One of the reasons is that some of ordinal schools don’t give admission for them, because of a lack of teachers, pickup & drop service and etc for children with disabilities. On the other hand, most of them or their family want to learn in ordinal school, which is located in their community. Public opinion based on the assessment of non-disabled people, done from Feb. to Mar. 2009, is that ninety percent of non-disabled people think that PWDs can get education, while it was cleared by the assessment of physically challenged, done from Apr. to Jul. 2009 that forty percent of children with physical disabilities of school age, want to study. It means that forty percent of them have no opportunity for education at present. A STAR Project grasped the situations and their needs through the assessment and made a new initiative to promote inclusive education. After the consideration of the human/financial/physical resource of the Project, we planned awareness raising campaign, named by CARATS. CARATS is unit of weight of diamond and gold. We compared the children with disabilities to diamonds or gold. CARATS 1st meeting was held on Nov. 16, where some representatives from ordinal schools both in public and private sectors, Project Steering Team members and A STAR Project staff participated in. The representatives from ordinal schools shared own experience of inclusive education and A STAR Project staff opened their heart to all about the difficulties related admission and their own miserable story in school days. We concluded that CARATS’d keep some points in mind as follows;
- Awareness Raising Activity should be llaunched from Govt. school in the community - The target of the activities'd be teacchers at Govt. schools. - How about selecting schools and invitee teachers of the neighbor school? - First of all, it's better to collect tthe data of students with disabilities in ordinal schools
10 th Scavenging Activity at Railway Station(Nov. 14, 2009)10 th activity was held at Railway Station, Havellian tehsil, Abbottabad, which is 15 km far from Abbottabad city. The activity began with the recitation from Holy Quran by staff from A STAR Project and after this, naat was presented by other staff. In the activity, there were more than seventy guests and participants including Railway related personnel, students without disabilities and principals both from private and public sectors, man from press club and Project steering team members, staff. The activity including planning/preparation/implementation has been successfully done by the new awareness raising staff, who are candidates for this activities. We are surprised at staff's grouth.
She is one of in-charge. Great job!
Let's get rolling
Students also work hard 9 th Scavenging Activity at DHQ Hospital(Oct. 30, 2009)9 th activity was held at District Head Quarter Hospital, Abbottabad. The activity began with the recitation from Holy Quran by staff from A STAR Project and after this, naat was presented by other staff. In the activity, there were more than sixty guests and participants like Medical Super intendent, Hospital staff, Persons with intellectual disability and mental illness, from community and Project steering team members, staff.
Activity introduction to Hospital staff and visiters
Smile 1
Smile2 TRY-A(Abbottabad) (Oct. 18, 2009)Awareness rising is one of the main key source to improve the social participation of PWDs. To achieve main purpose of the A STAR project many kinds of awareness rising activities started in project like scavenging, functions on some special days, and some others purpose achieving activities. Now the project has just started a new activity called Try which is based on wheel chairs walk, to improve the social participation of PWDs the behavior, thinking of the society about the PWDs must be change and Try is an activity to change the society by our self, and this activity has added in the chain of awareness rising activities of A STAR project. The very first activity of Try hold on 18 October, 2009 Sunday, named Try-A (Abbottabad) Basically this kind of activity started by Japanese in summer in 1986, and walked 600 km the purpose is to do barrier free (universal design) check at train stations and request barrier free environment. This activity held in Japan for 10 years now this has been finished after achieving their goals. In 2007 Asia try held In Korea and 181 peoples from 10 Asian countries participated In 2009 September Asia try held in Tiwan A STAR project invited many organizations both Governmental and Non-governmental including the educational sector of the M.B.B.S doctors; the participation of both governmental and non-governmental project will also achieve networking between them which is an out put of the project. About 250 participated including PWDs leaders, project related members, social workers, government employers and especially the participation from Frontier Medical College and their active participation through out the activity was remarkable. The opening ceremony was hold at Ayub Medical College, which is located near Shahrah e Resham. In the opening ceremony the chief guest was the Principal of Ayub Medical College, and the speaker person was the PST member of the project who is also one of PWDs. In the speeches of the stage persons they insisted on this kind of activities and PWDs social participation. Tilawat Quran and Naat presented by PWDs, because this activity is arranged by PWDs. After the short introduction of the speaking person痴 project manger explained about project and purpose of this activity, with the closing remarks of the chief guest all the participants came out from the hall, the line was draw as two wheelchairs user and their volunteer痴 supporter till the end of the row. The left side of the road and the right side of the row were enclosed by a rope, no one can enter or out from the line, and this method was very successful in safety point of view. On the top we had a police van, and then an ambulance which was provided by A.M.C and behind the ambulance we had a Suzuki van on that national songs were played. The speaking person at Suzuki van consistently was giving some advises during through out activity. After passing the 4 kilometer way reached at Capital Motors, at their refreshment were given by Capital Motors voluntarily. In the 4 kilometer way some vehicles were also with the convoy, some participants used these vehicles when they feel bad, after feeling good they were rejoining the convoy and started walked with them. After passing more 2.5 kilometers way they reached at Jalal Baba Auditorium. At the goal point and closing ceremony place some mores heads of the institutes joined the ceremony, after Namaz and lunch break program again started and the shields were distributed among the representatives of the institutes. According to the tentative program of the activity program closed after shields distribution. The project staff arranged a musical program by them self, and participants really enjoyed this program allot. This activity is arranged when the security situation of the country is very tight, every day we are facing bomb blast and many peoples has afraid in coming out. PWDs showed their huge talent to hold the activity in this security situation. We can do what we want This activity is covered by the national print and electronic media. Like in electronic media Geo TV which is very famous one in the county and many print media also painted this activity.
Awareness Raising Material II(Oct., 2009)Another awareness raising material has been prepared, based on the Project Logo, Activity related photos and Project Slogan.
Memo Box 8 th Scavenging Activity at Weekly Bazaar, Islamabad(Oct. 6, 2009)8th activity was held at Weekly Bazaar, which is located in Islamabad. The activity began with the recitation from Holy Quran by students from Special Education Centre, Abbottabad and after this, naat was presented by A Star Project staff. In the activity, there were more than seventy guests and participants like Director(North Region), Director General of Special Education and Director of Sanitation from Federal Government, STEP and DPDO from NGO side, Students and teachers from Special Education Centre, Project steering team members, staff. This activity gave big impact to the society, because there were lots of reporter from massmedia, working at national level, like Geo-TV, Express TV, Samaa TV and many newspaper company. Participants received lunch boxes from Director General of Sanitary and visited the Faisal Mosque, which is famous place in Islamabad
"I can do it!"
"You can do it!" Project Cycle Management Workshop I(Sep.25, 2009)The workshop has been done, in order to promote their understanding of the methods to detect and analyze the problem.Theama of the workshop were as follows;
-Sub thema(Female): Lack of Awareness
Awareness Raising Material 1(Sep. 5, 2009)Several awareness raising materials have been prepared, based on the Project Logo, which was designed by students with disabilities, and the Project Slogans, which were proposed by persons with disabilities. These materials will be utilized in the Awareness Raising Activities like CARATS, Campaign of Awareness Raising Among Teachers and Students, Scavenging Activity and etc.
Note, File, Letter Head, Envelops Bazaar Walk@Main Bazaar(Sep. 5, 2009)There are huge crowds before EID, which is ceremony of ending of the Ramadan. A Project Staff planned this activity to change the society through shopping with friends and joy. We've never seen female staffs' smily faces, who came bazaar for shopping and selected clothes first time of their life.
Shopping is a first time of some female staff in their life.
Infomation collector and Driver is selecting EID card. 7 th Scavenging Activity at Jinnah Bagh, Abbottabad(Sep. 5, 2009)6th activity was held at Jinnah Bagh(Park), which is located in the center of the Abbottabad city.The activity began with the recitation from Holy Quran by staff from A Star Project staff and after this naat was presented by blind student from Light House School. During the activity, DCO addressed the community about the purpose of activity and emphasized upon the value of cleanliness. Lot of people were gathered during the activity and he told them that these disabled persons are living example for us if they can clean our country then why we people put garbage in our houses, streets, parks and public areas. We must have to learn lesson from this disabled community. The activity was very successful because people took great interest in our activity and get information about our project and also appreciated this scavenger activity. All the participants actively take part in the activity including blind students.
Project director briefing people gathered around about purpose of the activity
Blue sky and Blue crutch Plan of "TRY-AI"(Sep., 2009)TRI-AI is to walk by wheel chair from Abbottabadand to Islamabad and try to change the society by themselves with friends and joy. The detail is as follows(MS-Power Poing Data);
Pakistan Independence days Ceremony (Aug. 14, 2009)Ceremony for 62nd independence day was held on Aug. 14. DCO Abbottabad, Project Director made a speech that we hope persons with disabilities participate in society, as Jinnah's words, "Unity" and "Work, Work and Work!". People said that all living in Abbottabad who are PWDs/Non-PWDs, would cerebrate the independence day together next year.
Students with disabilities also cerebrated the day
Twins with disabilities are singing national anthem 6 th Scavenging Activity in Tandiyani(Aug. 8, 2009)6th activity was held at Tandiyani, which is located in the mountainarea, famous resourt and it takes 1.5 hours to drive by car from Abbottabad city. Twelve PWDs leader candidates from 12 Union Councils and about fifty project staff joined this activity. In the activity, magazines for awareness raising of disability issue and project calendars were distributed. After the activity, some from massmedia requested us to inform like this activity for media coverage. We found our activity had been famous.
"Nothing without joy" is our motto
Under the blue sky, On the green lawn 5 th Scavenging Activity in Ayubia(Jul. 25, 2009)5th activity was held at Ayubia, which was located in a part of Punjab Province and it takes one and half hour from Islamabad by car. Ayubia is famours for the resourt and people can enjoy skii in winter, where the lift also available. Some Project Steering Team members, volunteers and project staff joined this activity and enjoyed it as well as the climate.
A volunteer makes her busy!
The Project staff always enjoy the activity! Drawing Competition: "Peace"(Jul. 17, 2009)About seventy participants including students with disabilities from Special Education Centre and School for the Deaf, and A STAR Project staff, joiend the drawing competition, held at Special Education Centre, Abbottabad. The thema of the competition was "Peace". We are planning to extend the similar competition from district level to provincial and national level, in which all people with / without disabilities can participate. All competition-related staff were PWDs including preparation, planning and organizing, like pray for the beginning of competition and facilitator. One of the Project Steering Team, who is not also the director of Pak-Irish Rehabilitation Centre, but also the principal of private school gave us the lecture on " Education For Peace". The lecturer told the result of the continuous war through the Story of Medicine and the necessity of the education for peace. All participants expressed their wishes for peace on the sketchbooks.
"Education For Peace", Power Point Material(English):998kb
 Support of IDPs(Internal Displaced Persons) with disabilities(Jul, 2009)People with disabilities, who are one of most neglected and disadvantaged groups, can not get support, even the information of the support in the situation after man-made and natural disasters like war and earthquake. It lead them to live miserable lives and become more poor. After due consideration of IDPs' situation, A STAR Project has launched the support of them since July 2009, with the aim of making PWDs network, Awareness raising on the disability issue, mental care and providing information etc. The detail of the activities are to collect basic information, to distribute the various forms for support, to give counseling, to identify the PWDs and their family member leader candidate and to invite them regular workshops events for awareness raising on the disability and environmental issue, like scavenging activity, sports festivals and drawing competitions etc, through the assessment & survey. Their voice in the assessment & survey
"I did not want to go out except going to hospital, because I shamed about my disabilities. But I become to be not so shamed of my disabilities, after the assessment & survey by the project staff with severe disability"
●Female from Swat (Public school teacher in Barikot)
 Project staff have an interview with IDPWDs The salient of this support is to employ "IDPs with disabilities" as temporary staff, who should be generally supported by the Project. The feature makes the communication problem to solve between staff and IDPWDs, counseling & information provision to smooth, the capacity of temporary staff to develop and the network making between Abbottabad district and Malakand area to prepare. There are three IDPs as staff, eight trained field staff, a pushtu-speaking office staff and five vehicles and drivers with disabilities. The project has two points to pay attention. The first is that the support should be for all IDPWDs, that means "All activities should be with a perspective of gender, ethnicity, age and other socio-cultural factors.", which is one of policy of A STAR Project. The second is that the support should not be financial & material support, but information support, training and awareness raising, in order to make their rehabilitation smooth. Abbottabad district is a part of earthquake effected-areas. The excess of the financial support for PWDs prevented them to live independently. Under the consideration, the Project focus on non-financial & material support. 4th Scavenging Activity in Natiya Gali(Jul. 11, 2009)The fourth activity was held at Natiya Gali, where is a famous resort in Pakistan. At this time, about fifteen IDPWDs(Internal Displaced Persons With Disabilities) joined the activity. In addition to the original purpose, the activity for awareness raising on the disability & environmental issue, extended the target from district level to national level! Many tourists from other provinces visited there and looked at our activity. Some of them asked the project staff what is going on. The Project raised the awareness through both of showing and explaining the activity.
IDPWDs participants enjoyed the activities and coolness?
The Project staff enjoyed! All Pakistan Sports Festival for Special People(Jun. 24-26, 2009)In spite of the civil war, the 18th National Sports Festibal was held successfully at District Abbottabad in collaboration with District Sports Office, Milestone and A STAR Project. Ninteen disabled organization and special schools participated in the festival. The detail is shown as following documents;
3rd Scavenging Activity at Ayub Medical College(Jun. 20, 2009)The third activity was held at Ayub Medical Collage, which is the largest medical college in south asia. DCO(Project Director) gave a briefing of the Project and the principal of the college welcomed this activity. The activity had started after A STAR Project staff explained about the purpose of the project. More than 40 students of Al-Huda School for the hearing impaired joined in the activity. Awareness must have been rised through it. "We can do it!"
Ayub Medical College has their own website, which introduces this activity.
District Sports Festival for Special People(Jun. 13, 2009)Sports Festibal for Special People was held at District Abbottabad, which was preparation for the National Festival planned on the end of the month. Seventy students with disabilities from two special schools and the staff of A STAR Project participated in the festival.
Project Opening Ceremony(May 29, 2009)There was a project opening ceremony held at Jalalbaba auditrium, Abbottabad. About 250 leader candidates of PWDs, students with disabilities and their family member and 100 stakeholders cerebrateded the opening of the project as not only participants, but also organizers. Note: Participants from Govt. and NGO at national and local level are Director General of Special Education (DGSE), Ministry of Social Welfare and Special Education, District Coordination Officer (Project Director), District Officer of Social Welfare and Women Development Dept. from Govt. Sector, Zila Nazim & Union Council Nazim from Abbottabad, Milestone, STEP, Pakistan Foundation of Fighting Blindness from Disabled Peoples Organization, Representatives of local NGO working in Medical and Educational Sectors, Radio Pakistan, Pakistan Special Publisher and some local newspaper reporters from mass media.
2nd Scavenging Activity (May, 2009)The second activity was at the Jinnah Bagh. The project staff and the students from kingstone school for inclusive education participated in the activity. Jinnah Bagh is located near Abbottabad main bazar and the most suitable place for awareness raising on the disability and environmental issue. This activity will continue. Continuation makes it strong. The drawing of this months' handbill is made by student from Special Education Center, Federal Government, who took part in the last months' activity.
Project Logo had been developed based on drawings of students with disabilities (April, 2009)A STAR Project (Abbottabad Social participation Through Awareness Raising) is planning to have various kinds of awareness campaign and events to eliminate the prejudice and discrimination against PWDs and their families, in collaboration with the other departments of District Government, Abbottabad like education, health, sightseeing, environment, and local NGOs. We'd like to introduce a process of making the Logo of the Project, through the participation of the students with disabilities. It is not so difficult to develop an excellent and beautiful design of the Project logo. We could prepare it without human & financial resource and time delay, if did it by ourselves. What is important in this Project is the participation of PWDs as implememtaters. The process of the project logo making is as follows; Project staffs with disabilities had a visit at the school for the students with disabilities and explain the principal and teachers about the purpose, activities, and methods of the project. This process made their awareness on the disability issue to rise. Then students made drawings for the project logo. The project staff selected some drawings and developed the project logo based on these drawings. This project is process oriented, as mentioned above. The project doesn't take care of the speed, quality and quantity of the activities. All who joined the project do learn through the processes, which are experiences as identifying problems & cause, sharing & discussing these and solving. Sharing of these processes make this model project to extend to other areas. STAR Figure of a star is originated from the name of the Project, STAR (Social participation Through Awareness Raising) in English or SITARA (Social Inclusion Through Awareness Raising Activities) in Urdu. Also another reason is that "Tare Zameen Par", which is a famous film of success story of the student with developmental disability is utilized in the workshops for the project staff with disabilities. Subtitle of the film is "Every child is special". So why do people in Pakistan call PWDs and CWDs "Special"? Moon&Mountain Moon and star are symbols of the Islam. Two green mountains mean the nature of the beautiful Abbottabad. Changing after the Assessment & Survey (April, 2009)"What is 'friend'?", they asked us… They didn't know the word "Friend"… I'd like to introduce a real story, which we've heard in the assessment & survey for physically challenged conducted in 2008. The situation & problem In the village not so far from the central city, there are two sisters with physical disabilities who had never been out from their house more than last 30 years. They can walk and go out from their house, because their physical disabilities are only in their upper limbs. They had not gone to relatives wedding party for cerebrating them, the central city for shopping and any functions for enjoying. Aged mother takes care not only two daughters, but also a son with intellectual disabilities. Their father had passed away long time ago and, other sons and daughters live separately. Mother and three live in the muddy house without roof and were ignored by their other family members. It seems that there are some intellectual disabilities caused by staying in house for a long time. One of the reasons of intellectual disability is the environment and surroundings in their life. Assessment sheet included the question about communication, two of which are "Can you write a letter to your friend?" and "What language do you use in your house?". Their answers are "What is friend?" and "We don't know the language. What do you mean?". That was all what we've seen. The reasons
- Lack of chance, in witch they could bee empowered Mother is poor widow and illiterate with three disabled children and other sons & daughters without disabilities live independently near their house. There was little relation and support with each other. It led the situation where three members with disabilities had no chance for education, leisure and daily living. Here, we can say that it is not so important for them to give some special skills, facility and financial support. They live in small world as their small house and don't know what' happened in the community.
Assessment by the Project Before launching Abbottabad Social participation Through Awareness Rising Project (Hereinafter refered as to A STAR Project), we conducted the preparatory study. One purpose of the study is to guess the effectiveness of the Assessment & Survey. Twenty assessment staffs gave the awareness on the disability issue to PWDs and their family members through in depth interview. In many cases, PWDs and their family's face were changing familiarly, smiley and happy after assessments.
Changing after the Assessment One month later, we had visited at their house again to follow up. There were incredible changes in their life. Firstly, one of their sisters had joined relatives wedding party twice in a month and their clothes became colorful and gorgeous! Secondly, the roof has been constructed and the house has been kept clean. Thirdly, one of their sisters told us, "I want to get married!". The effectiveness of the assessment & survey was beyond our expectations. Scavenging Activity (Apr. 18, 2009)The first activity has been done in the Simla Pahari, which is a little resport famoust in Abbottabad. Project staff and the students with disabilities from Special Education Centre, Federal Government joined this activity. It took two hours to clean the hill. Everybody knows that Shimla Pahari has not been kept clean in last ten years, because of some political reasons and a lack of awareness on environment. In the other hands, one of the policies of the district government is to make the beautiful Abbottabad city and its of the Project is to promote the social participation of PWDs. In these situation, we made a plan not only to hold awareness rising campaign event on the participation of PWDs, but also to make this city beautiful. The interview from 6 members had been telecasted at 6:30 pm on Radio Pakistan Abbottabad
How could staff with disabilities work? (March, 2009)"I want to join this project without salary!" one lady, who had never been out of her house after graduation, told me after working some days in field and joining weekly workshop on Friday. It was not so easy to identify and train the staff with disabilities in district level, who can work in the Project. Because there is no DPOs (Disabled People Organizations) and network & registration system of PWDs and, few chances for them to join the society and many factors leading to these issue. I'd like to introduce the process to launch and implement the assessment & survey in this project.
1. How to identify? Two study teams dispatched in 2007 & 2008 found the local resources in Abbottabad as follows. Staff with disabilities had been working in the field after orientation workshop and several days' practical work in the field. New staffs with disabilities were identified through the fieldwork by the trained staff with disabilities. The fieldwork abruptly extended the network of PWDs.
- Several Government & Non-Government orrggganizations in medical sector, like rehabilitation center, Limb center, PT department of hospital, which has information of human resource. - One female staff with disabilities as vvvocational teacher in Special Education Centre, Federal Government, who has some informal network of her friends with disabilities in her youth. - One DPO working in next city, Mansehraa,,, which has information of resource persons, lived in Abbottabad. 2. How to invite? Especially women with disabilities were tend to reject to join the Project as staff, who work in the field or office with men, because of socio-cultural background and lack of awareness on the disability issue. First step, we kindly invite them the weekly workshop after introducing our project. Second step, they share the workshop's experience and convince their parents and other family member who live together by themselves. Third step, female staff candidate with disabilities who are empowered through the field/office work and workshop, can have self-confidence.
3. How to train? We found it difficult to train the staff with disabilities, who are segregated and neglected not only in the society, but also in the house, no confidence, not educated, never been outside for long time… Weekly workshops prepared for them as following three sessions. The workshops are developed to learn the disability awareness, disability equality and disability issue easily for beginners through watching, listening, discussing, presenting, leading the group and playing.
Tale zamin par, Lagaan, Black, Ankeen, Born on the fourth of July…
2. Lecture on the disability issue and discussion with refreshment (10:00-11:00)
3. Practice or Group Discussion and presentation (11:00 - 12:30)
Assessment & Survey for Non-Disabled People(Feb. 2, 2009)District Government Abbottabad has launched the Assessment & Survey for Non-Disabled People in 12 Union Councils (UCs) in Abbottabad, which will continue until 31st March, 2009. Under the Project Director (DCO, Abbottabad) and the Project Manager (DO, Social Welfare & Women Development Department), more than 30 assessment staffs (50% of them are Physically Challenged, the others are family or relative of Physically Challenged) work in the field. 1. Purpose
1) Empowerment
2) Mainstreaming
3) Collecting basic Information
2. Schedule
3. Target
4. Method
A pair of interviewer and assistant is responsible of two UCs and has Assessment & Survey for ten Non-Disabled people per a day. All staffs get together at 8:30 and go to own responsible UCs by Carry Daba after short meeting. It is specially mentioned that two drivers in twelve are Physically Challenged. Twelve teams (pairs) have an interview on the road, at the house, in the bazaar and etc. Assessment & Survey sheet has four kinds of question, which includes (1) Basic Information, (2) Dairy Life, (3) Social Participation, (4) Thinking Disability Issue. The assessment staffs have an activity of Awareness Raising, for example, giving time to think about disability issue, sharing information on the disability issue during the interview. Also they collect the data of the Challenged (Persons with Disabilities) and their family at the same time, which is usable in the next step, Assessment & Survey on the four kinds of disabilities and leadership trainings. Assessment staffs are trained on every Friday. The Project will measure the achievement three years later based on this data.
Assessment Sheet for Non-Disabled People(English) download:Word(45KB) Project has been launched (Dec. 1, 2008)Government of Pakistan is about to launch the Project on the Promotion of Social Participation of Persons with Disabilities in Abbottabad. The project has been formulated after the workshops and discussions with stakeholders and the survey conducted from June to July 2008, by District Government, Abbottabad. The record of discussion has been signed by Federal, Provincial and District Government on September, 2008. The detail of the Project is as follows;
Project Duration: Dec. 2008 - Nov. 2011 (three years)
Outputs: There are following three features of this project in the technical corporation project.
1. Nothing about us without us. Persons with Disabilities are included in the Project as a project implementer, such as project staff, members of Project Steering Team, assessment staff and lecture of the training etc. This is one of the our policy on the support for persons with disabilities, that is, "Mainstreaming"
2. Project for all The target of the Project includes the four categories, that is, Physically, Visually, Hearing and Intellectually Challenged. All the activities, outputs and indicators of the Project refer to the ratio of gender/social balance, and inclusion of gender/social perspectives, as necessary. New vision, "Inclusive and Dynamic Development" is reflected in the Project.
3. Sustainability Local resources include human and physical resource in the country and South Asia are utilized for sustainable development. Through the Asia-Pacific Disability network built by APCD, resource persons who have disabilities will be invited as a lecture and facilitator for the training and workshop.
The activities of the Project in 1st year are assessment for Persons with Disabilities and their family. Assessment will be implemented by assessment staff, who are trained persons with disabilities and personal assistants. Through assessment, the Project develop the capacity of persons with disabilities, providing information, identifying persons with disabilities in rural area, search the leader candidate of persons with disabilities, peer counseling and collecting basic information of persons with disabilities.
|
Mail to a.star.project@gmail.com
](assheet_ndp_urdu.jpg){kind=link}