We live in a society with variant degrees of concepts and ideologies, public and private empires, unequal distribution of wealth, and a cultural potpourri with diverse beliefs and practices bound by sentimentality or sensibility. Whenever our beloved country faces some outer dilemma, be it a cricket game with our pugnacious neighbours, or natural disasters like earthquakes, we all come together and become one.
The most hospitable nation is also a quintessential philanthropist. 98 percent of Pakistanis contribute to charitable causes despite 39 percent of them living in poverty. The urban population has its list of problems; housing, sewerage, pollution, traffic, safety, etc., and villages have their issues; where people are still questioning polio drops, accessibility to resources is limited, hospitals and schools are also miles away. Women’s education is still grilled by some quarters of our society and working women’s lives are more like mini battles each day, juggling between house and work, judgments and appreciations.
Caught in a vicious cycle of socio-economic problems, we need to make ‘helping others’ more systematic and collaborative. AAA Associates, through its Yusaeid Foundation, reinforces the vision that to add optimism and productivity to our community, we need to take along the underprivileged and grow with them. Being a socially responsible business, it consciously integrates into the segments that work for the prosperity of our society, endeavours from arranging Free Medical Camp at Khaplu, Skardu, or launching First Free Mobile Restaurant in the twin cities to feed the starving, and starting Ramadan Ration Drive to take charge and lead its way. AAA Associates, by helping visually impaired persons to raise their voices for a productive space in society or distributing wheelchairs among people with disabilities, likes to take everyone along in the journey of success.
The government has a lot on its plate and a huge responsibility to sort internal issues while tackling the pressure of the ‘economy in debt’, and challenging foreign relations. It navigates through and has established welfare services to eradicate social inequalities. The government alone is unable to fully employ the massive welfare measures required for the populace even with the remarkable Ehsaas Programme and Sehat Insaf Cards. Many renowned non-governmental organisations (NGOs) therefore, also work to sort these issues by providing welfare humanitarian aid, setting up educational resources, enabling health facilities, etc. Given the limited capacity of the government, it is significant for not-for-profit NGOs to influence change in our country’s growth and advancement.
Living our self-driven lives sometimes, we forget to see through the blinkers and show kindness and empathy for the lives around us. The philanthropic initiatives by the NGOs, businesses and individuals are bound to uplift the downtrodden strata of society and change the social fabric while sharing the burden of government. Let our sentiments drive us to dive into responsibility, rather than sentimentality and lead our country on the road to social change and development.
MARYAM NAWAZ KAYANI
ISLAMABAD
