Rev’d Clive Southerton, Vice-Chair of the Umeed Partnership (UK),  has arrived in Lahore to prepare ten young people for parts in the musical ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat’ to be staged in Wales and Ireland in October 2010. Members of  Umeed across Pakistan will learn songs and dance routines, and will make costumes and props for this ambitious  production.

Yousuf Jalal Gill, the UP Co-ordinator,  believes that participation by young people of all faiths in a venture such as this leads to a greater understanding of other cultures and reconciliation where there is discord in poor communities.

Further details will be available shortly.

On Monday 28 September the owner of Bodrhyddan Hall near Dyserth hosted a Umeed fundraising event, which included an antiques fair. Refreshments in the form of Delicious Desserts and Tasty Tarts were included in the admission price. 

The event made a net ‘profit’ of £1162 to support the ‘Open Every Door’ Project which will be launched by the Rev’d Clive Southerton in Lahore, Pakistan on 28 October.

Many thanks are due to the Umeed supporters in the Prestatyn and Rhyl areas for their commitment to the Umeed cause for providing opportunities for women and children across Pakistan.

Beriah’s Boutique in Lahore is an outlet for Umeed-trained women to sell their embroidered products for a fair wage. Opened in 2006, the Boutique provides work for the UP-trained women to enable them to earn enough money to support their families without depending for 100% support from their husbands and brothers. Beriah’s Boutique is effectively a wholesaler supplying products to shops in other major cities in Pakistan.  The Umeed Partnership, through Beriah’s Boutique, needs outlets overseas, and especially in UK and Ireland.  

Retail outlets in the UK and Ireland are invited to contact John Perkins (john@justshopping.co.uk) in the UK or Yousuf Gill (gillyousuf@hotmail.com) in Pakistan to view samples of Umeed Products and arrange for delivery of consigments.

Along with women, children are also equally vulnerable in Pakistan. For such children the Umeed Partnership has opened one primary and one middle school in two marginalised ‘dalit’ communities near Yazman in the Cholistan Desert in southern Punjab Province. 

These schools are being run for the children of desert communities far from major cities, and so do not enjoy the fruits of urban development.  There are no roads,  sanitation,  schooling, nor health care. The population lives almost without having any basic human needs. They are slaves to their landlords and their lives are governed by their task masters.  It is very rare to find any educated person in these communities. 

The Umeed Partnership, after receiving constant appeals from these communities, established these schools three  years ago with between 100 and 150 boys and girls and 2 or 3 teachers.  All students receive free education. They are provided with text books, stationery, uniforms, sports equipmentsand study aids. No fee is charged at all. At present each school has a classroom and sheds, but no potable drinking water, nor toilets nor security wall. Apart from these essentials the schools are desperately looking for more classroom space to satisfy the significant demand for a place in the schools.

These schools are the only sign of hope for these communities. It is recognised that, without education, communities will fail to escape from the bondage of their overpowering landlords. Umeed is effectively providing hope for these marginalised people  as they strive to free themselves from what is in all but name slavery.