Umeed Partnership

Rotary Matching Grant – successful bid for funds

John Perkins — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 18:03:46 +0000

The Umeed Partnership Project has been successful in its bid through the Rotary International Matching Grants Scheme. A grant of $16,190 (funded jointly by Bangor Rotary Club, Lahore Cosmopolitan Rotary Club and Rotary District 1180) has been awarded to support developments at the Umeed Primary School in Minority Community 18 in the Cholistan Desert in southern Punjab. This grant will be used to construct a security fence and gates, latrines for the pupils, a potable water supply and IT equipment and teaching materials.

The Umeed Partnership is conscious of the support provided by the Rotary movement over the past three years, and expresses its gratitude for this generous support.

Joseph in Lahore

John Perkins — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 07:30:30 +0000

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.

Bygones at Bodrhyddan Hall

John Perkins — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 20:18:11 +0000

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, Lahore

John Perkins — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:54:23 +0000

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.

New Umeed Schools – Yazman/Cholistan Desert

John Perkins — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:23:37 +0000

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.

Open Every Door

John Perkins — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 06:20:07 +0000

The UP Project Co-ordinator in Pakistan is working with Clive Southerton (UP[UK]) to bring to fruition Clive’s ambition for a multi-cultural/multi-national production of Joseph & the Amazing Techicolour Dreamcoat in Wales and Ireland. This production, involving young people from Pakistan, Wales, England, Ireland and Singapore will take place in October 2010. Clive will be rehearsing young people from UPP in Pakistan during late October this year in Lahore. As with other Umeed activities, the Open Every Door Project provides a wonderful opportunity for intercultural and inter-faith dialogue amongst young people, both within Pakistan, and between the participating nations.

Umeed Sports Club

John Perkins — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 06:03:25 +0000

Yousuf Gill Jalal, the Umeed partnership Project Co-ordinator, has reported that the Umeed Sports Club has recently been formed to provide opportunities for young men to participate in cricket, who would otherwise not have the opportunity due to lack of leadership and resources. At present there are three Umeed cricket teams – Loralai (Balochistan), Yazman Bahawalpur and Yohannabad slums (Lahore). A three day tournament is planned at the end of October this year during the visit of Rev. Clive Southerton, the Vice Chair of UP(UK), to Lahore. Clive will be donating and presenting the trophy.

This development provides a great opportunity for fellowship between young men from three very disparate parts of Pakistan, and will inevitably lead to a greater understanding between different faiths and cultures.

Bangor Rotary Club Grant

John Perkins — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 12:38:19 +0000

Bangor Rotary Club has awarded a grant of £500 to the Umeed Partnership for the purchase of furniture and educational equipment for the new multi-faith Umeed Middle School in the Bahawalpur District of southern Punjab in Pakistan. This is surely an example of an organisation with vision understanding that reconciliation between peoples of different faiths and cultures can be achieved through education.

George and Mary Crosfield Charitable Trust

John Perkins — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 10:01:50 +0000

In early July the Trustees of the George and Mary Crosfield Charitable Trust awarded a grant of £400 to the Umeed Project. James Crosfield, one of the Trustees, remarked that the Umeed Partnership Mission Statement coincided exactly with the objectives and principles of the Trust, which had been set up in memory of his grandparents.

BHP Billiton Petroleum

John Perkins — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 09:52:12 +0000

In May 2009 a donation of £8750 was received from BHP Billiton under its employee contributions Matched Giving Program to support Umeed’s existing activities in Pakistan. It goes without saying that this has provided a life-line for the Umeed Schools; Women’s Education and Embroidery Centres; and Woodworking and Carpentry Workshops.