By Ali Imran
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (PBM), a national social welfare organization, led by Managing Director Amir Fida Paracha, is dedicated to combating poverty and uplifting marginalized communities in Pakistan.
MD PBM highlighted the establishment of 46 Sweet Homes across the country, providing care for orphaned children. Additionally, PBM has set up 163 Women Empowerment Centers, promoting skill-based education for women, and 159 Child Labor Welfare Schools.
Furthermore, 18 Shelter Homes have been established, and the “Roti Sab Kay Liye” program has been introduced, which offers meals through 20 food trucks. The organization has successfully implemented the Orphan and Widows Support Program (OWSP) in ten districts, extending financial assistance to widows and orphans. He appreciated the support provided to individuals with disabilities, senior citizens, and the needy, through medical treatments and educational opportunities. These programs have had a positive impact on the lives of deserving citizens.
He expressed the organization’s commitment to enhancing the effectiveness of its programs by fostering public-private partnerships. By engaging local and international donors, PBM has gained increased resources and efficiency. In the past years, PBM has allocated Rs. 24.7 million for the care and sponsorship of 4,408 children in Sweet Homes. Additionally, Rs. 40.28 million was spent on shelter and meals for 891,375 individuals in Shelter Homes, and 5,070,614 people were provided meals through the Roti Sab Kay Liye program.
Through the Orphan and Widows Support Program, Rs. 162.4 million was disbursed among 857 families in ten districts. Women attending the Women Empowerment Centers not only receive free vocational training but also receive a daily allowance of Rs. 50. Vocational training has been provided to approximately 14,490 women at a cost of Rs. 4.6 million in the past year.
The education of 18,787 students in Child Labor Rehabilitation Schools has been supported with Rs. 4.5 million.
These schools offer free books, stationery, uniforms, and monthly stipends to enrolled children.
Elderly residents in Old Homes in Lahore have been allocated Rs. 16.29 million for their well-being.
PBM has allocated Rs. 7.21 billion for medical assistance, including treatment for various medical cases such as cancer, heart diseases, general medicine, surgeries, eye surgeries, and dialysis.
Additionally, 1,996 wheelchairs have been distributed through the Special Friends program, and over ten million deserving individuals have received artificial limbs, with an expenditure of over Rs. 10 billion.
Furthermore, financial assistance of Rs. 80,700,000 has been provided to 1,807 disabled and needy individuals. Educational opportunities have been extended to 25,335 eligible students, with an expenditure of Rs. 729 million. Financial support of Rs. 261,267,500 has been granted to 18,844 Special Friends, and 2,252 sewing machines have been provided to skilled women.
Although Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal serves as a significant government institution offering free medical treatment to impoverished patients, financial constraints prevent thousands of children from receiving cochlear implant (hearing device) surgeries.
Efforts are being made to secure additional funding in the annual budget to address this issue. The organization emphasizes transparency and merit in the distribution of resources for all its projects.
Despite limited resources, Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal strives to expand the scope of its programs and extend assistance to every deserving individual in the country.
