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If you have a chance to visit Awami Markaz (nowEOBI centre) in Karachi you can find LutfiFoundation's bookshop on its ground floor and agreeting card manufacturing workshop on the first floor.One gets a pleasant surprise to observe that both the shopsare being run by the physically disabled people. They sellquality products very efficiently at economic rates. Theentire setup of both these business ventures is being run byan outfit called Lutfi Foundation.

The brainchild of Nazish Lutfi, a financial analyst by pro-fession and a USA expatriate Pakistani, the LutfiFoundation not only provides employment to dozens ofhandicapped children at its shops, it also gives training toothers and then help them in getting job in various indus-tries.According to Nazish,hundreds of such special peopleare at present working in various industries of the city.Recently Kohinoor Industries have employed 50 blind peo-ple with the efforts of the Lutfi Foundation. More peopleare being placed in other industries. These people are paidwages equal to normal persons,said Nazish Lutfi.

The Lutfi Foundation is working for the betterment of the

disabled community with a difference it does not acceptcharity, donations or financial support for its activities. Thefunds are provided by Nazish Lutfi from his personal sav-ings.However,the foundation has an honorary team of vol-unteers, including highly qualified artists and professionals,who believe in harnessing the exceptional potential of thespecial people. These patrons are enthusiastic care-givers,devoting their time and energy to the cause of helping spe-cial people, so that they can have their share of happiness,prosperity and independent life.

After a tragedy in his family,Nazish returned from the USAto serve the special people of his country. He had a broth-

er, who had become handicapped due to an accident in the

USA and used to live with him there.Nazish's brother diedin 2001, not because of his disability but due to a disease.The brother's death was a turning point in the life ofNazish, who pledged to serve all the disabled people ofPakistan.

Lutfi is his father's name."Lutfi was a great father.He madea great sacrifice by staying away from home for 26 monthsbecause he was looking after my disabled brother who was

in comma at a hospital," recalls Nazish Lutfi.Nazish said after coming to Pakistan he conducted researchabout problems of the disabled people in Pakistan and thendecided to establish an organization of his own out of his

own pocket for such people.

The Lutfi Foundation aims not only to rehabilitate the phys-ically handicapped people, it also wants to provide them anhonorable place in society. There are a number of organi-zations in Pakistan,which are already working for the reha-

bilitation of the disabled,but Lutfi Foundation claims to bequite different from them."I wanted to do even more thanrehabilitation," said Nazish in an interview with NGORC'sDevelopment Communication team.

He said his aim is to make the physically handicapped peo-ple financially self-sufficient. Besides the physically handi-capped, the parents of a large number of mentally retardedpeople are also now contacting the foundation.There is nodiscrimination between the physically or mentally retardedpeople in the foundation.

"Our mission is to provide special people equal rights andopportunities to succeed without having to depend on

Case Study

Lutfi Foundation: An Example of

Self-Help Project for DisabledBy Muhammad Anis Danish

The Lutfi Foundation aims

not only to rehabilitate the

physically handicapped

people, it also wants to

provide them an honorable

place in society.

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24 NGORC Journal, December 2005

handouts or charity." The idea is to help them help them-selves, thus keeping their dignity and self-esteem intact."

The other aims and objectives of the foundation are toempower special children so that they can gain stability intheir lives through lucrative vocational training and jobopportunities; assist other NGOs to utilize products for

fund raising,created by the employed special individuals atthe Lutfi Foundation;and create awareness in society aboutmental and physical handicaps,especially guiding the young-sters to develop a disabled-friendly environment.

The foundation also generates funds from the sale of itsgreeting cards and books.Although it is still not self-suffi-cient in finances, it has started covering many expenses."This year, on the occasion of Eid the sale of our cardsslumped as most companies cancelled their orders, sayingthey had donated their funds for the earthquake victims,"Nazish said.

Following are the main activities of the foundation for

resource mobilization.

Ongoing Projects:

Handmade Greeting Cards ManufacturingThe Lutfi Foundation started this project in the year 2000 andnow dozens of special people who are employed at this work-shop, who design and manufacture handmade products fornational and multinational companies.The foundation claimsto be the leader in the manufacturing of hand-made cards inPakistan. Many corporate companies and welfare organiza-tions give orders to the foundation and purchase those greet-ing cards in bulk on occasions like Eids,New Year,Christmas,

birthdays,weddings,etc.Read and Learn Project:Lutfi Foundation has launched a literary project called Readand Learn designed to promote reading and learning habitsamong the masses in general and special people in particular.The foundation has imported a good quantity of new booksfrom well-reputed foreign publishers at special discountedrates which are sold at reduced prices. The profit from thebooks sale is shared among patrons every day.

Uniform Stitching Project:This project is designed and implemented to create employ-ment opportunities for the special people. Under the pro-

gramme,vocational as well as on-job training is imparted toindividuals to prepare them as skilled technicians in theirprofessions.

Future ProjectsLutfi Foundation has a very ambitious future programmefor special children. As it has been receiving a goodresponse from the public,it plans a number of big projects.

Lutfi City:This would be a big project, providing accommodationfacilities to orphans, senior citizens, widows and the dis-abled.

Day Care and Activity Centre:This centre is specially designed for older citizens. At pres-ent there is no such facility in Pakistan.

Web Portal for Special Families:The web portal www.specialfamily.com will provide a plat-form for special people and normal community to interact

online.They can discuss their problems and seek solutionsfor the benefit of families and special individuals alike. Thefamilies of special people can easily find the contacts of

specialist doctors and purchase medicines from anywhere inthe world, courtesy this portal.

Digital Printing Press:The foundation plans to establish a digital printing press tohave printing, training and job facilities for the special peo-ple.

IT and Animated School:An IT and animated school for special children is on theagenda of the foundation.

TV Programmes:Lutfi Foundation plans to make educational cartoons,mini-series and other media items for local TV channels toincrease awareness among normal people about the differ-ence in lifestyles, needs, and problems of the handicappedindividuals.

Blind Individuals Project for Rehabilitation:This would help blind people to live a normal life.

The foundation generates

funds from the sale of its

greeting cards and books.

Although it is still not

self-sufficient in finances, ithas started covering many

expenses.