Spreading the joy: PHH turns frowns upside down on Independence Day

Volunteers visit NICH and give the children there a fun-filled surprise

KARACHI: With one side of his face painted green and white, two-year-old Ali Abbas ran about excitedly, waving the national flag in one hand and a bag of sweets in the other.

Ali was admitted to National Institute of Child Health (NICH) a week ago and was finally discharged on Sunday. For Ali and other children like him, non-governmental organisation Pakistan Helping Hands (PHH) turned NICH into a funfair on Independence Day.

For the last five years, PHH has been visiting NICH on Independence Day to celebrate the national holiday with the children. PHH joint secretary Talbia binte Humayun told The Express Tribune that her organisation is run entirely by the students of Sindh Medical College. PHH was registered as an NGO in June, 2011, and since then has worked at two hospitals affiliated with the Sindh Medical College - Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) and NICH.

Humayun added that this is the fifth year that they came to NICH to make the day better for the children admitted in the hospital. She said the purpose of this celebration is to bring smiles to the faces of innocent children and reawaken the spirit of patriotism in them.

The PHH volunteers distributed gifts and badges among the children and conducted several other activities such as face painting and singing national songs.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 15^th, 2016.