Struggling with funds: MISE continues to teach children who are differently abled
Mashaal Institute of Special Education caters to 55 girls and 92 boys of various age groups.
Above) Jazib, Atif, Shazma and Tehmina display the medals they won at the Special Olympics 2013 Asia Pacific Games. (Below) The building donated by WAPDA used as the MISE campus. PHOTOS: MUHAMMAD SADAQAT/EXPRESS
MIRPUR:
“It was unimaginable that we would see our children on the victory stand of an international event,” says Abdul Wahid Ghaznavi, referring to success in several special olympics. Abdul Wahid is a member of the board of governors for Mashaal Institute of Special Education (MISE) Tarbela.
A contractor by profession, he spoke to The Express Tribune about founding Mashaal, a centre for differently abled children. Abdul Wahid shares he discussed his vision with Dr Nargis Ara Begum, a gynaecologist and social activist, which eventually resulted in MISE in 1998.
Dr Nargis, Tarbela Dam Managing Director Sardar Tariq, and Abdul Wahid’s brother, the late Abdul Hafeez Ghaznavi became the founding members of the institute. Dr Nargis was elected chairperson; a role she still serves with the same commitment, says Abdul Wahid.
MISE was established in the building of Wapda’s old guest house with meagre facilities and only nine children under their care at first, he says. “Initially it was hardly encouraging to keep it operational, owing to the ever-increasing challenges we faced.”
Although MISE was saved the expense of paying rent as the building it uses was donated by Sardar Tariq, providing state-of-the-art facilities to students came at no small expense. However, the conviction of board members paid off and now, “MISE is fast approaching the goals we had set for it.”
The institution is currently teaching 55 girls and 92 boys of different age groups. The enrolled children are divided into broad operational categories of mental illnesses and physical impairment.
Students are offered free education and skill development. MISE Principal Bushra Akhtar explains the girls are imparted vocational training in dressmaking and designing, while the boys are taught computers, masonry and steel-work, among other skills. These abilities are aimed at enabling them to be economically independent after school years.
Akhtar says there are over two dozen women and seven male teachers who are all trained specifically to work with, and teach children with special needs. The institute also has five physiotherapists.
Gold, silver, bronze
MISE has developed a full-fledged sports curriculum where students are taught cricket, football, table tennis, badminton, cycling and athletics. Teeming with pride over her students, Akhtar talks about MISE’s participation in the Special Olympics 2013 Asia Pacific Games in Australia. The students won a total of eight medals, including four gold, three silver and one bronze.
MISE Sports Head Nadia Naz shares an MISE student also participated in the Special Olympics 2011 World Summer Games in Athens, and won a silver medal. She says students are now preparing for the Special Olympics to be held in the US in 2015.
Naz complains about the government’s lack of support to the institute, which she claims is the main obstacle to further development.
Money matters
Abdul Wahid tells The Express Tribune about financial problems faced by the MISE. In order to generate funds, the institute charges a minimal fee of Rs250 for vocational training for outsiders, including dressmaking, designing and computer courses. All funds raised from this endeavour are reinvested into MISE. Abdul Wahid says over 5,000 girls from neighbouring localities have been given this training — many of these girls now run their own centres where they teach similar skills.
He reveals the monthly expenses for MISE run into around Rs300,000 donated by philanthropists on a monthly basis. Zubaida Aman Welfare Trust, a Ghazi-based welfare organisation, has been regularly paying Rs50,000 a month to MISE, in addition to providing a bus for pick and drop services for the students.
However, Abdul Wahid complains there is no external support from any donor agency or the government. A major portion of the expenses incurred on the children’s tour of Australia was borne by the institute.
Speaking of MISE’s future, Abdul Wahid explains currently all students are day scholars and face problems travelling back and forth on a daily basis. MISE is now striving to provide them with a hostel. There are plans to add higher education facilities to MISE’s structure and to increase total admissions to reach the maximum number of children with mental illness and physical disabilities.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 16th, 2013.
“It was unimaginable that we would see our children on the victory stand of an international event,” says Abdul Wahid Ghaznavi, referring to success in several special olympics. Abdul Wahid is a member of the board of governors for Mashaal Institute of Special Education (MISE) Tarbela.
A contractor by profession, he spoke to The Express Tribune about founding Mashaal, a centre for differently abled children. Abdul Wahid shares he discussed his vision with Dr Nargis Ara Begum, a gynaecologist and social activist, which eventually resulted in MISE in 1998.
Above) Jazib, Atif, Shazma and Tehmina display the medals they won at the Special Olympics 2013 Asia Pacific Games. (Below) The building donated by WAPDA used as the MISE campus. PHOTOS: MUHAMMAD SADAQAT/EXPRESS
Dr Nargis, Tarbela Dam Managing Director Sardar Tariq, and Abdul Wahid’s brother, the late Abdul Hafeez Ghaznavi became the founding members of the institute. Dr Nargis was elected chairperson; a role she still serves with the same commitment, says Abdul Wahid.
MISE was established in the building of Wapda’s old guest house with meagre facilities and only nine children under their care at first, he says. “Initially it was hardly encouraging to keep it operational, owing to the ever-increasing challenges we faced.”
Although MISE was saved the expense of paying rent as the building it uses was donated by Sardar Tariq, providing state-of-the-art facilities to students came at no small expense. However, the conviction of board members paid off and now, “MISE is fast approaching the goals we had set for it.”
The institution is currently teaching 55 girls and 92 boys of different age groups. The enrolled children are divided into broad operational categories of mental illnesses and physical impairment.
Students are offered free education and skill development. MISE Principal Bushra Akhtar explains the girls are imparted vocational training in dressmaking and designing, while the boys are taught computers, masonry and steel-work, among other skills. These abilities are aimed at enabling them to be economically independent after school years.
Akhtar says there are over two dozen women and seven male teachers who are all trained specifically to work with, and teach children with special needs. The institute also has five physiotherapists.
Gold, silver, bronze
MISE has developed a full-fledged sports curriculum where students are taught cricket, football, table tennis, badminton, cycling and athletics. Teeming with pride over her students, Akhtar talks about MISE’s participation in the Special Olympics 2013 Asia Pacific Games in Australia. The students won a total of eight medals, including four gold, three silver and one bronze.
MISE Sports Head Nadia Naz shares an MISE student also participated in the Special Olympics 2011 World Summer Games in Athens, and won a silver medal. She says students are now preparing for the Special Olympics to be held in the US in 2015.
Naz complains about the government’s lack of support to the institute, which she claims is the main obstacle to further development.
Money matters
Abdul Wahid tells The Express Tribune about financial problems faced by the MISE. In order to generate funds, the institute charges a minimal fee of Rs250 for vocational training for outsiders, including dressmaking, designing and computer courses. All funds raised from this endeavour are reinvested into MISE. Abdul Wahid says over 5,000 girls from neighbouring localities have been given this training — many of these girls now run their own centres where they teach similar skills.
He reveals the monthly expenses for MISE run into around Rs300,000 donated by philanthropists on a monthly basis. Zubaida Aman Welfare Trust, a Ghazi-based welfare organisation, has been regularly paying Rs50,000 a month to MISE, in addition to providing a bus for pick and drop services for the students.
However, Abdul Wahid complains there is no external support from any donor agency or the government. A major portion of the expenses incurred on the children’s tour of Australia was borne by the institute.
Speaking of MISE’s future, Abdul Wahid explains currently all students are day scholars and face problems travelling back and forth on a daily basis. MISE is now striving to provide them with a hostel. There are plans to add higher education facilities to MISE’s structure and to increase total admissions to reach the maximum number of children with mental illness and physical disabilities.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 16th, 2013.