F.P. Report
LAHORE): Lahore Businessmen Association for Rehabilitation of Disabled (LABARD) hosted its fund raising dinner here the other day.
Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) spokesman said here Saturday that fundraising dinner is a permanent feature of LABARD’s activities and it is held to generate funds for rehabilitation of disables. Punjab Governor Muhammad Rafiq Rajwana, LCCI President Malik Tahir Javaid, Senior Vice Presidnet Khawaja Khawar Rashid, Vice President Zeshan Khalil, LABARD governing body members and people from different walks of life attended the dinner.
On this occasion, the Governor said that bright future is the destiny of nations that look after the distressed segments of the society enabling them to play their part in economic building of the country.
He expressed pleasure that Lahore businessmen after fulfilling their corporate social responsibility by ensuring that all disabled children of the city are provided proper education and vocational training so that they could join the main stream economic activities. Pakistan needs all helping hands to eradicate widespread poverty from the society, he added.
While, LCCI President termed LABARD a feather in the cap of Lahore Chamber and said persons with disabilities should not be unseen, unheard and uncounted in Pakistan. People with disabilities are the most marginalized group in our society and they face overwhelming barriers in education, skills development and daily life.
He said that persons with disabilities also face multiple social, economic, physical and political handicaps, hampering their freedom of movement in society. These barriers include stigmatization and a misunderstanding of the abilities and aspirations of persons with disabilities. There is also a pronounced lack of informational data, rules and regulations, rehabilitation centers, and specialized services for persons with disabilities.
He further said In Pakistan, no single ministry or federal department deals with, issues related to disability. There is only the ministry for social welfare, women’s development and special education, which touch upon person with disabilities issues. However, at the local level, there are no specific sections or departments responsible for person with disabilities programs at the local level.
He said that LABARD has a vision of creating a society where equal opportunities are available, and equal treatment is provided to all the members irrespective of their physical capabilities, with a mission to facilitate the disabled members of the society to become self-independent in all sphere of life.
He said it has only been possible due to the support of friends and well-wishers of LABARD that we have been able to impact the lives of more than 18,000 persons with Disabilities. LABARD provided employment to 6048 PWDs, Vocational trainings to 3786, Educational Assistance to 2569, financial assistance to 2230, Medical Assistance 3019, Aiding instruments and wheel chairs to 6023, Cornea Replacements for visibility to 491 and Qarz-e-Hasana (Interst free Loans) to 483 Persons with Disabilities.
