|
|
|
November 20, 2003
A cozy home
The Kashana-i-Atfal has provided the security and comforts of a home to children who were deprived of one, writes Shazman Shariff
Situated on Stadium road, the Anjuman-i-Kashana-i-Atfal-o-Naunehal, Karachi, is a charitable institution established around 50 years ago, to provide a good life and sound upbringing to destitute girls, in addition to carrying out the noble work of finding loving families for the unwanted babies abandoned at small clinics and hospitals.
The Kashana is the result of the untiring efforts of Begum Ghamar Ispahani, wife of late Mirza Abol Hassan Ispahani who was a close aide of Quaid-i-Azam. At the moment three projects operate here; a home for young girls, a montessori school plus day care centre for toddlers from one to five years old and a baby placement centre.
The name Kashana comes from the Persian word for home, and Mrs Ispahani, of Iranian descent, feels that calling it an orphanage belittles its sanctity and creates a bad feeling for the kids living here. “It is a bagh-i-bahisht (garden of heaven),” she said smiling, looking out at the lush green patch of lawn bordered with tall coconut trees in front of her office.
The landscaping which gives it a magnificent look has been done by the Gandhi Garden staff. It was one of the major tasks Mrs Ispahani undertook to turn the land — she received from Ayub Khan in 1958 — into a comfortable home and she accomplished this despite facing many difficulties.
The serving president of the Kashana, Mrs Ispahani, graduated from London University with a degree in sociology and received training in child welfare and family problems. Although she is aged, she still visits the Kashana daily where her advice, guidance, assistance and above all affection is sought by both staff and the children.
Presently, some 140 girls are accommodated in Qamar Numa, Irum Numa and Ibrahim House — three buildings where impressive arrangements have been made for their lodging, complete with a TV room, dining room and play area. Girls admitted here are half orphans brought by mothers who are living in impoverished conditions and are financially unable to raise them; thus they find it better to leave their girls in the safe hands of the Kashana.
They are provided with good facilities and a homely atmosphere by their house mothers who give them a sense of belonging. Stress is laid on their education and the institute arranges for their admission in schools or colleges and bears all the incurring expenditures. Besides cooking, stitching and embroidery classes are also conducted to help them learn skills.
“We also arrange for jobs and diploma courses after they complete their education, said Mrs Ispahani, who strongly believes that without education they would not aspire to improve their lifestyle. “Why should a masi’s daughter grow up to become another masi? Why not become a doctor or an engineer?” she asked.
At the Kashana, girls have progressed to join good professions and are enrolled in nursing diplomas and beautician courses which makes Mrs Ispahani feel proud of them. “Girls have moved on from here to become doctors, recently one of the girls completed her air ticketing course and is employed at a travel agency,” she spoke with a smile on her face.
Marriage follows education and the Kashana makes all the necessary arrangements to fulfil a girl’s dream of tying the knot. Matchmaking is either done by the biological parents, if any, or by Kashana.
Naseem Khokar, superintendent, smiled when asked about the number of marriages performed so far. “Too many,” she said adding that marriage was a celebrated affair at the Kashana. “We have a mayun and mehndi, a video is made, photographs taken, plus there is sumptuous food the sort at any other wedding.” It also deserves to be mentioned that a girl does not leave the Kashana empty handed. She is sent off with gifts as well as furniture for two rooms, to help her settle into her new home.
Ghousia, a psychologist working at the Kashana, finds her job rewarding. She believes that all these girls need is love. “Since most of them come from broken homes they suffer from emotional traumas, depression and behavioural problems which can be overcome by providing them with counselling and some form of catharsis.” Since she spends a great deal of time with them, she feels that some develop an inferiority complex when they compare the status of their homes to the Kashana, because here they live in far better conditions.”
The second project running smoothly is a colourful montessori school plus a day care centre which gives much relief to working mothers. Shenaz Shaikh, incharge, said that the school accepted children whose parents also needed a day care facility.
After school finishes at noon, kids stay on till 5 pm, for which they are charged a fee. Presently there are 38 kids in the school which is well-furnished with playing and dining rooms plus bedrooms where they take their afternoon nap after lunch.
The baby adoption centre is the third project being run by the Kashana. Babies are kept here in the hope of finding them homes. While recalling an incident that inspired her to do something for abandoned babies, Mrs Ispahani narrated how one day on her way to a hospital she saw a baby half-buried in a garbage dump.
At present there are six babies at the adoption centre who are being looked after by an attentive and affectionate staff. A baby is often brought in an undernourished state, thus it has to be given a nutritive and wholesome diet to enable it to gain some of its strength before it can be put up for adoption. The Kashana makes sure that the prospective parents fulfil all the criteria required to adopt a baby, and are able to provide a good home and a loving family.
The Kashana has so far given 812 babies for adoption to families in and outside Pakistan. Mrs Ispahani also mentioned many who have grown up to take on high-profile jobs.
She looked at the photographs of the babies who had been adopted, placed underneath the glass on her desk, and her finger stopped on one chubby baby; this child was taken by a doctor couple from America. People at the Kashana were most surprised when this lady came to the Kashana recently with her husband to adopt a baby. She wanted her first baby from here before having her own.
The Kashana operates with a monthly expenditure of Rs500,000; it is public money that provides the funds for the projects at the Kashana. During Ramazan, the organization sees more and more funds coming in. “People are generous with money, they give charity worth thousands of rupees and donate other items as well,” said Mrs Ispahani. Often things received in surplus or those which have little use for the girls at the Kashana are given to other charities.
|
|
|
|
