KARACHI: Was it the little car’s bright red exterior or was it its fuel efficiency in these times of inflation? What was it about the eco-friendly, urban-concept, small and slim, single-seater car representing a collaboration between SOS Technical Training Institute (TTI) and Shell Pakistan, which was attracting some of the most respected guests to it at its launch?

The chairman, SOS children’s villages of Sindh, Senator (r) Javed Jabbar, whose selfless involvement is providing so many homeless children a clean, safe and wholesome home environment, jokingly wondered aloud if someone would also gift him a car like that. And philanthropist Ava Cowasjee was half inside it, head first, through one of its windows. On being asked politely what on Earth was she was up to, she quickly got a hold on her emotions and said she was looking for the gear, handbrake lever or something like that.

The launch, on Tuesday, was a simple and brief affair held on the premises of the SOS TTI, located on the Infaq Foundation campus in Korangi.

It was attended, among others, by the young men and women who are acquiring technical proficiency in one or more of the 12 specialist six-month courses offered by SOS TTI for the benefit of youth from low-income families residing in Karachi.

In his address of welcome, SOS TTI’s Principal Comdr (r) Khalid Wasim stated that the project was proposed by Shell Pakistan Ltd followed by the signing of an MoU with SOS TTI in March 2023. He said that the cost of the project was only Rs1.3 million.

“Shell Pakistan took a bold decision to give this project to SOS TTI as this is the first time that this kind of technical project was given to any vocational technical training institute here,” he said.

“In the past this kind of project was assigned to engineering universities as a part of students’ study projects,” he added.

The car was built by a five-member project team led by Muhammad Abdullah, head of the Motor Cycle Department at TTI and supported by trainees Danyal Riaz, Umaima Faraz, Habibullah and Mohammed Faisal.

It runs on normal petrol but with high efficiency and low emissions. It is 9.6 feet long and 4 feet wide. It has an aluminum chassis with tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding to form a lattice. It has been installed with a 100CC Electronic Fuel Injection engine with a range of 50km per litre. After intensive testing and trials, the project was completed around the end of April.

Around 80 per cent of its fabrication work was done at SOS-TTI. This includes its design, construction of chassis, engine installation, machining of wheel rims, installation of wheels and shock absorbers, electrical work including meters, lights, gauges and meters, hydraulic brake system, fabric glass mold and body work.

The social performance manager of Shell Pakistan, Nida Tanzeel, appreciated the promptness and proficiency with which the SOS TTI team completed the project. She stressed that Shell had consistently supported the training and capacity building of youth in technology and in related services-sectors. She also distributed cash awards to the project team.

Acknowledging Shell for sponsoring the project and facilitating the team and the institute’s principal on their success, Senator (r) Javed Jabbar, also lauded the voluntary contributions made by his colleagues towards establishing and operating the TTI.

He said the TTI had so far, in about 10 years, produced some 13,000 skilled youth currently gainfully self-employed or engaged in productive capacities with different organisations.

He acknowledged the generous philanthropic funds provided to the TTI by Ava Cowasjee, and stressed the need for youth to gain technical empowerment as well as the need to explore innovations and creativity in the age of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine-learning systems.

Chairman Emeritus, SOS Sindh, Yacoob Zamindar (Tamgha-i-Imtiaz) delivered the vote of thanks.

Finally, the car completed a smooth and successful test run from the stage to the garage, which was applauded by everyone presentation.

Published in Dawn, May 15th, 2024