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Title:
Power of Giving
Speaker: Prof. Dr. Abdul Ghaffar Billoo, Chairman, Health and Nutrition
Development Society (HANDS)
Venue: NGO Resource Centre
D – 114, Block 5, Clifton, Karachi – Tel 5865501-2
Friday – August 29, 2008
Social sector development is the only solution for poverty eradication, so the
civil society organizations should focus on development instead of spending on
charity.
These views were expressed by Prof. Dr. Abdul Ghaffar Billoo, Chairman, Health
and Nutrition Development Society (HANDS), speaking on “Power of Giving” at the
Development Forum, organized by NGO Resource Centre, (A project of Aga Khan
Foundation) here on August 29, 2008. About 20 participants from different CSOs
of Karachi attended the forum.
Dr. Billoo said giving does not mean giving your money, but one can give
physically, mentally or spiritually and in other forms for the welfare of human
being . “You can give your precious time, which is one of the best giving” he
said.
He deplored that in Pakistan, people do not understand the difference between
charity and social development. Quoting the famous Chinese saying ‘Teach a man
to fish and you feed him for a life’ Dr. Billoo said the charity is meant for
calamities like floods or earthquake. In day-to-day life, social development
should be focused instead of giving in charity. There are some organizations in
Pakistan, whose charity budget is over Rs 50 million a month, but the entire
amount is spent on charity. “With such an amount many primary schools or
dispensaries can be opened water supply schemes can be initiated,” he added.
Education to people can empower them, he said adding that education is an
important step towards sustainable development and eradicating poverty.
Pakistan is blessed with many philanthropists, who have initiated a number of
education, health and research institutes and projects, which not only cater to
needs of the country, but they are famous internationally. HEJ Research
Institute of Chemistry is one of the top most six research institutes in the
world and many international students are getting education and doing research
at it, he said. The education institution like BVS Parsi school is still
considered as one of the best schools in the country. Moreover, Shaukat Khanum
Memorial Trust is one of the exemplary institutions, which has introduced a new
trend and now people from show biz and cricket are following. DJ College, Ganga
Ram Hospital, NED University, SIUT are some glaring examples of giving in
Pakistan.
Dr. Billoo said in Pakistan giving is almost beating the amount the government
spends on education and health. The government’s spending and health and
education is Rs 84 billion, where as according to 1988 survey Pakistan’s
indigenous philanthropy amounted to Rs 70 billion, which has now crossed Rs 100
billion. Volunteering in Pakistan was 58 percent, which is more than double from
the global average of 25 percent. Foreign aid was Rs 6 billion in 1978 in
Pakistan, which indicates that local giving was more than foreign aid.
He underlined the need to channelize the giving money in Pakistan. More than 58
percent people, who give their money in charity do not know how their money is
being spent. He said according to the survey, more than 80 percent of giving in
Pakistan goes to religious organizations.
Dr. Billoo referred to the top 10 international biggest foundations, which are
providing funds for development all over the world. Among them included Welcome
Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Howard Higher Medical Education,
Lilly Foundation, Ford Foundation, John Foundation, Kellogg Foundation, Bosch
Foundation etc. He said many of these foundations are funding various social
sector projects in Pakistan. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is providing funds
for EPI (immunization) project in Pakistan, he added.
The core objectives of these foundations, he said, are healthcare, education,
science and medicine, social and environment issues, improvement of lives of
children, reproductive health, fighting poverty and increasing access to IT.
Talking about HANDS, he said “we started at HANDS very modestly from 15
villages, now it is spread in more than 7,000 villages. HANDS teams are now
working in 15 districts of Sindh.
During the meeting the participants actively participated.
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