Pakistan Appeals
Here at Zohra Foundation, we are a charity organisation that works directly with people in Pakistan who are affected by poverty, chronic hunger, medical conditions, poor hygiene, and natural disasters.
We provide life-saving aid to people who need it most. Our mission specifically focuses on elderly people, to ease their hardships, reduce their loneliness and provide them with the medical care and social support that their caregivers cannot offer them.
Read on to discover more about the Pakistan Appeals which we are currently carrying out here at Zohra Foundation.
Pakistan Flood Appeal
In 2022, Pakistan experienced catastrophic flooding, which has had devastating repercussions across the whole nation. The annual monsoon saw unprecedented levels of rainfall, which caused one of the most disastrous floods in living memory. The ravaging floodwaters caused hundreds of buildings and bridges to collapse, and it washed away homes, roads, villages, farmland and crops.
Tragically, more than 1,700 lost their lives during the floods, including over 520 children. The floods also killed over 1.2 million livestock. This has impacted the supply of animal products such as milk and meat, which has caused widespread food shortages and hiked up food prices.
Among the surviving populations, dangerous waterborne diseases such as dengue fever and cholera are spreading, as are skin infections. Yet, the people affected cannot access medications or medical treatment to relieve their suffering, because the floodwaters have caused major damage to hospitals, clinics and medical facilities.
Accessing clean water and sanitation is another huge struggle for people whose lives have been left in absolute ruin by the floods. In a country where 79 million people were already lacking access to a proper toilet, this problem has been hugely exacerbated, as the floods have destroyed sanitation facilities and polluted water supply lines. This has left people with the horrendous choice of either drinking contaminated water or dehydrating.
Sadly, the global climate emergency has also helped drive the natural disaster. As the world pumps more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, this heats the earth up more. This leads to more extreme weather conditions such as floods, cyclones and heatwaves. Scientists have found that climate change led to the extreme rainfall that caused the flooding. Global warming has also caused the glaciers in Pakistan to melt, which exacerbated the problem in 2022.
Pakistan only contributes 0.8% of the global carbon footprint, yet it is one of the most climate-stressed countries on the planet. It is also a hugely disaster-prone nation, as it is one of the most seismically active countries on earth, making it prone to destructive earthquakes.
Therefore, the people of Pakistan need our help, now more than ever. They urgently need our financial assistance, to help them survive this humanitarian crisis and rebuild their lives.
We at Zohra Foundation are on the ground in Pakistan, distributing cooked meals, clean water, tents, kitchen utensils and hygiene kits, to people affected by the floods. We are also helping rebuild the homes that so many people have lost during this calamity.
Click here to donate to our Pakistan Flood Appeal. We encourage you to donate whatever you can- every penny helps.
‘Adopt a Grandparent’ Appeal
At Zohra Foundation, we understand how difficult it is to be an elderly person in Pakistan. With no care homes or comfortable retirement packages, elderly people mainly live with their extended families and are looked after by their relatives.
For the millions of people in Pakistan who already live in extreme poverty, meeting all the costs for food and healthcare for elderly relatives is a real struggle.
Increasingly in Pakistan, elderly men and women are suffering from depression, financial exploitation and deprivation, which is leading to increasing suicide rates among the elderly in the region.
Our team has witnessed that when the elderly are completely reliant on hand-outs from their relatives, it makes them feel like a burden. They are reluctant to communicate any health problems, out of fear of causing issues with their family.
For example, health issues like bladder control are taboo subjects. So, these issues are not talked about or dealt with properly by caregivers. In the long term, this causes more shame and embarrassment for the elderly within their own family.
Therefore, looking after elderly people is of paramount importance. That is why Zohra Foundation runs an ‘Adopt a Grandparent’ scheme, to provide free medical treatment, food and shelter to the elderly.
For just £25 a month, you can provide the basic necessities to support an elderly person and relieve their caregivers of the financial burden.
Donating to an elderly person will offer them an opportunity to live their final days with the respect, dignity and honour that they deserve.
Dementia Care Appeal
Here at Zohra Foundation, we provide dementia care for patients in need. Our dedicated dementia care team in Pakistan travel across the country to provide free psychological and medical support to patients.
We help individuals maintain their physical and cognitive well-being, and we educate caregivers about the progressive nature of the disease and consider how it can be managed at home. Without our dedicated nurses and doctors, thousands of elderly people in the country would be left neglected, isolated and struggling.
Care for Orphans and Impoverished Children
There are thought to be around 4 million orphaned children in Pakistan. Losing one or two parents can throw a child’s future into jeopardy.
In many cases, children are forced to beg in the streets or work in menial jobs to survive, which puts them at risk of abuse and robs them of education opportunities.
At Zohra Foundation, our Orphan Care Appeal ensures that orphans and impoverished children can access the essentials that they need to survive. Our aim is to provide financial assistance to as many of these children as we can.
For just £25 a month, you can provide free medical treatment, food and shelter to an orphan child and support to their caregivers. Give these vulnerable children an opportunity to have a better life with the dignity which they deserve.
It is our responsibility to care for orphans and we must not neglect those in need.
Click here to read our blog article on ‘how to sponsor an orphan in Pakistan?’
Medical Aid in Pakistan
Zohra Foundation has been providing free medical aid in Pakistan for over 5 years. Our medical packs, volunteer nurses and doctors travel across Pakistan to provide lifesaving medical treatment to thousands of men and women.
Our teams offer free health screenings, free medication and free follow-up visits to help detect and manage common diseases that affect the elderly. This includes home visits, carrying out medical procedures, and supporting families of patients with ongoing counselling and medical advice.
Eye Camps
At Zohra Foundation, we run eye camps for vulnerable communities across Pakistan. Our trained team members carry out routine eye exams to treat existing conditions and prevent further damage. We also offer free eye surgery and free glasses, to correct near and far-sighted impairment.
Click here to donate to our Eye Camps campaign, and give the gift of sight today.
Your donations mean that there will be greater awareness of eye health issues among the wider community, which will help elderly people get the medical treatment they need.
Does donating to Zohra Foundation count as Zakat or Sadaqah?
Yes, all our Pakistan Appeals are 100% Zakat-eligible.
In the last 6 years, we have saved the lives of thousands of vulnerable, elderly men and women across Pakistan through our free medical treatment and sponsorship programmes.
When is Zakat due in the year 2023?
Every able Muslim must pay Zakat once a year, once they reach their Nisab threshold (which means the minimum amount of wealth which a Muslim must have, before they pay their Zakat).
There is no ‘set’ time when Zakat is due, but the majority of people choose to pay their Zakat before the end of Ramadan.
In 2023, Ramadan will take place between 22 March to 21 April 2023.
Donate
Zohra Foundation is a London-based, UK-registered charity organization that aims to improve the lives of millions of orphans, widows and the elderly throughout Pakistan and respond to emergencies in other parts of the world.
Our teams are currently delivering emergency relief across Pakistan, following the devastating floods of summer 2022.
Donate to Zohra Foundation’s Pakistan Flood appeal here.
Support our Pakistan relief projects on medical aid, dementia camps and eye camps here.
Click here to support our ‘Adopt a Grandparent’ scheme or orphan sponsorship scheme.
To learn more about Zohra Foundation, visit the website here.
To read articles on our blog, click here.