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Deaf Reach Schools operate in Karachi, Lahore and Hyderabad as a morning school for deaf children from KG - Grade 8.
This program caters to the education of children, ages 4–15, from poor areas of town, who have had no prior educational opportunity.
Complimentary “Distance Pick and Drop” transportation enables groups of underprivileged deaf children from outlying areas to receive an education.
They are bussed in for daily classes and show remarkable progress, a truly rewarding experience to witness how quickly they learn.
These young students receive both academic skills and computer and language training.
Deaf Reach Training Centers The Deaf Reach Training Centers in Karachi, Lahore and Hyderabad provide quality supplemental education for deaf children and young adults.
A course teaching sewing and embroidery is offered to female students, as another vocational skill.
IT and computer maintenance are also potential vocations, and these training programs are offered.
Self-esteem is reinforced by a unique feeling of belonging to an institute of excellence dedicated to improving their future and the quality of their lives.
Emphasis on language skills and IT development has made a real impact in the lives of deaf women here, part of our goal of empowering women.
In Pakistan, lack of quality women's education is a pressing social issue, and even more so for those of the deaf community. Another of the goals of Deaf Reach is to provide those students it serves with opportunities for employment once they graduate from the institute, to help them fulfill their roles as contributing members of society.
We have made arrangements with some of the multinational companies in Pakistan to participate in our vocational training program for our older deaf students. In many cases, this is the first program of its kind for these companies, and all have expressed interest in expanding their participation.
Students are also taught how to do resumes, and then encouraged to use these along with a form letter to apply for jobs they are able to research. (This means that they themselves go out and have to do the leg work to try to find a job.) Then when a student gets a response from a potential employer, FESF steps in to supply letters of recommendation and other needed data for the employers.
Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) restaurants operated by deaf staff
Family Educational Services Foundation, in cooperation with national franchise owners of KFC restaurants, has pioneered a new and exciting frontier in Pakistan. Together they have created branch restaurants that are run 100% by the hearing impaired. All staff members, with the exception of the shift manager, are deaf.
Two such Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants are now open, and a third branch will open in the near future. This venture provides employment for upwards of 35 deaf young men and women in each location, a total of over 100 jobs, thus significantly improving the quality of life for those employed, as well as their families.
The majority of these deaf young men and women are students of DRTC and Family Educational Services Foundation is very proud of them in their success.
This joint venture continues to enhance the credibility of Family Educational Services Foundation in the deaf community throughout Pakistan. The public recognition of this has also been very positive, and KFC has received wonderful feedback. Eduserve: Teacher Training Program The mandate of our Eduserve Training Program is to strengthen the educational infrastructure through training teachers, administrators, parents and youth.
Towards this end, we conduct in-depth courses in the field of Education, Child Development and Leadership.
Additionally, FESF produces a series of educational audio/visual materials that are widely used in schools and institutions throughout the country. Courses conducted include:
Parent Teacher meetings include teaching parents sign language, and counseling, in an effort to help them better communicate with their deaf children.
Mrs. Mumtaz Rashdi, a well-known Pakistani educator and former member of the Board of Governors, commended Family Educational Services Foundation thus:
For more on the subject of the teacher training program, please click here.
Community Services
FESF conducts orphan visitation programs and arranges donations of material needs to various institutions for disadvantaged children. We work with children who need extra loving care and encouragement in their lives.
Activities include: FESF Summer Camp: A week long summer camp for the 125+ orphan children at SOS Children's Village and 75 Deaf children from Deaf Reach was a special event for all. From morning until night, 10 days were filled to the brim with fun activities, sporting events, outside excursions, special meals and snacks, music, arts and crafts, and more! One young boy, a resident of the village, said - "I look forward to this camp the whole year. Thank you so much!!"
IT lab for SOS Children: 2 years ago we arranged a donation of computers,
and set up an IT lab at the SOS Village school. This is a wonderful chance for them to learn a
skill that will make a real difference in their future career opportunities.
No other orphanage has this kind of ongoing program.
Motivational Seminars: Various motivational seminars for deaf young men and women were conducted, providing incentive and uplift, challenging the attendees to realize their full potential.
Volunteer Program: We involve young volunteers in hands on work in many of our programs, after training them in Sign Language. “Working with FESF has made me ever so grateful, and helped me
to know that I am able to make a much bigger difference with the little
that I have in this life.” “Thank you for letting me be part of the ‘SOS Orphan Summer
Camp!’ It was more than just a week of fun. It was about instilling
the concept of social responsibility in us, about learning to organize
and run a project, about working in teams, about accountability and consequences
of actions, about leadership and much much more!” Special Benefit Concerts for Special Children
Our resident show troupe Heart Beat! performs benefit musical programs for thousands of children in schools, orphanages, hospitals and centers for the handicapped.
Each year, underprivileged and handicapped children from over 65 Karachi-area schools and institutes gather under balloon-decked tenting to enjoy the annual “Children’s Benefit Concert”, organized by Family Educational Services Foundation. Envision 4,000 children, all excitedly singing and dancing to the music of their favorite musical performers, followed by clowns whose antics bring squeals of delight as well as drama and interactive skits that involve many of the children from the audience.
What makes the event all the more special, these kids are
being treated like VIP guests for the day.
On every other day of the year, these kids, gathered from
dozens of different Karachi schools – many handicapped and all impoverished
– rarely have the opportunity to attend any sort of event. Today
though, this is their day, the ‘Children’s Benefit Concert’
held at the Parsi Institute, this special show organized just for them
by Family Educational Services Foundation (FESF).
Various singing artists, including Shehzad Roy, Najam Sheraz, Hadiqa Kiani, Saleem Javed
and Hayat Aloui from Morocco, have performed at FESF's annual Children's Benefit Concerts.
A great deal of the credit for the success of the event goes to the 100 FESF volunteers who help in preparing the concert, in serving each child ice-cream, drinks, and snacks, as well as assisting in other aspects, down to handling clean-up of the grounds afterwards.
They also help pack the 4,000 gift bags that are distributed
to each one of the children and teachers after the show. These gift bags
–- a sturdy canvas bag printed with a logo of the event –
contain a souvenir magazine, a set of colored pencils, a toothbrush, cookies
and more.
One school principal tells us afterwards how she marvels that all these children could just show up from different areas, and in just a few hours spent together form such a bond of friendship and love. She raves that her children had waited with expectation the whole past year for this event. As the kids begin to file out at the end of the day, one little handicapped girl is trying to open her bag. As I reach down to assist her, she grabs my hand and face and says, “Auntie, thank you so much for today. It made me so, so happy!” It’s difficult to capture in words the effect this
concert has had on these kids. The motto of our annual show is “What
Everybody Needs Is Love!” That pretty much sums up the need for
such an event. Earthquake Relief The focus of our Earthquake Relief Effort was fourfold:
To donate to this Family Care Foundation Project, please note Project NAME and then click here. |
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