Professor Dr Mukhtiar Zaman, Chief Executive of the Abaseen Foundation Pakistan is delighted to announce the inauguration of the Abaseen Foundation Degree College, soon to become the Abaseen Foundation University, the first of its kind to be established in a remote village like Shamshatoo, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
Professor Dr Mukhtiar Zaman,
Chief Executive, the Abaseen Foundation Pakistan
The Abaseen Foundation UK and Pakistan is a partnership that supports some of the poorest people in the world who live in rural North West Pakistan, to find a path out of poverty that can take them on a journey to a better future. The two foundations have worked together to provide education, health, nutrition, and humanitarian relief for more than 20 years.
Prof. Dr. Mukhtiar Zaman said, “Our services are only possible through the donations of our generous supporters in the UK, Pakistan and other parts of the world and the pace to develop the Degree College has been accelerated through a very generous donation from Dr Qadir Bakhsh MBE and Mrs Rukhsana Bakhsh, who are longstanding supporters of the work of Abaseen Foundation.
Prof. Dr. Mukhtiar Zaman welcomed Mrs. Rukhsana Bakhsh, an Educationalist, and guest of honour from the United Kingdom, to the inauguration ceremony. He expressed deep gratitude on behalf of the Abaseen Foundation UK Trustees, Board of Governors Members in Pakistan and the girls who will benefit from the degree college for the very generous donation and encouragement to go faster to develop and open the college.
He also expressed deep gratitude for the support of all the donors, both in Pakistan and in the UK.
Mrs. Rukhsana Bakhsh, MA, BEd
(Educationalist and Psychologist)
Mrs. Rukhsana Bakhsh responded by saying ‘I am delighted and feel privileged to have been invited to the inauguration and unveiling of the plaque ceremony of the Abaseen Foundation Degree College, soon to become the Abaseen Foundation University, Insha’Allah.
We, as a family, have always felt honoured to have been associated with ‘Team Abaseen Foundation’, Shamshatoo and its residents.
Two aspects of the Abaseen Foundation, are unique. Their altruistic and visionary leadership has developed and pioneered a ‘whole village approach’ in terms of:
1) Firstly, catering for the needs of all of the communities of the village, from children, through to youth and elderly, both male and female, on the backdrop of abject poverty.
2) Secondly, developing and providing a wide range of services and facilities, including education, school meals, health, housing, vocational training, employment, welfare and supporting the wellbeing of orphans.
Their aspiration to establish a university in this remote village is unique, unrivalled and incomparable, aiming to provide higher education at the doorstep of Shamshatoo children, girls in particular.
The “Shamshatoo Project” should be emulated and copied in all remote areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and indeed the whole of Pakistan.
We are also proud to have supported some of the following initiatives so far:
1. Supporting the Degree College and the proposed University initiatives.
2. Contributing towards the construction of 2 out of 9 houses for local residents, dedicated to Rukhsana’s and Qadir’s parents.
3. Contributing towards the extension of a classroom, dedicated to the late Miss Taj Bakhsh.
4. Sponsoring a girl for two years (£500 per year) towards her degree education.
Providing small donations as and when during Ramadhan appeals.’
Helen Bingley, OBE, Chief Executive of the Abaseen Foundation in the UK, extended her personal appreciation and gratitude to Dr Qadir Bakhsh MBE and Mrs Rukhsana Bakhsh on this occasion and said ’thank you to both of you for pushing us faster than we imagined was possible to deliver this very important project, and for your generous donation that enabled this.’
Helen also said ‘thank you to the selfless volunteers, generous donors, and passionate fund raisers in the UK, who raise hundreds of thousands of pounds every year, for various projects in Shamshatoo, KPK, in Pakistan.’
Helen Bingley, OBE, DL, JP, Chief Executive of the Abaseen Foundation in the UK,
Helen said ‘on behalf of all the people that I have come to know over the years in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa who have benefited from the work of Abaseen Foundation I say a huge thank you to those who have and continue their outstanding fund raising for all the Abaseen Foundation initiatives.’
The work was recognised when the UK Charity was awarded The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2018, the MBE for voluntary organisations, in the same year the Treasurer Mark Ferguson received the BT Chairman’s Award Fundraiser of the Year and Helen was awarded an OBE for her voluntary work in the UK and abroad. Helen said ‘I am deeply honoured and privileged to be part of the amazing partnership between Abaseen Foundation UK and Abaseen Foundation Pakistan who together support people to realise their dreams. I am honoured to lead the UK team to support Prof. Dr. Mukhtiar Zaman and the Pakistan team and acknowledge that none of what we do would be possible without the powerful and unwavering leadership of Mukhtiar Zaman, he has been crucial to the development of both Foundations and continues to be crucial to implementing the projects in Pakistan.’
