Islamabad (PR): More than 400 people with disabilities (PWDs) participated in a Flag March to celebrate Pakistan’s Independence Day and pay homage to their country. Dressed in green and white T-shirts and caps with Pakistan’s flag, the PWDs gather at the KMC Sports Complex to participate in the first ever PWD led Flag March to commemorate the day.
The flag marchers passed through New Jinnah Road and reached the Quaid’s Mausoleum to offer Fateha and pray for Pakistan’s prosperity. The Deputy Commissioner-East joined the Flag March which also consisted of a colourful float with PWDs singing national songs and performing cultural dances.
The event was organized by the Association for the Rehabilitation of the Challenging People (ARCP), an organization that works for empowerment and social integration of PWDs with support from the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund.
PPAF’s interventions for persons with disabilities aim at improving their quality of life and providing them with opportunities for their better mobility, improved health and increased participation in community life. To achieve this, PPAF conducts awareness raising sessions at Union Council and Hamlet levels, to sensitize the communities on the issues and potential of persons with different abilities. PPAF has conducted assessment camps, provided assistive devices, organized Attendant Trainings and trainings for school teachers. PPAF also supports platforms that bring children with different disabilities together so that they can demonstrate to the world, and to themselves, a ‘can do’ attitude.
PPAF has provided services to all types of disabilities at the doorstep of approximately 52,157 beneficiaries and rehabilitated approximately 30,872 persons with disabilities. PPAF is also custodian of the largest database of persons with disabilities in Pakistan, identified through a carpet survey of 139,584 households in selected 38 union councils. Under its Enterprise development program, PPAF has provided trainings to 3,014 persons with disabilities along with business incubation of 2,755 persons. PPAF also provides financial assistance to institutes working with children suffering from hearing impairment and to institutes working for people suffering from visual impairment
Building upon its experience PPAF provides third generation support by engaging specialized partners not only to deliver services but also to expand knowledge, innovations, quality and to attain scale at the same time.
