This thread is started for mainly the British Pakistanis but will appreciate comments and support from others also.
I am currently in the process of starting a Youth Association whereby British Pakistani Youth will play the pivitol role as described below.
We are all aware of the current flood disaster which the 2004 Tsunami, 2005 Pakistan earthquake and Haiti earthquake put together does not come near to the sheer damage and volume of work required in Pakistan being of epic proportions in the short and long term.
Not just lives lost and the fact that 20 million people are homeless, the main issue arising out of all of this is that the infrastructure has been destroyed. To some that may not mean much, so let me put it into perpective.........there are no roads (estimates are that 5000 km has been destroyed), almost all bridges destroyed, no schools, no hospitals, no institutions/departments, no electricity pylons, no telephone masts (landline or mobile)......it is fair to say there is a complete loss. Pakistan may well have been sent back to pre 1947.
With this in light and the above daunting task ahead, I recall something my father used to say to me, mainly with regards to the racism in the UK we used to suffer.....you can either moan all your life about it, or make a change and get on with it....
I prefer the latter, hence here goes...........
British Pakistanis in the UK number 1.2 million....the largest population of us is here in the West Midlands of 172,000 and 164,000 in the London Boroughs. We make up 11% of Birmingham's population.
The plan put forward by Youths here is that an Association is put together whereby British Pakistani Youth are encouraged to put forward £5 a month in direct debit. Now £5 a month is only a mere £1.25 a week (a chocolate bar and packet of crisps). Although the asking number is small, this is the whole point. It is small enough to not put anyone out of pocket, and we make even the odds as we have strength in numbers. If out of our community we can get 10,000 persons to sign up, that is £50,000 a month. The Government gift aid scheme fro UK tax payers of 28% will push this amount to £60,000, converted to Pakistani rupee at the current going rate of 133.31, that is 80 lakhs.
I have made enquiries and confirmed that at a cost of 70-90 lakhs a small bridge can be built. I have also liaised with Mabey Bridge and Shore inc. with regards to larger "lego" type of bridges and I believe that with the right number of people and investment, if this group set up and liaises with other groups like the Pakistan Youth Alliance in Pakistan, and co-ordinate our efforts, we can make a practical difference on the ground.
I have raised the point of requesting Pakistani Miliatry Engineers for the construction of roads and bridges rather then having to fork out large sums of money to western engineers or domestic. This will give best value for money.
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I would firstly like to know peoples views and furthermore, I am setting up leafleting and awareness of our campaign and drive towards this work whilst our fellow agencies continue with rehabilitation work. We have set up a standard of each person getting 5 persons to join up and those 5 persons get a further 5 persons. This way, numbers grow, awareness grows and also instead of putting up something daft like 20 persons, 5 is a much more realistic figure and achievable.
Would anyone of Pakistani origin in the UK, on this forum please give their time and effort in assisting us to launch and grow. We have set up numerous ideas about website, donations (e-commerce) or otherwise, amzan appeals, television ads, newspaper ads, T-shirt sales of BPYA logos etc etc..............
Please submit some further ideas and any requests for help to the following e-mail:
BPYA@hotmail.co.uk
I look forward to your responses.
I would also request any logo ideas and full back page pictures which we will be adding to the leaflets......
bit like this from the PYA website:
http://www.pya.org.pk/gallery/15-an...iolation/detail/260-tuluh.html?tmpl=component
I am currently in the process of starting a Youth Association whereby British Pakistani Youth will play the pivitol role as described below.
We are all aware of the current flood disaster which the 2004 Tsunami, 2005 Pakistan earthquake and Haiti earthquake put together does not come near to the sheer damage and volume of work required in Pakistan being of epic proportions in the short and long term.
Not just lives lost and the fact that 20 million people are homeless, the main issue arising out of all of this is that the infrastructure has been destroyed. To some that may not mean much, so let me put it into perpective.........there are no roads (estimates are that 5000 km has been destroyed), almost all bridges destroyed, no schools, no hospitals, no institutions/departments, no electricity pylons, no telephone masts (landline or mobile)......it is fair to say there is a complete loss. Pakistan may well have been sent back to pre 1947.
With this in light and the above daunting task ahead, I recall something my father used to say to me, mainly with regards to the racism in the UK we used to suffer.....you can either moan all your life about it, or make a change and get on with it....
I prefer the latter, hence here goes...........
British Pakistanis in the UK number 1.2 million....the largest population of us is here in the West Midlands of 172,000 and 164,000 in the London Boroughs. We make up 11% of Birmingham's population.
The plan put forward by Youths here is that an Association is put together whereby British Pakistani Youth are encouraged to put forward £5 a month in direct debit. Now £5 a month is only a mere £1.25 a week (a chocolate bar and packet of crisps). Although the asking number is small, this is the whole point. It is small enough to not put anyone out of pocket, and we make even the odds as we have strength in numbers. If out of our community we can get 10,000 persons to sign up, that is £50,000 a month. The Government gift aid scheme fro UK tax payers of 28% will push this amount to £60,000, converted to Pakistani rupee at the current going rate of 133.31, that is 80 lakhs.
I have made enquiries and confirmed that at a cost of 70-90 lakhs a small bridge can be built. I have also liaised with Mabey Bridge and Shore inc. with regards to larger "lego" type of bridges and I believe that with the right number of people and investment, if this group set up and liaises with other groups like the Pakistan Youth Alliance in Pakistan, and co-ordinate our efforts, we can make a practical difference on the ground.
I have raised the point of requesting Pakistani Miliatry Engineers for the construction of roads and bridges rather then having to fork out large sums of money to western engineers or domestic. This will give best value for money.
--------------
I would firstly like to know peoples views and furthermore, I am setting up leafleting and awareness of our campaign and drive towards this work whilst our fellow agencies continue with rehabilitation work. We have set up a standard of each person getting 5 persons to join up and those 5 persons get a further 5 persons. This way, numbers grow, awareness grows and also instead of putting up something daft like 20 persons, 5 is a much more realistic figure and achievable.
Would anyone of Pakistani origin in the UK, on this forum please give their time and effort in assisting us to launch and grow. We have set up numerous ideas about website, donations (e-commerce) or otherwise, amzan appeals, television ads, newspaper ads, T-shirt sales of BPYA logos etc etc..............
Please submit some further ideas and any requests for help to the following e-mail:
BPYA@hotmail.co.uk
I look forward to your responses.
I would also request any logo ideas and full back page pictures which we will be adding to the leaflets......
bit like this from the PYA website:
http://www.pya.org.pk/gallery/15-an...iolation/detail/260-tuluh.html?tmpl=component
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