This report illustrates of the major

activities amid last six months

pertaining to Sahara Fund Programme
which was initiated for the affected
families soon after the tragic suicide
attack on Islamabad Marriot Hotel on

September 20, 2008

PROGRESS REPORT

Social Welfare Department

Table of Contents

1.

INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................... 2

2.

RELIEF AND REHABILITATION ................................................................................... 3

3.

SUMMARY REPORT OF TOTAL FAMILIES ............................................................... 3

4.

SUMMARY REPORT OF CHILDRENS ACADEMIC LEVEL ................................... 4

5.

ACHIEVEMENTS ................................................................................................................ 4

6.

FUND DISBURSEMENTOF SAHARA FUND (JULY-DEC, 2012) ............................... 5

7.

FUND DISBURSEMENT FOR SMALL BUSINESS INITIATIVES AND SKILL ....... 6

TRAINING (JULY TO DECEMBER 2012) ...................................................................... 6

8.

DONORS AND DONATION ............................................................................................... 6

9.

TOTAL DONATION RECEIVED AND FUND DISBURSMENT.................................. 6

10. PROGRESS ........................................................................................................................... 7

11. FINDINGS OF THE IMPACT ASSESMENT STUDY .................................................... 7

12. MAJOR FINDING OF THE STUDY ................................................................................. 7

13. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FINDINGS ...................................................................... 8

14. SUCCESS STORIES ............................................................................................................ 9

I.
I.

SUCCESS STORY OF AFTAB MEHMOOD .......................................................................................... 9

SUCCESS STORY OF AZHAR MEHMOOD ....................................................................................... 10

1.

INTRODUCTION

The Sahara Fund was initiated by the Hashoo Group and Hashoo Foundation to provide
relief and rehabilitation of those affected by the Marriott Hotel Islamabad bomb blast of
September 20, 2008, killing at least 54 people and injuring at least 266.
The management of Hashoo Group and Hashoo Foundation took immediate action by
devising a concrete plan for relief and rehabilitation of the victims. These efforts were
coordinated and executed within the overall relief and rehabilitation plan with the
collaboration of donor governments, non-governmental and international organizations.
A mechanism for fund disbursement was prepared resulting in 59 families getting
medical, financial and educational assistance since 2009, under Sahara Fund Programme.
Each familys position has been evaluated in an attempt to abet them in achieving the
same income level they had prior to the explosion. Specific policies and procedures have
been developed by the Social Welfare department of Hashoo Foundation, for the
recipients of the affected families who collect disbursement from the Sahara Fund.
Distinct groups have been created in accordance with the family needs that were
established through individual interviews with family members to review their
dependence and level of poverty. These groups are then used to categorize recipient.

The categories of victims were grouped under the following categories:

A. Deceased hotel staff
B. Deceased outsiders
C. Injured staff with disabilities
D. Injured outsiders with disabilities

2. RELIEF AND REHABILITATION

The following relief and rehabilitation measures were taken immediately after the
tragic incident by Hashoo Foundation:
1. Hashoo Foundation supported all affected staff and outsiders in terms of medical
treatment in government as well as in the best private hospitals.
2. Hashoo Foundation provided transport to injured staff and outsiders from
Islamabad to their homes in far-flung areas.
3. Hashoo Foundation developed a support system for the families of the affected
staff and outsiders who died and to those who became disabled and are unable to
work.

The relief and rehabilitation measures were taken as per the criteria executed as
followings:
A. Nature of disability and severity of injury of the staff and outsiders.
B. Number of dependent and economic condition of the family in terms of family
size and a reliable source of income.
C. Extend of needs of the family.
3. SUMMARY REPORT OF TOTAL FAMILIES
S.N

Categories

Base line
Number

Current

Deceased Staff

31

30

Injured Staff

Deceased Outsider

17

11

Injured Outsider

63

48

5
6

Pearl Continental Peshawar

Deceased Staff
Total

4. SUMMARY REPORT OF CHILDRENS ACADEMIC LEVEL

Attending

Attending

Attending

Total Number

School

College

University

of Students

Male

63

16

86

Female

67

11

14

92

Total

130

18

30

178

Gender

5. ACHIEVEMENTS

3 beneficiaries are successfully running their small business and on track towards
self-sustainability.

2 beneficiaries trained on beautician and chic work are inclined to initiate their
own self-sustainability initiatives.

3 beneficiaries successfully phased out from Sahara Fund after initiating their own
business.

2 more beneficiaries are planning to establish their own business once their small
business plan is approved.

1 beneficiary got a job in a renowned national school at Islamabad, Pakistan and

earning sufficient income to sustain himself and his family.

45 families are still getting support out of 63 families.

18 children are getting college level education (Intermediate level, Class 11th and
12th )

30 children are getting university level education (Both graduation and Master
level classes) and some have completed their graduation degree.

6.

FUND DISBURSEMENT OF SAHARA FUND (JULY-DEC, 2012)

USD Value
S.N

Categories of Beneficiaries

Number of

Total Amount

US $1=

Beneficiaries

PKR

PKR. 98

Deceased Staff

30

2579500

26,266.33

Injured Staff

01

52800

8,101.22

Deceased Outsider

11

793920

538.78

Injured Outsider

02

145000

1,479.59

04

361000

3,683.67

48

3932,220

$40,069.59

5
6

Deceased Staff ( P.C Hotel

Peshawar)
Grand Total

Monthly Payment details from July to December, 2012

Months

Total Amount in PKR

July

562,220

August

726,520

September

799,620

October

614,620

November

614,620

December

614,620

Total

3932,220

USD Value
US $1= PKR. 98

5,736.94
7,413.47
8,159.39
6,271.63
6,271.63
6,271.63
$40,124.69

7.

FUND DISBURSEMENT FOR SMALL BUSINESS INITIATIVES AND

SKILL TRAINING (July to December 2012)

Categories of
Beneficiaries

8.

Number

Total Amount

Training

PKR

USD Value
US $1=
PKR. 98

Deceased Staff

General Store

90,000

918.37

Deceased out sider

Dairy Business

86,400

881.63

Injured out sider

Dairy Business

85,000

867.35

Deceased Staff

26,500

270.41

Total

287,900

$2,937.76

Beautician & Chic

Training
--

DONORS AND DONATION

Donors

Marriott International

Donation Received PKR.

USD Value
US $1= PKR. 98

23,632,730

241,150.31

Hashoo Group

1,201,921

12,264.50

Hashoo Group Employee

3,950,800

40,314.29

UCH Power ( Pvt) Ltd

500,000

5,102.04

Pakistan Bait-Ul- Mal

2,000,000

20,408.16

Others

6,489,602

66,220.43

37,775,053

$385,459.72

Total
9.

Business Type &

TOTAL DONATION RECEIVED AND FUND DISBURSEMENT

Fund

Total fund received

Fund disbursed till June,
2012 since inception
Fund disbursed from July
to December, 2012
Total fund disbursement

Total Amount in PKR

USD Value
US $1= PKR. 98

37,775,053

385,459.70

25,274,966

25,7907.80

3,932,220

40,124.69

29,207,186

$298,032.50

10. PROGRESS

Social Welfare Programme (SWP) team conducts assessment of the Sahara Fund
beneficiaries periodically. The prime objectives of the assessments are to evaluate the
effectiveness of the programme and to measure the impact of the financial assistance on
the lives of the beneficiaries as well as their future sustainability plan. Keeping these
objectives in mind, recent impact assessment of the Sahara Fund beneficiaries was
conducted by Social Welfare programme in May, 2012.

11. FINDINGS OF THE IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY

According to the impact assessment study of Sahara Fund Beneficiaries, it was observed
that most part of the fund is being utilized on the childrens education which would not
possible to be carried out without the continued support of Hashoo Foundation. As per
the study, all the assessed Sahara Fund Beneficiaries have been categorized as, those
who need long term support; those who need to be phased out who are financially sound
and medically rehabilitated those have been identified for different professional skill
trainings/courses. We have also identified some beneficiaries who have business
potentials and want to start their own small scale business in order to become self-reliant.
These beneficiaries need to be provided with the initial investment and training related to
the relevant business operation.

12. MAJOR FINDING OF THE STUDY

11 individual have been found for skill training (embroidery, sewing, beautician,
electrician etc.)

12 beneficiaries have been identified for small scale business to run their own
set up (livelihood, general store, parlor etc.

15 of families are already sound financially and self-sustained

5 patient rehabilitated/recovered and went back to their work places

families have been identified for short term assistance and need to be phased

out shortly

17 families have been identified for long term assistance they are include small
children and mothers with no income ,old aged and suffering from some
diseases

13. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FINDINGS

As per the recommendations and findings of the study, two (2) beneficiaries have been
given training on beautician and chic work and some have been provided lump sum
amount to initiate small home based business so that they could go ahead towards selfsustainability. Three (3) beneficiaries have successfully initiated their own small
business and have been smoothly running their business for the last four months. Two (2)
of them were facilitated in purchasing milk giving cow and one of them was facilitated in
initiating general store.

In addition, the amount of monthly financial assistance to

eighteen (18) vulnerable beneficiaries of Sahara Fund has been increased who were
needed long term support and had been recommended as per the findings of the recent
impact assessment study of the Sahara Fund Programme.

14. SUCCESS STORIES

i.

Success story of Aftab Mehmood

Muhammad Din (late) who belongs to the remote area of Okaran, District Punjab, was
working as a CC TV operator at Islamabad
Marriott Hotel when a suicide bomber attacked
Marriott Hotel on the eve of 20th September,
2008. Muhammad Din lost his life leaving his
family in financial hardships. As he was the
sole bread winner of his family and due to his
sudden death all his responsibilities shifted on
the shoulders of his son Aftab Mehmood.
Hashoo Group has always considered all its
employees as family.
Hashoo Foundation was truly disappointed and
moved by this horrifying incident. Keeping in view the financial problems and needs of
struggling

families,

Hashoo

Foundation

introduced Sahara Fund Policy in which the

families like Muhammad Din have been
providing

with

the

monthly

financial

assistance since 2009.

In order to get self-sustainability and financial
independence, Mr. Aftab Mehmood and his
brother expressed their desire to initiate their
own general store. For this purpose, Hashoo
Foundation provided a lump sum amount of
Rs 90,000 ($918) to start their business of
grocery store named, Rana General Store
located in Sadiqabad, Rawalpindi.
As per the survey of Social Welfare Team, Aftab Mehmood has been earning a net profit
of Rs 600 ($6.12) per day.
While interview, he said that he was looking forward to expand his business as he has
been earning a considerable amount of profit. Furthermore, Aftab and his brother are

very much satisfied with their business. They are thankful to Hashoo Foundation for its
tremendous support. Hashoo Foundation played a great role in getting their peace and
dreams back.
If tears could build a stair way and memories a lane, I'd walk right up to heaven and
bring you home again. (Dedicated to Hashoo Foundation)

i.

Success story of Azhar Mehmood

The times in life, that seems to be worst, always turn out for the best.

Azhar Mehmood a young, talented and dynamic Kashmiri, who had a dream to remove
the haunting woes of poverty from the life of his family. His dream fulfilled when got
married with his love Rasila Bibi. In order to provide his family a better and a quality
life, he travelled to Islamabad and joined a company as a security guard situated next to
Marriott Hotel Islamabad. But who knows the life will take such revenge from him. All
his dreams of leading a happy life remained a dream for him when a suicide bomber
attacked Marriott Hotel Islamabad and he badly injured losing his right eyes, and got his
liver damaged.

10

During this time of helplessness and grief, the Hashoo Foundation played a role by
supporting the family. Due to severe liver and internal injuries, doctors had prescribed
him medical treatment. Hashoo Foundation financially supported with respect to all his
medical expenditures. Currently, he has recovered from his internal injuries but
permanently lost his right eyes sight.
However,

he did not lose his

courage. As per Sahara Fund policy

Azhar and his family have been
provided with the medical as well as
financial assistance on monthly basis
since 2009 to help his family could
cope with the financial hardships.
Few

months

ago

Hashoo

Foundations team had made a visit

and encouraged the young couple
towards self-sustainability.
Azhar and his wife, Rasila expressed their desire to initiate their own milk selling
business by purchasing milk giving cow. Hashoo Foundation encouraged him by
accepting his request and provided lump sum amount for the purpose of purchasing cow.
According to our follow up visit, the cow gives 8 kilograms of milk per day out of which
he sells 4 kilograms in the market. Today, he earns comparatively more income than that
of the monthly financial assistance had been provided by Hashoo Foundation. Azhar is
very thankful to Hashoo Foundation and Social Welfare Team for their immense support.
Hashoo Foundation has achieved a great mile stone by helping an affected family
become self-sustained.

11