A Batch of 150 Young Trainees Certified under Hospitality Management Training Program

Hashoo Foundation team with the trainees at Graduation Ceremony in PC Rawalpindi

Hashoo Foundation in partnership with Punjab Skills

Development Fund commemorated and celebrated the

accomplishments of 150 young trainees in Hospitality

Management Training Program (HMTP) on Friday 27th June

2014 at PC Hotel, Rawalpindi. The award ceremony was

conducted to honour the graduating trainees of its “Skills for

Job 2013-14” project.

The event began with the skit performance, followed by

dance performances and reflections of the Program from

staff and graduating trainees. The event was brief, packed

with an energetic participation of the young men and

women.

At the event, Mr. Aqeel Nawaz Khan, Director of Programs,

Hashoo Foundation congratulated the trainees and their

families on achieving this milestone and entering into a new

arena of development and growth. He also acknowledged

the project team's dedication and enthusiasm of the

participants for putting up a great show:

“There is a great deal of talent among the youth of

Southern Punjab. Hashoo Foundation has

successfully groomed these talented individuals to

become role models within the Hospitality

Industry.”

He also highlighted that Hashoo Foundation has

successfully trained approximately 70,000 youth to date in

various courses certified by City & Guilds UK and National

Training Bureau Government of Pakistan and enabled them

to improve their quality of life.

eCHRONICLESMonthly Staff NewsletterJuly 2014 Issue No. 7

In This Edition

Editors: Content Writer:

Graphic Designer:

Saeed-Ur-Rehman Momina AbrarMazhar Yaseen

EDITORIAL TEAM Chairperson: Country Director:

Director Programs: CFO & Director Operations:

Sarah HashwaniAli Akbar

Aqeel Nawaz Khan Sulaiman Dhanani

2014 LEADERSHIP

Dear readers, keeping the tradition of sharing the latest happenings within the Foundation alive, we have come up with yet another exciting edition of e-Chronicles. This edition features how Hashoo Foundation successfully uplifted the economic status of the Afghan Refugees through one of its projects that ended this month, certification of another 150 young people in Hospitality Management, signing of MOU between Roots International Schools and Hashoo Foundation and much more….

Editor's Note

If you are irritated

by every rub, how

will your mirror be

polished?

RUMI

Quote of The Month

As always, this e-newsletter is the outcome of the collaborative efforts of various departments in Hashoo Foundation (HF) and we hope you would enjoy reading it. Please continue sharing your ideas to improve our future editions.

Happy reading!

Editorial Team

Hashoo Foundation Facilitates Economic Uplift of Afghan Refugees

Hashoo Foundation Participated in Skills Exhibition in Lahore

Hashoo Foundation participated in a Skills Mela Vocational Expo,

organized by Punjab Skills Development Fund (PSDF) in the month of

May, 2014 at Pearl Continental Hotel, Lahore. The aim was to

showcase and promote the training programs offered under the

project “Skills for Job 2013-14”.

The event welcomed 100,000-150,000 attendees and was attended

by the Guest of Honor Mr. Ali Sarfraz, Secretary Industries

Government of Punjab and Mr. Jawad Ahmed, Chief Operating

Officer, Technical Education & Vocational Training Authority. The

Hotel Management Training Program's (HTMP) trainees presented

tokens of appreciation to honourable guests on behalf of Hashoo

Foundation. The chief guest appreciated the participation of female

trainees in HMTP and regarded their participation as a positive sign

for the future of hospitality industry in Pakistan. A female trainee presents Token of Appreciation to Mr. Jawad Ahmed, COO-TEVTA, Punjab

Mr Ali Akbar, Country Director Hashoo Foundation presenting a certificate of appreciation to a trainee for rendering excellent services

Hashoo Foundation (HF) began the

“Skills Training and Income Generation

Project for Urban Afghan Refugees” in

July 2010. The project aimed to

improve the livelihoods of the

vulnerable, urban based Afghan

Refugees residing in Peshawar, Attock,

Rawalpindi and Islamabad, by

imparting employable skills training

and facilitating their job placement.

The project provided comprehensive

six month training courses that

combined theory with on the job

training in 9 different trades, ranging

from Beautician to Electrician skills.

T h e e v e n t w a s p a c ke d w i t h

inspirational speeches from the

Afghan Refugees whose lives have

been transformed by the project. It

was followed by entertaining drama

and dance performances to showcase

Afghan culture.

Hashoo Foundation conducted a

prestigious Award Ceremony on

Wednesday 25th June 2014 to

honour the graduating trainees of

its “Skills Training and Income

Generation Project for Urban

Afghan Refugees.” The graduates

r e c e i v e d t h e i r a p p r o v e d

certification from the Skil l

D e v e l o p m e n t C o u n c i l ,

Government of Pakistan. The

event celebrated the efforts of the

high achieving graduates and it

acknowledged the Foundation's

role in uplifting the living

standards of the marginalized

Afghan refugees with the financial

s u p p o r t o f t h e U S S t a t e

D e p a r t m e n t , B u r e a u o f

Po p u l at i o n , Ref u ge e s a n d

Migration (BPRM).

A local artisan playing traditional Afghan music during the Award Distribution Ceremony at PC hotel, Peshawar

On this occasion, Mr. Ali Akbar, Country Director, Hashoo

Foundation lauded the untiring efforts of the team, who;

despite difficult circumstances facilitated the improvement

of livelihoods and greater economic security within the

Afghan Refugee Community.

“There is a great deal of talent among the Afghan

Refugees, however they require the opportunity to

demonstrate this talent. Hashoo Foundation has

successfully provided both the opportunities and

resources to individuals in order for them to flourish

in their chosen careers.”

Trainees of Career Guidance Workshop along with the facilitators from Hashoo Foundation and Plan Pakistan

Hashoo Foundation in collaboration with Plan Pakistan organized a training workshop titled “Career Guidance Workshop for

Youth” on June 12, 2014. The workshop was held at Plan Pakistan's office in Islamabad. A group of 28 beneficiaries attended

the workshop, which aimed at creating awareness regarding career guidance and counseling. The representatives of both the

organizations shed light upon a series of career options, analyzing the opportunities and requirements to overcome

challenges. The facilitators also helped the beneficiaries explore their inborn skills and possible career options keeping in view

their areas of interest. Likewise, a series of inspirational videos were projected to motivate the participants to achieve their

set career goals. An attendant to the workshop expressed his experience as:

“The workshop was very helpful. We all have options before our eyes, choosing the appropriate one is a difficult feat.

This is where Hashoo Foundation and Plan Pakistan helped me with”.

Hashoo Foundation and Plan Pakistan Jointly Organized Career Guidance Workshopfor Youth

Mr Ali Akbar, Country Director, Hashoo Foundation and Mr Walid Mushtaq, CEO, Roots International Schools signing the MoU at Core Office, Islamabad

MOU signed between Hashoo Foundation and Roots International Schools

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed

between Hashoo Foundation and Roots International

School on July 03, 2014. The partnership aims to create a

linkage between the development sector and academia for

the cognitive and social growth of students that ultimately

contributes in economic growth and stability of the country. The MoU signing is a notable event for both the

organizations as it aims to mark Pakistan's success towards

better educational, economical, commerce and social

entrepreneurship of the youth. Mr Ali Akbar, Country

Director, Hashoo Foundation and Walid Mushtaq, CEO,

Roots International Schools while signing agreed upon the

following points of action: Roots International Schools shall extend 50% waiver of

admission fee to the children of Hashoo Foundation

employees.

A waiver of 100% in security fee and 30% in tuition fee

shall also be applicable. A discount of 10% is applicable to the undergraduate

programs of all Roots International Schools. Roots International Schools shall, by virtue of its

academic core competencies, be willing to extend the

global international placements scheme to the Hashoo

Foundation's staff.The discounts shall only be extended to all employees in

possession of Hashoo Foundation's employee card.Any Hashoo Foundation employee who aims to avail the

discount, must bring Official letter/ employee card in

order to avail the discount policy. Hashoo Foundation's top professionals will take

sessions for the students of RIS, aiming at inculcating

the values of humanity and social services.

setup within an organization. Three staff members from the

core office, Chitral and Gilgit Regional Offices represented

Hashoo Foundation. As a way forward, CWS is going to offer

us Post-Workshop Technical Support to further improve our

Human Resource & Organizational Development system

The Capacity Institutionalization Project (CIP) of Church

World Services - Pakistan organized a 4-Day Residential

Training on 'Human Resource Development' at Hill View

Hotel, Islamabad from June 9th-12th, 2014. The workshop

offered an interactive and unique opportunity to the peers

regarding the importance of a strong Human Resource (HR)

Hashoo Foundation & Church World Service (CWS) Join Hands for Human ResourceDevelopment

We are pleased to share that Ms. Uzma Minhas has recently joined Hashoo Foundation as a Senior Human Resource Officer. She has an MBA (Masters of Business Administration) degree from Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi.

Uzma brings with her seven years' extensive experience of working in a number of roles within the Development sector mainly including MEDA USAID Entrepreneurs

Welcome to the New StaffProject, KLM Dutch Airlines, The Tree House and European Commission.

Uzma states: “I am a self-motivated individual who believes in career building with honesty and dedication and intend to resume my professional journey at HF with the same strategy”

Uzma MinhasSenior Human Resource Officer

A blog by Momina Abrar

Life at home cannot be compared to the life in

a hostel. At home one has to live as per likes of

other members of the family. Children find it

difficult to stick to a timetable, ensure

minimum 3 to 4 hours study a day and adhere

to time management principles to develop

good routines.

Nestled amidst the staggeringly beautiful snow-capped peaks,

Hashoo Foundation's Youth Development Centre in Gilgit Valley

(YDC) is truly one of its kind. The hostel stands at the foot of the

Karakoram Mountain range commanding breath taking vistas of the

rugged Gilgit valley and river. I wondered why Hashoo Foundation

named it as “Youth Development Center” when it was just a hostel.

But my visit, reflected an eye opener insight to the matter. To me, a

hostel was like a place where a group of students lived with the

warden (usually a bitter and old lady who inculcates a sense of fear

among those destined to be at her mercy) is the head, a place you

find no clean washrooms, a place where you are either stuck with

three or more girls and bear with the indifferences. But, YDC in

contrast had proven all those notions wrong! Not only it had a sweet

lady serving as a warden but it was also like a safe home for boarders

which allowed them to pursue their academic career. It provided

them with a conducive environment for their holistic nurturing.

Here, the students do all the work by themselves, thus becoming

self-dependent. Students learn the value of discipline. It teaches

them a sense of responsibility in matters of taking care of each

other. But more than that, here, the students get trained through

Computer course, English language, career counseling sessions and

subsequent exposure to different programs and seminars. Thus,

training the students with necessary life skills to adapt to the rapid

changes that the world demands. It will not be an exaggeration to

say that only Hashoo Foundation's YDC is the place where an all-

round development of personality is possible.

Not all hostel experiences are counted asnightmares!

Ms. Fazoon Bibi, resident of Muzaffarabad,

belongs to a poor family of parents and a younger

brother. The tragic earthquake of 2005, fractured

her legs making her unable to walk without the

help of a stick. She herself annotated:

“After the earthquake I used to live with a

cousin's family. With the passage of time I felt

myself a burden over them. Soon came a day,

when my cousin asked me to vacate their

place and leave for my paternal house”.

Despite the difficulties, she didn't lose hope,

decided to struggle to become self-sustainable

and joined Hashoo Foundation's Training Centre.

Initially starting with the sewing and knitting

clothes, she also got training in making dress

stitching, handicraft, shawls and embroidery.

Boring dreams of becoming a successful

entrepreneur, but limited resources in hand,

Hashoo Foundation prepared a small business

plan and provided her with the double knitting

machine and Peko machine worth PKR. 42,000.

To date, Fazoon has managed to knit and sell 150-

200 sweaters of different sizes. She proudly

explained:

“My work is much appreciated by the local

residents. Often I get more orders than I can

achieve. Moreover, I earned more than PKR

80,000/- in last year”.

Today, Fazoon has opened a knitting and sewing

center where 14 girls are under her supervision.

She charges PKR 400/- per girl adding more to her

savings.

Soaring Confidence

Editor's Note

Quote of The Month

Hashoo Foundation Facilitates Economic Uplift of Afghan Refugees

A Batch of 150 Young Trainees Certified under Hospitality Management Training Program

Hashoo Foundation and Plan PakistanJointly Organized Career Guidance Workshop for Youth

MOU signed between Hashoo Foundation andRoots International Schools

Hashoo Foundation Participated in Skills Exhibition in Lahore

Hashoo Foundation & Church World Service (CWS)Join Hands for Human Resource Development

Welcome to the New Staff

Not all hostel experiences are counted as nightmares!

Soaring Confidence

Birthday Bites

The people born in July can think out-of-the-box and put their imagination to best use. However, they do run the risk of becoming over-imaginative. The intuitive powers that a July-born possesses, works as a great guiding force for him/her. More than logic, they rely on their gut feeling while taking decisions.

July folks are fiercely protective of their personal space, interests, possessions, relationships and loved ones. They don't demand for much, a comfortable home and sense of peace suffices their needs the most.

Birthday Bites

Copyright © 2014 Hashoo Foundation Publication. All rights reserved.

www.hashoofoundation.org

Note: Facts and opinions contained herein are the sole responsibility of the persons expressing them and should not be attributed to anyone else herein. Every piece of information is based/developed upon the facts provided to the e-Chronicles team. Feedback is welcome.

Hashoo Foundation USA9575 Katy Freeway, Suite 490Houston, TX 77024Tel: +1 713 483 4990 Fax: +1 713 759 0787

Hashoo Foundation UK1, Berkeley Street London W1J8DJ

Pakistan Country OfficeHouse # 2, Street # 35,Sector F-7/1, Islamabad Ph: +92-51-2609182-5Fax: +92-51-2609188

These sensitive individuals are loyal and giving, and will rarely expect much in return of their faithfulness. They also love and admire those people who are close to their hearts. Although July-born may appear cold and detached, but they are quite emotional people. They empathise with others and love to take care of them.

We wish all our July born employees the best of everything. Stay Blessed!

Khayyam Bin SaeedAssistant Manager MIS

July,28

Saeed-ur-RehmanHead of Strategic Planning,

Program Development & Communications

July, 1

Atiq ur Rehman Proposal Development Officer

July, 1

Imran khanAssistant Manager MEAL

July, 28

A local artisan playing traditional Afghan music during the Award Distribution Ceremony at PC

hotel. Peshawar