Success of NGOs due to Selflessness
Thursday, February 1, 2018
Omar M. Ali
An example of obviously excellent project work is the ThattaKedona project of the Anjuman-e-Falah-e-Aama in the village of Thatta Ghulamka Dhiroke in the district of Okara, Tehsil Gogera. The initiative began in the autumn of 1990 with a visit from Austrian graphic designer S.S. in the village.
The special thing about the project is that it is actually a self-help project, and that outside help was primarily selfless. In the daughter projects (see www. ...) of the ThattaKedona project, this peculiarity is also evident as well: The external participation depends upon whether something is drawn from a project, i.e. portion of the financial success. Comparisons with other projects show that volunteer can be found in projects, but they want (whether they have to, that is the crucial question) to be paid or financed . They give their time, but want to be rewarded! In the projects of S.S. The selflessness prevails, - which is the basis of long-term success. The local management of the NGO also does not live on the income, - a worldwide novelty and rarity in NGOs!
Read more »Labels: CAT Bamenda, Cultura e.V., Dr Karola Groch, Dr Senta Siller, Lahore, Monika Kuppler, Renate Perner, Saboya DGFK e.V., SES Bonn, Tanto Mejor, Thatta Kedona
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 9:05 AM,
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About project developments with example BHU der AFA in TGD
Monday, April 13, 2015
By Omar M. Ali
BHU is the basic health unit of the NGO Anjuman-e-Falah-e-Aama (AFA) in the vilage of Thatta Ghulamka Dhiroka. The BHU is now existing since almost 25 years.
The story begin with the work of the young German-Pakistani doctor, Dr Leila, who saw the documentary film Amjads Village, produced by DGFK in 1991 and wanted to work in the village on voluntary basis. This was a big challenge at that time because none of the facilities of NGO were available.
It was in this phase, i.e from 1991 till 1999, that also Dr. Leila Masson from New Zealand and Dr Elizabeth Carew-Reid from Australia worked on the project in the village. The aim was, that the project should itself provide the basic health facilities using traditional as well as western medicine.
In the next phase, 1999 till 2008, Dr. Karola Groch and the nurse Marlies Bartkiewitz-Schmitt looked after the project, during which however, there were certain erroneous developments, due to which Marlies pulled herself back, as traditional medicine and self financing of the effort through treatment of village patients become disturbed.
The main initiator of the project, Dr. Senta Siller, was later able to win a Canadian organization for supporting the project and needed for this purpose a doctor, who unfortunately misunderstood many cultural factors, which ultimately endangered the health project.
In the next, the current phase, from 2008 on wards, the voluntary and regular support of Dr Leila Masson helped to settle the financial misunderstandings and from 2014 on wards, the traditional approach, i.e. use of alternative and traditional remedies, were again able to be used in the project. Other experienced volunteers provided by SES also helped in this regard.
Health is not improved through suggestions and giving of medicine only, but rather a complete effort, i.e. clean drinking water, looking after the school children by approval of the parents, disposal of waste and sullage water, etc. is needed.
AFA is now again very active and has recently joined hands with another NGO to strengthen its work, in which the nurse Marlies from Switzerland is once again gladly participating.
Labels: Dr Elizabeth Carew-Reid, Dr Karola Groch, Dr Leila Masson, Marlies Bartkiewitz-Schmitt, Omar M Ali, Thatta Kedona
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 9:32 AM,
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Volunteers Meet at Dolls of the World Exhibition
Monday, July 7, 2014
Dolls of the World from different projects are creating waves in Germany these days. Dolls were displayed for a six weeks in an exhibition held in Cooperative Loan Bank in Potsdam, Germany.
The Exhibition offered an opportunities for city government to get some real good ideas, Questions and Answers sessions enables people with special interest (perhaps coming volunteers) to know about the projects from far and wide of the world and best of all, the exhibition was a meeting point for old and new volunteers. Dr. Senta Siller, Gertrud Baier, Dr. Karola Groch, Renate Perner, Sabine Piltz were seen among those who visited the exposition. Some glimpses from a week long activity:
Read more »The Exhibition offered an opportunities for city government to get some real good ideas, Questions and Answers sessions enables people with special interest (perhaps coming volunteers) to know about the projects from far and wide of the world and best of all, the exhibition was a meeting point for old and new volunteers. Dr. Senta Siller, Gertrud Baier, Dr. Karola Groch, Renate Perner, Sabine Piltz were seen among those who visited the exposition. Some glimpses from a week long activity:
Labels: Dolls, Dolls of the World, Dr Karola Groch, Dr. Norbert Pintsch, Dr. Senta Siller
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 9:28 AM,
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Dr Karola Groch's Role in Basic Health Unit at Dolls Village
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Dr Karola / DGFK with staff from Basic Health Unit,
an institution from AFA (NGO)
in village Thatta Ghulamka Dhiroka
Labels: Dr Karola Groch
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 10:00 AM,
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Dolls Village
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
This article appeared in daily the Nation
Village Thatta Ghulamka Dheroka - a cluster of mud and brick houses - looks like any typical Pakistani village. The fact is that awareness, community work and use of appropriate technology has changed the village all together. Influence from Indus civilization from nearby Harappa and modern techniques brought by use of appropriate technology can be seen in the village together.
The toys and handicrafts made in the village are on display in international museums, prestigious galleries and showrooms in Pakistan and abroad. Thatta Ghulamka Dheroka (TGD) got an international fame when village project Thatta Kedona (meaning toy from Thatta) was selected as one of the 767 worldwide projects presented in the "Themepark" at global expo in Hannover (Germany) as an example of thinking of twenty first century. The toys and handicrafts from TGD show how culture goes beyond simple work of art and becomes collaboration among applied and natural sciences as well as other forces that affect our lives.
Read more »Labels: Dolls, Dr Karola Groch, Dr. Senta Siller, Prof Dr Norbert Pintsch, Toys
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 9:30 AM,
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Public, Prinate Organisations and NGOs
Thursday, May 31, 2012
The problem has already been described at another place; however the differences in various forms of organization are again mentioned specially in context to the anthropological and ethnological aspect.
The constructed Organizations have rationalized their inter-human problems. Hostilities, Mobbing etc. do exist but are principally possible to be reduced by way of changes in work place, even if it does sometime entail social injustices. Losses of income, slipping into poverty etc. are only the tip of the iceberg. Members of the city culture today do not live under the pressures, which under the slogan “city life makes you free” led to immense growth of the cities and a freedom of the person in the sense of independence from social responsibilities.
The NGO, if it really represents an alternative to the constructed organizational entities, is flexible and it can react faster to the changes. This is the theory.
If the NGO works in the rural environment integrated into the traditional culture, the city persons come across additional intangible problems, which cannot be solved by anthropologists and ethnologists, unless they work together with the village NGO and do their research covertly.
Even in relatively small village units of about 1000 residents exist in the course of the day chaos, the violence, archaic circumstances, which can disturb the sensitive work of the NGO.
The behavioral structures here are not at all so different from the construed organizations but the effects are more difficult and complex. Who marries whom, which field belongs to whom, who has more fields, who enjoys what type of respect, who behaves as a member of village society, who is physically stronger, who is psychologically smarter, which doesn’t mean that it leads to longer life because violence can easily be applied from many directions.
Who shall work in the NGO, will it change their position in the village community, should this be possible?
Who takes over the leadership function, should he be allowed to exercise influence over the family? Can he exercise influence and to what extent?
Although there may be lot of general knowledge about the traditional culture but the reality can only be experienced by being there in person.
The efforts of the NGOs should not be directed towards financing the whole life but only income to the extent of earning the daily bread. But this also means that the production methods which maintain the cultural identity are made difficult by the above mentioned factors. Pressure cannot be exerted due to the missing dependence of the subjects and the village customs must also be taken into consideration.
The task is like walking on a cable rope even for special experts, whose performance can hardly be judged in tangible terms.
The constructed Organizations have rationalized their inter-human problems. Hostilities, Mobbing etc. do exist but are principally possible to be reduced by way of changes in work place, even if it does sometime entail social injustices. Losses of income, slipping into poverty etc. are only the tip of the iceberg. Members of the city culture today do not live under the pressures, which under the slogan “city life makes you free” led to immense growth of the cities and a freedom of the person in the sense of independence from social responsibilities.
The NGO, if it really represents an alternative to the constructed organizational entities, is flexible and it can react faster to the changes. This is the theory.
If the NGO works in the rural environment integrated into the traditional culture, the city persons come across additional intangible problems, which cannot be solved by anthropologists and ethnologists, unless they work together with the village NGO and do their research covertly.
Even in relatively small village units of about 1000 residents exist in the course of the day chaos, the violence, archaic circumstances, which can disturb the sensitive work of the NGO.
The behavioral structures here are not at all so different from the construed organizations but the effects are more difficult and complex. Who marries whom, which field belongs to whom, who has more fields, who enjoys what type of respect, who behaves as a member of village society, who is physically stronger, who is psychologically smarter, which doesn’t mean that it leads to longer life because violence can easily be applied from many directions.
Who shall work in the NGO, will it change their position in the village community, should this be possible?
Who takes over the leadership function, should he be allowed to exercise influence over the family? Can he exercise influence and to what extent?
Although there may be lot of general knowledge about the traditional culture but the reality can only be experienced by being there in person.
The efforts of the NGOs should not be directed towards financing the whole life but only income to the extent of earning the daily bread. But this also means that the production methods which maintain the cultural identity are made difficult by the above mentioned factors. Pressure cannot be exerted due to the missing dependence of the subjects and the village customs must also be taken into consideration.
The task is like walking on a cable rope even for special experts, whose performance can hardly be judged in tangible terms.
Labels: DGFK, Dr Karola Groch, Dr. Norbert Pintsch, NGOs, Volunteers
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 9:57 AM,
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Dr Karola Groch at Thatta Ghulamka Dheroka
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Dr Karola Groch - the Medical Doctor – was in Thatta Ghulamka Dheroka (aka Dolls Village) for more than 10 times. She has played a very memorable role in the development of Basic Health Unit (BHU) in the Village. She plans to visit the Dolls Village once again. This time she will also take 1 baby – 1 tree.
The I baby I tree is a cherished tradition is a Anjuman-e-Falah-e-Aama - NGO founded 1991 – in wich one flower tree is given to family that haves a baby and also one fruit tree to the every newlywed couple.
Handicraft development is the most important activity in the Dolls Village as it generate some additional income for the families living there. Life in rural areas is far cheaper than the urban centers and a little money for rustic people can go a long way in improving their social life. And every volunteer that comes to the village adds to the possibilities of creating more ncome for more families.
The volunteers and friends of TGD have become an institution by themselves. Presently they together with Dr Senta Siller participate in bazaar in ethnological museums.
Labels: Dolls Village, Dr Karola Groch, TGD, Volunteers
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 8:34 AM,
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