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Photo exhibit shows the difference working together can make

By Our Staff Reporter 2016-02-26
ISLAMABAD: A photo exhibition highlighting the role of international NGOs was launched on Thursday bythePakistanNational Council of Arts and the Pakistan Humanitarian Forum (PHF).

Some 40 pictures were put on display at the exhibition titled `Taking Action TogetherPakistan`s international non-governmental partners supporting stronger communities` The pictures, all taken by Sara Farid who was present at the show, were of projects conducted by NGOs across Pakistan and told stories of how their work makes a difference and improves the lives of individuals and communities.

Chairman Pakistan Humanitarian Forum Ashraf Mall said the purpose of the show was to highlight the differences that can be made when people work together and build stronger communities.

`Our partnership with the government, communities and civil society enrich our programmes, he said.

The exhibition was themed around the provision of rights and was divided into various categories like the right to education, protection, the right to hous-ing and of the Water, Sanitation and Health (WASH) effort for providing a clean environment.

One of the pictures is of a worker teaching a young girl at one of the four street and working children homes how to properly wash hands.

Another picture from the same centre, which helps street children in Peshawar, shows a young boy playing with building blocks.

The boy had reportedly said: `I feel lucky to be able to relax andplay a bit and I feel lucky to get education here. I only knew how to help in fixing cars and now I know how to write`.

This particular project had helped enrol up to 400 children into schools.

Some pictures were of emergency response efforts after the October 2015 earthquake in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. One picture shows the Islamic Relief disaster team distributing blankets and warm clothes among thoseaffected by the earthquake and another is of a team helping a family who had lost their home set up a tent.

Also included were pictures from a project in Tharparker under which solar panels were installed to provide safe and clean drinking water. These pumps provide water to three villages at a time. There are pictures of farmers using water from underground pumps to irrigate their fields.Some of the pictures showed efforts of encouraging mothers to breast feed and others were of bringing improvements to farm practices.

PHF policy and communication advisor Nargis Khan said the three-day exhibition will also help in focusing on the people that still need to be helped and supported. According to a press statement, NGO`s have helped over 22 million people in Pakistan.