Jan/Feb 2006 - Cabin and Flight Crew Trips To Islamabad

The team included:
Khalid, (a Manager in IM), Farah (Flight Connections), Shazad (Aircraft Despatcher), Abid (Cabin Crew Manager), Nasrin (Islamic Relief) and Shiraz Janjooa (Cabin Crew). Also helping were: Javed (T4 Customer Service Manager), and Keren and Mary from BA Community Relations.

Items taken to Pakistan included:
shoes and trainers, jackets, SkyFlyer kits and toiletries - around 600 Kg of aid.

On arrival at Islamabad, all items were handed to Islamic Relief for distribution.

The team visited the Islamabad operations of Islamic Relief, where they are running several major projects for the poorest and most disadvantaged people in the community, as well as providing orphan, widow and educational facilities.

A function hall converted to a camp housing over 1,000 people was also visited.

Next was a trip to the SOS Village (Rawalpindi) - a 6-acre site, donated by the  Government and supported through donations. Pupils included orphans from the earthquake disaster including twin baby girls, who had been dug from the ruins a day after the earthquake.

On site facilities include science labs, a library and computer rooms. We visited some of the family-unit houses, and joined the children for cricket and football. The Village also contains training workshops, where children are taught basic electronics, and vehicle repair skills. These workshops enable the children to earn a small living by providing a repair service to the local community. No child is discharged from the Village unless they are able to sustain themselves independently.

Also the team went to a makeshift refugee camp (in Sector G13) – an emergency shelter comprising tents and support facilities for some 1,300 families. It had been established by a local property developer who had donated land from one of his building projects as an emergency facility.

Thanks to all those who helped make this a memorable and successful trip.