International Development and Relief Foundation [IDRF]
International Development and Relief Foundation [IDRF] began in September 1984. That was the year that Ethiopia was plagued by famine and drought - and thousands of starving peasants were moving out of the desertified region, searching for food and burying their dead on the way.
IDRF provides relief assistance to victims of man-made chaos such as wars and conflicts, or natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes. But the major focus of IDRF is development programs aimed at poverty reduction, healthcare and literacy to help communities overcome barriers and become self-reliant and self-sufficient. IDRF helps the needy regardless of race, creed, ethnicity or religion. IDRF's work is made possible through donations by generous Canadians who believe in people helping people.
In September 2004 IDRF completed 20 years of service in over 20 countries on 3 continents. Over these years, IDRF has created thousands of supporters across Canada and around the world, and has helped millions of impoverished children, women and men.
For more information on IDRF and its activities, please visit www.idrf.ca
SOS Children’s Villages
SOS Children's Villages was founded in 1949. Presently, there are more than 450 SOS Children's Villages located in more than 130 countries around the world. These Villages provide permanent family homes for children who might otherwise have been forgotten - innocent victims of family breakdowns, war, disease, or natural disasters.
SOS Children's Villages of Pakistan was established in 1975. It is an autonomous organisation and managed by a Board of Governors. The National Office is situated in Lahore which is also where the first SOS Childrens Village was built in 1978. Today, there are SOS Children’s Villages in a number of major centres, including Dhodial, Karachi, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Sargodha, Multan, Sialkot, Quetta and one in Muzaffarabad which was damaged in the October 2005 earthquake.
SOS Children’s Villages of Pakistan played a leading role in the search and rescue of orphan and unaccompanied children after the devestating earthquake of October 2005. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf recently said in an interview that “SOS Children’s Villages is the best custodian of our Kashmiri children”.
For more information about SOS Children’s Villages of Pakistan, please visit their website at www.sos.org.pk.
