The NGO’s Computer Literacy, Shelter & Welfare (NCLSW for short) is an established organization since 1992 and has been working in the fields of Literacy, Women & Child issues (health, basic rights, and advocacy) HR, Prisoners Welfare, Environment and Capacity Building. The Society initially chose Gujar Khan as its base station and launched the first of its kind community based network in this poverty stricken area. The program included the establishment of a school for deaf and dumb children, a center for women in crisis situation and a program for education of children in collaboration with the Punjab Government.
The vision behind this whole program was to provide basic rights and basic health facilities to all the under-privileged persons and bring awareness about the plight of this neglected assortment and try and make conscious efforts to bring this desolate lot at per with their counterparts elsewhere in the country.
NCLSW started with the establishment of a School for a Deaf and Dumb in the small rural back yard of Gujar Khan. The mission started with support from the local volunteers and some dedicated team members. The people of this rural area started entrusting these efforts of the newly launched organization and come out in numbers to help. This further strengthened our belief at NCLSW to focus more on the rural front by organizing free Medical and Dental Camps with the help of some voluntarily working doctors. These efforts further envisioned our horizon, and the focus of activities included the starting of a project for spreading the light of the education in the destitute children of the said community.
Last but not the least came the predicament of the women folk in such rural backgrounds where even the animals of the house are treated with more care and attention but the women folk of these communities are not treated at par even with the domestic flora and fauna. Thus, it became an aim of the Society to provide an increased access to basic social services for rural and semi urban populations, more specifically women.
The Society kept building up the focus as well as keeping up the goal of increasing the capacity of poor and disadvantaged sections of the community for sustainable development. This was organized with the following aims in mind:
- Motivation of the local community for the formation of various groups and then utilizing their subsequent capacity building.
- Strengthening the various local programmes with special emphasis on their training to improve the quality standards on the basis of Self Help.
- Negotiating the participation of various Government and Non-Governmental Organizations in the generation of various programmes that lead to further organization and training of the local population giving them more confidence into their strengths.
Special emphasis was also laid on the elimination of Violence against Women to bring in some behavioural change in the community through a special education program.
The health and educational programmes in the society have been extended with due recognition being given to the education and health of Girl Childs addressing their needs through educational information programmes. The existing schools were used as the Community Centers and the emphasis on vocational training institution was elaborated.
In the Health sector emphasis was given to the rehabilitation of Polio victims and special clinics and workshops for awareness against diseases like Poliomyelitis, HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis were held. Special training sessions in Rehabilitation Medicine for physiotherapists were also organized. Provision of Equipment like wheel chairs, crutches and braces was done through aids from various organizations and donations from philanthropic persons.
NCLSW has the privilege of working in collaboration with UNDP to provide services for training of women councillors through out Pakistan under the name of the project W3P (Women Political Participation Project). NCLSW also has the distinction of providing Logistical Services in the form of provision of accommodation and facilities for dining members of this program while also imparting training to Women Councilors.
The rural areas have been the main focus of activities for NCLSW because these areas comprise of the dominant majority of the under-privileged, particularly the women and the children. These impoverished communities deserve maximum focus and attention but remain isolated and neglected. The need for all such activities was felt because most of the resourceful NGOs prefer to work in urban and more privileged areas.
Thus, we at NCLSW have firm belief in a better tomorrow while we work and struggle today. Hence, our slogan “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams!”