Many of you know Shaniera Akram as the wife of Wasim Akram, but those of you who follow her closely on social media must be aware that she actively participates in philanthropy and raises awareness on social causes. She advocates for individual contribution in bringing about change and one such effort is her association with the National Institute of Child Health (NICH).
Together with the team of NICH, Shaniera is vehemently working on a few projects but she is happy to announce the efforts they have been putting in to empowering Pakistani women from all backgrounds.
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In an exclusive conversation with Something Haute, Shaniera shared that a group of strong women, including mothers, have come together and formed a community in Karachi that works for the children of the NICH (National Institute of Child Health) hospital.
“NICH is a 500-bed paediatric hospital that treats over 2500 children free of cost per day. We are working together to open the hospital to the public so that people can volunteer, donate and support the hospital and care for the sick children who need their help,†Shaniera said.
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These women are setting up a first aid training program which is open for mothers, grandmothers, family members and nannies. They can come to the hospital once a month and learn how to provide first aid. Moreover, these women also assist doctors and nurses so they can do their job to the best of their ability.
“The women of this community have found that this is their duty to give back to their city. If that’s not women empowerment, then I don’t know what is,†she said, adding, “We are currently designing a state of the art courtyard for the children and families of the patients in the hospital, which we find is the heart of the building, a place where ailing children can sit in the shade and read a book or get some fresh air. We also plan to work with the hospital’s new ICU, generating funds to acquire state of the art life-saving equipment and medicines for the hospital.â€
“It’s an amazing feeling working with the NICH hospital. So much love runs through that building,†she said.
These days Shaniera Akram is also running a donation campaign for 12-year-old Aijaz, who is a Pompe patient and needed 1.5 million rupees to get a mobile ventilator. “He has been living on a ventilator in the hospital for two years. Today we raised enough money for him to go home to his village,” Shaniera said.
You can also be a part of the noble drive and contribute to give these sick children a second chance at life by visiting www.nich.edu.pk or email at Shaniera.Akram@nich.edu.pk.
NICH trust is a private trust for the hospital that has been set up to take donations. Every cent goes directly to the deserving children.
Aijaz is still waiting to be sent home. Please help us by donating so that we can get this beautiful boy home to his family. I will personally respond to all kind hearted donations. Please email me at Shaniera.Akram@nich.edu.pk https://t.co/ITt03GtlTT
— Shaniera Akram (@iamShaniera) January 30, 2019
