Posts Tagged ‘valerie khan Yusufzai’

2nd Consultation On Acid Crime And Prevention Bill Through Photos.

July 26th, 2010

Dr Fauzia Saeed from The national Commission on The Status of Women

Sana recalling Naila's fight for justice and the historical decision of the Chief Justice of Pakistan.

Fahmida Iqbal from UNIFEM recalling the CEDAW guidelines before critically reviewing the outline of the new bill.

lawyers at work!

Survivors also present to say what they want!

Justice Nasira Iqbal expressing her views and demanding a law against acid violence.

Rothas Exhibition : Empowerment And Fun!

July 21st, 2010

On 17th and 18th July 2010, a handicraft exhibition was organised in Islamabad in Rothas F-7.

This was the occasion for the acid survivors to pilot test the market value of the products they were making through Acid Survivors Foundation NCRU: bracelets, parandas (decorated hair extension), cell phones pouches. Additionally, it was an interactive way to train the survivors on the business cycle they would have to face and also give them the opportunity to interact with the community as any other citizen. The response was good, 9650 Rs raised over the week end and a public eager to understand the problem, encourage the survivors, and buy the products. Our next project will be the Eid Mela, so wish us luck!

Last but not least, it was also the occasion to introduce a game Malamaal, designed for children and adolescents and to educate them about child rights, hygiene, HIV-AIDS, Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) and Child Commercial and Sexual Exploitation (CSEC) as half of our children victims have been attacked when they refused to be abused, and general knowledge.

A customer being applied a paranda by Naila : great new experience!

Interns, ASF staff, children volunteers, acid survivors : everyone helps!

Valerie Khan Yusufzai, children volunteers, survivors and interns playing Malamaal in front of the visitors.

Survivors and survivors' family members at work.

Legal Consultation On ACCPB: 24th June 2010.

July 8th, 2010

Acid Survivors Foundation interns ready to take minutes and compile MOVs!

Consultation is about sharing and speech distribution.

This consultation meant to give a  legal technical path to redraft the ACCPB…

25 participants attended the consulatation and suggested various ways forward: specific law on acid, implementation and monitoring mechanism.

The new ACCPB will be the result of this first consultation and will be reviewed by a group of NGOs, stakeholders and legal experts as Acid Survivors Foundation is committed to promote democratic and peaceful processes. We will certainly keep you updated and share the agenda of our second meeting: do not miss here!

Here Is The Program Of The First Legal Consultation!

June 23rd, 2010

AGENDA OF THE LAWYERS’ CONSULTATION MEETING ON “THE ACID CONTROL & ACID CRIME PREVENTION BILL”

Best Western Hotel Islamabad

TIME ACTIVITY Speaker
2:00 PM Registration, Welcome Speech & Recitation of Quran
02:20PM Presentation of Acid Violence Phenomenon Miss Sana Masood
Presentation of the Bill, Consultative Process and the Role of Participants Mr. Naveed Khan
02:35-3:15PM Beginning of the Process; Critique on the Bill 10 Legal Experts;  3 Groups (two groups of 3, one group of 4), one leading facilitator, two moderators.
03:15-03:45PM Debate & Discussion on the Critique Participants
04:00-4:30PM Hi-Tea
04:30-5:30PM Second part of the process-Recommendations Participants
5:30-06:00PM Collection of feedback, vote of thanks, concluding remarks, announcement of next phase (2) with Civil Society after drafting the Bill. Mr. Naveed Khan & Ms. Fahmida Iqbal

An Article From The Express Tribune…

June 7th, 2010
Ale

    Rebuilding shattered lives

    By Maha Mussadaq
    June 05, 2010

    ISLAMABAD: When Valerie Khan Yusufzai came to Pakistan in 1996, she had no idea that she would be setting up an organisation dedicated to changing the lives of acid victims in the country.

    With her husband, Mohammad Yusufzai, she moved first to Swabi and then to Islamabad.

    “My family was not worried about me marrying a Pakistani man; they were more worried about me moving to Pakistan,” said Valerie.

    She grew up in a strict environment with strong values in France. “So moving to NWFP actually felt like home,” she said.

    A French literature graduate, she taught French for 12 years in Islamabad. But in 2005, Valerie’s mission began, when she first learnt about acid violence in Pakistan.

    “I was not aware of the phenomenon [of acid violence] until I saw a victim at the beauty parlour. Seeing her disfigurement from a woman’s perspective, there was a strong instinctive force inside me that pushed me to help her,” she said.

    Valerie helped the woman as much as she could, until financial and administration issues surfaced and she could not continue.

    But it seemed Valerie had found her calling. With the support of family and friends, she turned her humanitarian efforts into a more formal organisation and the Acid Survivors Foundation was registered in 2007, with Valerie as Chairperson and her husband as Executive Director.

    Since January 2007, 87 patients have registered with the organisation.

    “Now we are facing financial issues, not because more cases have started occurring, but because more are being reported,” she said.

    Victims can get free surgery at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad and Benazir Bhutto Hospital in Rawalpindi but these hospitals are already overburdened with patients.

    Valerie feels that, even more than hospital burn centres, “The government needs to provide us with area to build Nursing Rehabilitation Units.”

    These units will provide comprehensive rehabilitation services, medical and surgical nursing care, physiotherapy and psychotherapy as well as socioeconomic services.

    “The rehabilitation is not just physical; the real work is to rebuild their shattered confidence and help them face the world again,” Valerie said.

    At present, the patients are kept at a nursing care rehabilitation unit in Sector I-10.

    “None of the victims will ever be exactly the same. We are not magicians, we are just social workers trying to make a difference,” she said.

    Valerie said there was no support from the government in terms of funds because they did not trust local NGOs. “The government should double check the credibility of NGOs by checking their receipts, bank statements, legal documents. If this is done, the corrupt ones will be identified,” she said.

    “The Acid Crime and Protection Bill was tabled in the National Assembly in December 2009 and much more work needs to be done to get it implemented,” she said.

    The number of acid violence incidents increased in the last eights years, with 10 in 2002 and almost 50 in 2008, according to statistics from the Acid Survivor Foundation collected between 1991 and 2008.

    The reason behind almost half of all reported cases, is family disputes, and 90 percent of the cases are reported in Punjab. Of all cases reported between 1991 and 2009, 61 percent of victims were female and 39 percent were male.

    Valerie said her mission would continue as long as she lives. “We do thank God for what we are blessed with but every now and then there is a feeling within us that we must achieve more.”

    “Do not believe you are doing something big because there are many exceptional people out there making a difference. One must always remain humble,” Valerie said.

    Published in the Express Tribune, June 5th, 2010.

    Reader Comments

    Comments (3)
    • jamal shahid

      20 hours ago

      biggest fan .. like totally

    • zahra

      12 hours ago

      Love the story I follow ur stories everyday…keep it up!!! you are a brilliant journalist….

      Regards
      Zahra

    • Hassan Durrani

      11 hours ago

      Nice Article … For Sure

Acid Survivors Foundation In The Field, A Realistic View…

February 1st, 2010
Jean Loncle A French journalist, Valerie Khan Yusufzai and Rajprit ASTI communication officer in front of Nishtar hospital in Multan.

Jean Loncle A French journalist, Valerie Khan Yusufzai and Rajprit ASTI communication officer in front of Nishtar hospital in Multan.

Many of you must be wondering what Acid Survivors Foundation is exactly doing when the team goes on the field; we are therefore presenting you a collection of pictures that will illustrate our activities away from the Nursing Care and Rehabilitation Unit. Kindly note that keeping in touch with the local government, the stakeholders and the community is essential to create  a social disapproval regarding acid violence and generate social support for our action.
The same team talking to an acid retailer in Multan, Punjab.

The same team talking to an acid retailer in Multan, Punjab.

ASF team often meets acid shops owners to sensitize them about their civic responsibilities and the need to monitor the acid distribution.
Ultimately, we would like to create some sort of watch committees that could ensure that an acid sale regulation and monitoring law would be implemented efficiently.
These expert volunteers are always there for taking up the cases that need to be proceeded in front of the court. They are also essential to guide us and link us with influential politicians or parliamentarians who would be ready to support a change in the current legal framework. Thanks to them, justice is not a dream but becomes a reality. last but not least. Meeting the communities means that the survivors are acknowledged for their efforts and that this link is the key to the establishment of groups of change agents that will voice out against acid violence, domestic violence and child abuse.
ASF team doscussing the issue of acid violence in a village, in a family in which 31 family members were attacked with acid.

ASF team doscussing the issue of acid violence in a village, in a family in which 31 family members were attacked with acid.

ASF team and one of ASF pro bono lawyer : Mr Rasheed Rehman.

ASF team and one of ASF pro bono lawyer : Mr Rasheed Rehman.

An Interesting Article Clearly Demonstrating Why It Is Necessary To Establish A More Relevant Legal Framework To Stop Acid Violence In Pakistan.

January 30th, 2010

WARNING : Acid Survivors Foundation disagrees with the words “Mysoginist” used in this article and would like to insist on the fact that most of the male acid victims (25% of the victims identified by Acid Survivors Foundation to date) are also not in the position to enjoy their basic right to access justice and medical care.

Kindly visit this link.

www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2010statements/2392/

Acid Survivors Foundation Nursing Care And Rehabilitation Unit : The Way Towards Normal Life.

January 29th, 2010
Valerie Khan Yusufzai and Nazeraan, during a French baking lesson at Acid Survivors Foundation Nursing Care and Rehabilitation Unit.

Valerie Khan Yusufzai (ASF Chairperson) and Nazeraan, during a French baking lesson at Acid Survivors Foundation Nursing Care and Rehabilitation Unit.

Among the activities that are regularly practised in the Nursing Care and Rehabilitation Unit with the survivors, cooking is very much present, it is part of any human being’s daily routine and is essential in the process of developing one’s independance and sustainability. When Nazeeran faces the judge to ask to be granted her daughters’ custody in spite of being blind, she will be able to claim : “Not only can I feed my children and prepare their meals but I can also cook French cuisine for them!” .

Acid Survivors Foundation team enjoyed the “galette” and hopes that Nazeeran will prepare another one next month!

Acid Violence And Hope In Pictures : Mohammad Hussein, Associated Press.

January 29th, 2010

Friday, January 29, 2010

I

01/14/2010

Picture This

Marked for Life

Zoom
AP

These are the folded hands of 25-year-old Nusrat Aflal, as he sits in front of a television. He is the victim of an acid attack, which left behind the brutal scars. He is a member of the Acid Survivors Foundation in Islamabad, Pakistan, a group which offers medical, psychological and legal help to acid attack victims. The perpetrators often come from the victims’ own families, making the attacks even more difficult for the victims to overcome. It is not uncommon for acid attack victims to commit suicide.

Check out the Picture This archive here.

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