The Sindh Graduates Association (SGA) is one of the largest voluntary civil society organizations of the country. It evolved from the coming together of a small group of enlightened individuals concerned about the poor level of development existing in the province of Sindh. They wanted to contribute with their labour and talents to a cause which had not received the attention, it truly required. The Association has come a long way since it was first formed in 1972 as a non-profit, non-sectarian and non-political civil society organization. It is a registered body operating under Societies Registration Act (XXI) of 1860 registered on September 29, 1972. Today it boosts up a membership of over 11,500 graduate volunteers with the network of 128 branches in various towns and villages of Sindh as well as one each branch office in Islamabad and Lahore.
The Association was founded with the Vision “To Construct a peaceful developed society in Sindh” aimed to coordinate efforts directed towards welfare and wellbeing of Sindh’s people. It is a non-political humane social organization recognizing inter-cultural and inter-personal interaction for national harmony and peace among all sectors of population and its objective was to empower the people to take decisions on their own and become partners in policy decision-making process so that sustainable development is ensured. The Mission Statement of Association is:
“To empower the people to take their own decisions and to be the partners in policy decision making, make them aware of the participatory methods, create amongst them the sense of self-esteem, prestige and hard work in pursuit of the path of sustainable development and thus construct a peaceful developed society in Sindh”.
Brief History of Sindh Graduates Association (SGA)
Sindh Graduates Association has come a long way since it was first formed in 1972, as a non-profit, non-sectarian and non-political civil society organization. It is a registered body operating under Societies Registration Act (XXI) 1860 registered on September 29, 1972. The Association evolved from coming together of a small group of individuals concerned over the poor level of development existing in Sindh. Sindh Graduates Association was formed by few liberal and enlightened individuals in early 70s with the vision of construction of peaceful, tolerant and affluent society in Sindh through educating the people and promoting culture and language. Now, it has emerged with network of 128 branches in Sindh including one branch each at Islamabad and Lahore. Today, it boosts up a membership of over 11,500 Graduates Volunteers in 80 towns and villages of Sindh. These Graduates volunteer members are included senior advocates, Civil Judges, Bureaucrats, Journalists, Bankers, and Traders, Businessman, Teachers, Professors and other senior members of Civil Society.
Keeping in view, the remarkable experience in the field of Education since 1980, on self-help basis, presently, SGA is operating 24 Roshan Tara Schools (RTS) in backward areas of Sindh with the enrollment of 8,500 students. These schools are providing quality and standardized education at a very low cost for rural and marginalized students of Sindh. Besides this, Sindh Graduates Association has been operating a mega project, Public School Gadap (PSG) Karachi in collaboration with Government of Sindh, under Public Private Partnership policy. The Public School Gadap is a residential school, where 650 students have been enrolled and numerous qualified and experienced faculty members have been working over there. The Public School Gadap is running under the supervision and decision-making body of the most experienced and intellectual members of Board of Governors (BoG).
Sindh Graduates Association is working in the areas of Education, promoting Sindhi language as mother tongue language in Sindh, promoting culture, protecting basic human rights, making sure the provision of health facilities in the most backward areas of Sindh. For the fulfillment of such objectives, the National and International organizations provided various projects to the SGA and also gave donations. The organisations include ILO, UNICEF, UNESCO, CIDA, the World Bank, SPO, OXFAM, TVO, SEF, SDA, SANA, Action Aid Pakistan, RSPN, INFAQ Foundation, Khushhali Bank, USAID, Jummani family and Government of Sindh.
SGA since its inception i.e. 1972 is striving to provide quality and standardized services to the marginalized and deprived community of rural and Remote areas of Sindh in the following disciplines:
Further more SGA has a long track of varied and wide working experience with different donor agencies i.e. National and International to its credit like TVO, SEF, OXFAM, SPO, INFAQ Foundation, Khushhali Bank, Shaikh Sultan Trust, Shabir Ahmed Jumani, Rural Support Programs Network (RSPN), PCP, Government of Sindh and Pakistan, ILO, IUCN, UNICEF, UNESCO, CIDA, UNDP, World Bank, Actionaid Pakistan, USAID and Sadhu Vaswani Mission, Mumbai India etc.
Health Sector:
SGA presently is running an Emergency Medical Centre namely Dr. Yasmeen Shaikh Memorial Emergency Medical Centre (YASMEC) located at UC Kalo Khohar, Main Super High way, Nooriabad. The Medical Centre was taken over from Government of Sindh under Public Private Partnership basis in the year 1993. The centre is remaining on non profit and charitable basis and providing Health facilities to road accidents, injured passengers, industrial workers of Nooriabad SITE area and poor patients of UC Sari and Kalo Khohar of Kohistan Area. It is equipped with Emergency Service, General Ward, ICU, OPD Service, EPI and Ultra Sound facilities. 148,044 people have been benefited from YASMEC since 1993.
In addition, SGA is running Dispensary in collaboration with Actionaid Pakistan in DA-8 Khipro, District Sanghar. Further one Dispensary and one MCH Centre is also running in Hyderabad and Thull, District Jacobabad.
Medical Camp and Emergency Relief:
SGA through its Branch Network, Volunteers and Local Philanthropists is conducting Medical Camps of Eye and Skin diseases regularly. Since 1978, SGA is providing Health facilities to the Local of Sindh Rural and many more persons were benefited through these camps. The details for the period 1978-2009 are appended as under:
Statement showing the treated patients in skin and eye disease camps.
Eye camps
Besides, SGA has also organized Emergency and Relief Camps for Victim of Earth Quick hit areas of NWFP and Azad Kashmir in the year 2005. Furthermore SGA has provided health facilities by conducting Mobile Medical Camps to the Victims of Rain and Flood hit areas of Taluka Quboo Saeed Khan, Miro Khan, Qamber, Warah, Mehar, Johi and Dadu in the year 2007-08. Under this drive, more than 4000 Persons (Male and Female) were provided Food, Drinking Water, Clothes, Medicine and other daily usage articles. This program was organized by SGA Branches/ volunteers in collaboration with Infaq Foundation, Anood Textile Mills and Dr. Muzzafar Ali Uqaili.
FALAH and Mother and Child Health Initiatives:
Presently SGA is also working with RSPN on Birth Spacing under FALAH and Mother and Child Health Initiatives in District Sanghar (Year 2008) and Shaheed Benazirabad (Year 2009)
In District Sanghar, 12500 married women and men have been sensitized on birth spacing and provided them contraceptive methods facilities by conducting camps in collaboration with Green Star and welfare Department, Government of Sindh. The Program has been extended in 5 UCs of Taluka Khipro (Kamil Hingoro, Hathongo, Khahi, Dlihyar and Khori) up to June 2010.
Furthermore, 30,000 married women and men will be provided same facility in Taluka Tando Adam and Jam Sahib in the forthcoming years (2010-11 and 2001-12). The donor agency in this program is USAID.
In District Shaheed Benazirabad SGA has intervened in 9 UCs of Taluka Nawabshah, Sakrand and Dour from April 2009 to April 2010. The names of UCs are Nawabshah-I, II, Ghandtar, Abul Hasan, Obhari Sawari, Jhoro Shar, Saeed Kando, Bhora and Gohram Mari. Under this program, the target population of Non LHW was 146,589 while locations were 165. The services provided them were Immunization, clean delivery Kits and New born care, IYCF and Birth Spacing and conducted health Session by Community Resource Persons (CRPs) in the targeted Communities During the period under reference, three times Mother and Child weeks were celebrated in April 2009/2010 and October 2009 focused Diarreaha and Psnamonia.
In addition to above, SGA has also organized Emergency and Relief Camps for Victims of Earth Quick hit areas of NWFP and Azad Kashmir in the year 2005. Further more SGA has provided health facilities by conducting Mobile Medical Camps to the Victims of Rain and Flood hit areas of Taluka Quboo Saeed Khan, Miro Khan, Qamber, Warah, Mehar, Johi and Dadu in the year 2007-08. Under this drive, more the 4000 Persons (Male and Female) were provided Food, Drinking Water, Clothes, Medicine and other daily usage articles. This program was organized by SGA Vranches/ Volunteers in Collaboration with Infaq Foundation, Anood Textile Mills and Dr. Muzzafar Ali Uqaili.
Open Health Surgery:
In the year 2008, on agreement was made with Sadhu Wasvani Mission, Mumbai India wherein they will conduct heart surgery of 15 Children in Mumbai India. All the Expenses of Operation ie surgery, hospitalization, medicine, accommodation and air travel will be borne by Mission while expenses pertaining to local medical tests, visa process fees and other recurring expenses in Pakistan will be taken by SGA. Initially team of Doctors (Specialists) visited Pakistan and conducted screening tests of 100 children and selected only 15 children for heart surgery. Out of then, only 8 children were operated in Mumbai India while remaining 7 children could not operate due to some unforeseen problems between two countries. The operated 8 Children belonging to poor families of interior Sindh are passing their normal life with their parents.
Education Sector:
Sindh Graduates Association (SGA) is providing formal education through its Roshan Tara Schools network throughout Sindh. Under this umbrella, SGA is running 23 Schools at the level of Primary to Higher Secondary Since 1980. In the year 2009, the student’s enrollment was reported as 7495 (Boys 4719 and Girls 2776) where as teachers were 371 (Male 135, Female 236). The Examination result of Secondary and Higher Secondary in all Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education Sindh remained outstanding. In the year 2009, total Students 433 appeared in Secondary Examination and out of them 162 declared pass in A-1 Grade, 188 A grade, 60 B Grade and 23 in C Grade while 121 students appeared in Higher Secondary, out of them 22 passed in A-1 Grade, 61 A Grade, 26 B Grade and C Grade 12. The passing positions in above two examinations were remained 100%.
SGA has also adopted six Government Primary Schools under Public Private Partnership basis in collaboration with Pakistan Centre for Philantheropy (PCP) in the year 2007 in District Jacobabad. The Schools namely: Ghous Bux Jatoi, Fazal Ali Soomro, Mengal Brohi, Bux Ali Jakhrani (Taluka Jaccobabad) and Muhammad Iqbal Buriro and Molvi Ameeruddin Buriro (Taluka Thul) are enrolled with 257 Students and getting formal education from class-I to V. The teachers are hired by SGA and Schools are running under supervision of local constituted SMC and monitored by Roshan Tara Secretariat, SGA Head Office, and Karachi.
Besides above, SGA is also conducting training program of all Teachers of Roshan Tara Schools in summer vacation and refresher course in winter vacation. The training program is focused on Academic, Teaching methodology, Students psychology, class management, Students, Teacher, Parents and community relationship. Provide quality education to the community for construction peaceful and developed Society in Sindh.
Social Mobilization Sector:
Presently SGA is working on Social Mobilizatin in District Sanghar, Nawabshah, Larkana, Mirpurkhas, Ghotki and Shikarpur in collaboration with RSPN/ USAID/ UNICEF and Khushhali Bank respectively since last over six to ten years. The major area of intervention under this program is rural Sindh. The prime activities carried out by SGA are as follows:
SGA in collaboration with Actionaid Pakistan (2000-2009) had rendered services in Education, Health, Right based Advocacy on women empowerment/ rights, Child rights, Capacity Building, NRM etc. in Union Councils of Taluka Khipro District Sanghar, out of which SGA has formed 63 COs (Male: 17, Female: 46) in UC Hathoongo, Bilawal Hingoro and Kamil Hingoro. It is worthwhile to mention here that most COs are registered with Local Government Under CCB. They are equipped with capacity Building Program and obtained small Schemes from local Government/ Donor Agencies for their respective villages in connection with Rural Support Program. During 2008, SGA in collaboration with Actionaid Pakistan had under taken Micro Financing to the women of UC Hathoongo, Taluka Khipro, and District Sanghar. The program was focused on Live Stock and Small Business and 60 women were benefited from this program.
A part from this venture, SGA has also rendered services on social mobilization in collaboration with Khushhali Bank in perspective of Poverty Alleviation by formation of Community Organizations (COs) in the District of Larkana, Ghotki, Shikarpur and Mirpurkhas since 2002. Under this program, the Association has formed 4459 COs and disbursed small loans amounting to Rs. 359.730 Million with the coverage of 26,815 House Holds. SGA is presently rendering services of Social Mobilization in District Sanghar in collaboration with RSPN/USAID for Family Advancement for Life and Health (FALAH). The major theme of program is to mobilize and motivate local community by formation of COs (Male and Female) on birth spacing methods. The focused COs are married couples ranging their age from 14-49 years. The program has been started from February 2008 and SGA has intervened in 5 UCs of Taluka Khipro and formed 284 COs (Male 142, Female 142) as on 30-06-2009 to present.
Emergency, Relief and early recovery.
Bahal Project, District Dadu: Bahal Project for early recovery of flood affected people of District Dadu. The Project is focused on four Sectors: 1) Shelters and Settlements 2) Agriculture and Food Security 3) Wash 4) Health, Covering 4643 House Holds to 30,550 beneficiaries. The Project is for a period of 05 months, started from November 2010 with a total cost of US$ 274,363/=
Health Sector:
In the year 1994-95, SGA has run Mother Child Health Care Centres in collaboration with Trust for Voluntary Organization (TVO) in 16 villages of District Hyderabad, Khairpur, Jacobabad, Larkana and Dadu. The main objective of MCH Centres was to provide health facilities to the women and children as well as educate them on health issues and problems.
SGA has run village Community Schools under Non formal Basic Education (NFBE) program in collaboration with TVO, UNICEF/SEF and Government of Pakistan, SAP in District Dadu, Badin, Sukkur, Larkana, Khirpur, Jacobabad and Shikarpur during the year 1995-98 and 2001-02 respectively. Under this programme 6450 girls between the age of 15 and above have been provided primary education. Besides SGA has also run 400 Adult Literacy Programme in 12 UCs of District Hyderabad and Thatta during the year 2004-05. Under this program, 12500 learners both Male and Female were literated. The program was funded by USAID in collaboration with The Asia Foundation (TAF).
Revolving Fund for women empowerment:
In the previous years, SGA has provided Micro Credit facilities to the skilled women in collaboration with ILO and SGA women Branch, Karachi under Income Generation Program in District Naushero Feroz and Dadu respectively. The program was focused on promotion of local traditional and customary trades and by virtue of this; the activities of Income Generation with the promotion of local Embroidery was increased among the women of Rural areas and income was also generated for which their Socio-Economic level was increased.
Advocacy and Awareness:
SGA has also worked on Advocacy and Awareness in different areas from time to time Recently SGA has organized program on women Empowerment by conducting Seminars on women participation in Election process in 20 UCs of District Larkana, Shahdadkot/Qamber and Shikarpur in collaboration with CIDA in the month of January-February 2008. Under this program, more than 2000 women were imparted Training. Besides SGA has organized Women Conference in March 2008 where in Issues, problems, Rights and Privileges of Sindhi Rural Women were discussed and highlighted. Pre Budget Seminar focusing on Development Priorities of Sindh, Civil Society perspective was organized by SGA in the month of May, 2008.
Rural Water Supply and Sanitation:
In the year 1998, SGA had provided 14 Pilot Schemes of Rural water Supply and Sanitation in collaboration with World Bank and Technical Assistance by Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), Government of Sindh. The Schemes were provided in 16 villages of 6 District viz: Dadu, Jacobabad, Khairpur (Mirs), Larkana, Shikarpur and Thatta. The Schemes were successfully run by the Village Development organizations (VDOs) of the respective villages under the management of SGA. It is prudent to mention here that out of 14, three to four Schemes are still running successfully by the concerned community in District Khairpur and Dadu.
Furthermore, SGA has rich, varied and wide working experience with National and International Donor Agencies and well as Provincial and Federal Government Organization to its Credit like TVO, SEF, OXFAM, SPO, INFAQ Foundation, Khushhali Bank, Shaikh Sultan Trust, Shbair Ahmed Jumani, Government of Sindh and Pakistan, ILO, UNICEF, CIDA, UNDP, RSPN, World Bank, Actionaid Pakistan, UNICEF and USAID etc.
