Zubaida Khanum to represent Pakistan in SAARC conference

PT Report

Gilgit, September 27: Zubaida Khanum, a boarder of CEENA Welfare Orphanage, has been selected to represent Pakistan at an international conference. The conference is being arranged in Kathmandu from September 27-29, by the “South Asia Initiative to End Violence against Children (SAIEVAC)” a project of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

The consultation will be hosted by SAIVEC Secretariat and co-hosted by the Government of Nepal with the support of the SACG (South Asia Coordinating Group on Action against Women and Children). Children residing in institutional care from SAARC countries are participating in the above consultation.

The selection of the participants has been made at a national level consultation session held in Islamabad from September 17-18, 2011, in which children residing in Orphanages across Pakistan participated. Based on their performance, two children namely Zubaida Khanum from CEENA Health and Welfare Services Gilgit and Nouman Kiani from EDHI Centre Islamabad were finally selected followed through a rigorous process to represent Pakistan at the said conference.

Zubaida is a student of grade 12 and hails from Gupis, District Ghizer. She is a bright and confident child and actively participates in extra-curricular and constructive activities. She’s an orphaned child and CEENA Welfare (a Gilgit based NGO) is taking care of her. When she was just five years old, her father passed away, leaving her family helpless. CEENA took the responsibility of her care and supported and admitted her in school to enable her to get the blessing of education. She is a courageous and brave child; and despite of facing with a number of ordeals; she continued her education.

She will not only represent Pakistan in the said conference but also be an ambassador of the beautiful Gilgit-Baltistan region.