Imkaan Welfare Organisation Pakistan
Commonwealth Point of Light 225. Tahera Hasan
Tahera Hasan, representing Pakistan, aged 49, is a lawyer and director of ‘Imkaan’, a welfare organisation formed to support marginalised children and communities living in Machar Colony in Karachi, the largest informal settlement in the city which is home to approximately 700,000 people.
Tahera set up the charity in 2012 with a particular focus on reducing the rate of child abandonment in the city and supporting those living on the streets. ‘Imkaan’ runs a mother and child healthcare centre, which has treated approximately 60,000 people, and also offers schooling, an orphanage, legal aid and protection, recreation and sports clubs, mental health counselling, and maternity services.
Tahera said:
“It is an honour and privilege to receive the Points of Light Award. It is a recognition for the work of all those involved on a day-to-day basis, highlighting and fighting for the rights of stateless and marginalised communities in Pakistan. The right to citizenship, identity and more specifically the Child’s Right to Neutrality is a neglected subject, impacting the grant of fundamental rights. This award goes a step forward in bringing these issues to the forefront.”
Christian Turner, British High Commissioner to Pakistan, said:
“Tahera is making a big impact on the lives of some of the most vulnerable children in Pakistan. This recognition of her work is a testimony to the long-standing and deep ties that UK, Pakistan and other Commonwealth nations share.”