Who are we?

The Maria-Helena Foundation is a small family-based, private, non-sectarian organization that focuses on development in South Asia, primarily Pakistan. Our goal is to reduce poverty by supporting: Education, Skills Training, and Health.

1a. We fund construction of buildings used as educational facilities and skills training centres that:

• Provide quality education at low cost to poor children,
• Create employment and self-employment for poor women, and

1b. We offer scholarships to cover the tuition fees of under-privileged students at these educational facilities.

2. We offer free home-based education in a non-formal setting to children working as domestic servants, beggers, porters, and street hawkers, etc.

3. We provide basic health care to poor children and adults, and participate in immunization campaigns for children from poor families.

What have we done?

Pakistan ranks very low in all human development indices. In addition, women have an inferior position in that patriarchal society. Poverty and ignorance are at the root of many of Pakistan's problems. It is known that primary education and primary healthcare are essential foundations in reducing poverty.

In partnerships with Pakistani civil society organizations, the Foundation has helped establish:

• 16 one-room one-teacher co-educational schools meant for the extremely poor. All expenses are paid by the Foundation. Each school costs about $1,000 per year total to operate. About 500 students are enrolled.
• 6 self-sustaining primary co-educational schools with an enrollment of 2,000 students. Three more schools are under construction to be completed in August 2008, and two more schools are planned. All teachers are women. We help build one new school every year. Land is donated by the local community. Each school costs about $60,000. All schools follow the Government approved curriculum.
• 1 out-patient medical clinic where about 80 patients per day receive treatment at very low fees.
• 2 one-room vocational training schools in which young girls and women learn traditional needlecraft and sewing. This training helps the invisible household economy of poor families. It requires about $7,500 as capital cost to establish one such vocational school, and $1,000 per year for operational expenses.
• 100 half-fee scholarships worth $2 per month. Half of the recipients are girls.
  

What can you do?

Donate to the MHF itself

Our current costs are:

• $300: for one child's (5 yr) education in a primary school @ $5 per month tuition fee
• $500: for immunization of 100 children
• $3,600: for primary education of 20 working children in a home-school operating on an accelerated three-year academic cycle
• $11,000: to establish a permanent self-sustaining vocational school for young girls and women
• $80,000: to establish a permanent self-sustaining primary school built on land provided by the community
• $40-$60/month: a teacher's salary.

click here to download a donation form (we provide tax receipts for any sum above $10)

Check us out at Canada Revenue Agency:
http://www.cra.gc.ca/charities
Or phone: 1-800-267-2384

We are a member of the British Columbia Council for International Cooperation: www.bccic.org

 

Registered Charity # 89250 2725 RR0001

Incorporated in 1999

For information on all Charities registered in Canada under the Income Tax Act please contact: Canada Revenue Agency www.cra.arc.gc.ca/tax/charities. Or phone: 1-800-267-2384

We are a member of the British Columbia Council for International Cooperation: www.bccic.org

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