Mushtaq Welfare Trust is the brainchild of a family in Manchester who have set up their own charity and school for orphaned and poverty-stricken girls on the site of their former family home in Khanewal, Pakistan. The Choudry family created the registered charity to educate girls aged between five and eleven-years-old in the Punjab region. The family decided to demolish their ancestral family home and build a six-storey school to bring hope to some of the poorest youngsters and families in the area. As living costs increase, education is seen as a luxury, with preference given to the males of a family, who are seen as future breadwinners. However, the motto of MWT is To educate a man is to educate an individual, but to educate a woman is to educate a nation. The school, which opened in March 2008, initially enrolled 15 girls and currently has 60 pupils. The family aims to have 120 pupils over the next few years. MWT wants to give girls, orphaned and in desperate need, the chance to stand on their own two feet. The school is the family’s legacy who’s desire is to help children who would otherwise be overlooked so that they can go on and inspire others. The idea for the school was inspired by the late paternal grandfather of the Choudry family, Mushtaq Ahmed Choudry, a headmaster who worked in the region and would give up his own time to visit poorer communities and teach the villagers who would who otherwise not have received an education. The Choudry family came to the conclusion that sponsoring the orphans would make a massive difference to the immediate and long term stability of the orphans themselves, their families and their communities. The money we raise will help some of the money vulnerable children in Khanewal. Pupils are provided with everything from uniforms to books, 3 meals a day, transport, health, medical and dental care, along with further support and care to their families. Schools in Greater Manchester and Stockport have backed the family by raising funds and donating resources and furniture to equip the new building. A number of 40 ft sea containers filled with items such as toys, blackboards, books and computers etc were transported to Pakistan in 2008, 2010 and 2012. Colin Manning, the ex headmaster of North Reddish Junior School in Stockport, Cheshire encouraged schools in his area to help with collecting useful resources. … And whosoever saves the life of one, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all of mankind. [Qur’an 5:32] Our Mission Food We provide the children with a balanced and healthy diet consisting of milk, meats, seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables, along with plentiful fresh drinking water. Education All of our staff are qualified and trained to teach the Oxford National Curriculum. Our children are taught Maths, English, Science, Computer Science, Domestic Science, Social Studies, Qur’an with Tajweed, Islamic studies, Urdu, Arabic, along with History and Geography. Welfare We provide a safe, clean and nurturing environment for the staff and children, adult education classes for the community, and identifying any child protection issues. Every year we provide Ramadhan food parcels to each child’s family consisting of wheat flour, rice, lentils, cooking oil, sugar, tea, dried milk, dates, traditional sweet dish, and gram flour. Each parcel is made to ensure it will last the month of Ramadhan for the whole family. We distribute Qurbani meat after the Hajj pilgrimage on the festival of Eid Al Adha to all of the children’s families and within the community . Health care The school ensures regular medical, dental and optical checks by trained professionals and keeps a record of every child’s height, weight, and development. We also offer medical and surgical assistance if appropriate to family members. A befriending and Counseling service is available to all of the children if needed.