JSCD Projects

JSCD is currently working on a number of programs which are as follows:
• Women and Child Health
• Nutrition Programs
• Economic Empowerment
• Education and Training of Women
• Legal Services especially to women in Jail
• Relief Programs during natural disasters
• Research
• Advocacy & Awareness

Program

WOMEN AND CHILD HEALTH

a)Advocacy and Social Mobilization

JSCD is working on Advocacy and Social Mobilization for Women’s Health and Rights with the aim to reduce Maternal Mortality Rate ( MMR) in the Punjab province since the year 2000 in collaboration with UNICEF Punjab. An advocacy and awareness campaign on reducing MMR and three delays are successfully carried out in the province and is a continuous activity of JSCD. Through this programme effective networking has been established with Hospitals and Health Care Providers, Doctor’s and HCP Groups (Commitment and Training), Media Groups, Lady Councillors Groups and electronic media is used to propagate the issue through FM100, dramas, lectures and panel discussions.
Lectures in Women Institutions
JSCD regularly organizes lectures on pertinent women’s issues in various women’s institutions on Education, Health, Legal rights, Gender sensitization, Violence against Women, and Career Development.

b) Maan Bachao Mohim (UNICEF)

A pilot project on Emergency Obstetric Care Services in Sheikhupura and Lahore was initiated in the year 2004 as part of the Punjab Safe Motherhood Initiative. The project was designed involving a collaboration of a tertiary care hospital attached to a medical college namely the Lady Willington Hospital/King Edward Medical University to the primary health care system prevailing in the Lahore city and District Sheikhupura. The doctors of SGRH were responsible for monitoring most of these facilities which were to be upgraded and staff of these facilities trained to provide EmOC. The name of the project is Maan Bachao Mohim and was sponsored by UNICEF. The project was successfully completed and is one of the most often quoted and viable project in reducing MMR in Pakistan

c) PAIMAN

JSCD is in collaboration with Pakistan Initiative for Mothers And Newborns (USAID Funded Project) ran an awareness program in 2 Union Councils of District Jehlum in Punjab (UC Lilla and Kandwal). JSCD’s activities here involved the establishment of Community Health groups, medical camps, and blood donor services, while at the same time holding awareness seminars, community meetings and activities such as athletic and debating competitions.
d) Prevention and Treatment of Fistula in Pakistan
JSCD in collaboration with UNFPA has worked to set up a fistula treatment center at Lady Willingdon Hospital in Lahore; part of a project involving the establishment of 7 such centers providing free treatment to patients of fistula, as well as the running of a 16 District wide awareness program in Punjab.
e) Free Medical and Surgical Camps
Free medical and surgical camps are regularly organized in Lahore, Narowal, Chakwal, Skardu, Baluchistan, Balakot, Gilgit and other parts of the country.

NUTRITION PROGRAMMES, which included
a) Support of lost and kidnapped children.
At Nigehban, center for lost and kidnapped children, JSCD ran a food subsidiary program where in addition to providing nutritionally rich food supplements to children on daily basis, items of utility such as cloths, toiletries and other supplies were also provided. JSCD also make provisions for the services of on call doctors for the children’s to give medical aid when required.
b) Free Food Program
JSCD is running a free food program at SGRH since the year 2000. JSCD provides breakfast and lunch to all the patients admitted in the hospital and as well as to the Thalassemia children at the Day Care Center located in the SGRH. These activities are all self sustained and are being carried out for the Thalassemia children. Lunch is being served to all the patient, on daily basis, in all the 26 wards of SGRH.

ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
Job Placement and Counseling Services
With the aim of bringing women (especially of lower income groups) into the formal sector and providing them opportunities to become financially independent, JSCD established a Job Placement Centre for women where they were given preliminary counseling, career guidance and assisted in getting jobs with other organizations for which a network of potential employers been established.
a) Preparation of feasibilities for women micro entrepreneurs
Free of cost feasibilities were prepared for women micro-entrepreneurs with the aim of providing them professional guidance for setting up small business. Volunteer services of professional MBA’s have been sought for this.
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
a) English Club for Professional Women
A weekly English Club for professional women was conducted to enhance workplace communication skills for working women and those aspiring to start a career. The English Club allows women of lower income groups to interact with professional trainers, thus helping them improve communication skills which were an essential prerequisite to good job opportunities.
b) IT Training for Women
Assistance and training in IT and basic computer skills was provided to career oriented women of low economic standing. JSCD provided trainings at nominal rates to facilitate their efforts to find employment.
c) Facilitating schools of border villages of Northern areas of Pakistan
JSCD has adopted schools situated on the borderline of the Northern Areas, providing school children with free stationary, books and uniforms in order to reduce the burden on the parents of the lower income groups thereby creating an incentive to send children to school.

c) Midwifery trainings
JSCD facilitate and conduct the training of Dais and midwives in obstetrics. It has created and maintained an effective network with hospitals and Health care Providers. This training can play a very important role in reducing MMR.
d) JSCD Scholarship Program
JSCD provides scholarships to those applicants seeking professional training on a regular basis; the scholarship program extends to all over Pakistan. This enables those of poorer economic background to achieve adequate education to follow their desired career.
LEGAL SERVICES
In collaboration with the Association of Pakistan Physicians of North America (APPNA), JSCD launched a project for the provision of legal aid to female prisoners. While JSCD had been working previously to provide legal services to women, it was able to expand legal service delivery into women’s jails with the aid of APPNA. The Project undertook to incorporate a holistic approach to improving the conditions of women in jail, including a legal, medical and professional staff. Subsequently, the project was designed to provide free legal aid and services, bail concessions and sureties, medical interventions, and media attention to the plight of female prisoners.
RELIEF PROGRAMS
JSCD aims to support communities in situation of crisis up till the provision of efforts for rehabilitation. These programs are organized in collaboration with Pakistan Medical Association by providing dry ration, medicines and clothes. Relief goods worth millions were collected and sent to drought hit areas in Baluchistan. JSCD has also provided assistance to Afghan Refugees at Shalman Camp on Pak Afghan Border. Similarly relief programs have been carried out for Earth Quake Victims in Northern areas where 3500 victims (300 families) of earthquake at Gonar Camp near Chilas were provided food, clothing and medicine for a period of six months and efforts towards rehabilitation was made by providing them with livestock.
JSCD also carried out a major relief program in 2005-6 in earthquake ravaged Balakot, in the Northern Areas of Pakistan. JSCD took responsibility of rehabilitation for 2480 homeless people, providing winterized tents for shelter, blankets, quilts, and household utensils. Regular food rations and nutritional supplements were also provided to all residents of the tent village. In addition to food and shelter, JSCD also set up educational facilities for the children of the village; including text books and school uniforms. The Government Degree College and a community center were also set up.
JSCD also provided relief to IDP’s in the shape of food, clothes, books, toys and educational facilities for children, medical help for children and pregnant women. One month ration, clothes , monetary help was provided to persons being repatriated.

RESEARCH
British Collaborative Program
Ongoing Research Project with the University of Leeds and the University of Cambridge on Gene Location of different inherited disorders like microcephaly, mental retardation and eye diseases. Five genes have already been mapped and more than six papers have been published on this gene mapping in recognized international journals.
b) Impact of Antenatal Care on Maternal Health
A research was conducted in Rawalpindi to identify the reasons for which women were not receiving antenatal care, the factors which interfered with their attending antenatal clinics and finally, to prepare a plan at the national level to improve the antenatal care services in the country in order to maximize the number of women receiving antenatal care hence decreasing maternal and prenatal mortality in the country. The research was conducted taking into account the urban areas and rural areas with access to hospital facilities.
c) Needs Assessment Survey of Target Health Facilities in Lahore and Shiekhupura
A UNICEF funded Need Assessment Survey was carried out as an important activity of the project on “Strengthening Maternal Care and Referral Services in the Target Facilities of Lahore and Sheikhupura”. The survey was conducted in the selected facilities of Lahore and Sheikhupura Districts, and aimed to identify the shortcomings in the existing system and the facilities in need of up-gradation. The survey was conducted by medical professionals, trained specifically to conduct the facility assessment survey. Respondents were Health Care Providers from different cadres providing obstetric care at the facilities, managerial staff of the facility and community respondents from the target population of the facility. The survey first made an assessment of the physical structure, service delivery records and information management system determined for requirements of additional equipment and services to be available at the facility in case of its up-gradation. Secondly, it determined the competency of the health care providers and assessed their training need. Thirdly, the community survey looked at the perception and attitude of the community towards the health facility.
d) Survey on Iodine Deficiency Disorders in District Chakwal
A survey to ascertain the deficiencies and gaps in the provision and use of iodized salt was carried out in District Chakwal. The objectives of the survey were to assess the perceptions of teachers, aalims and HCPs regarding the usage of iodized salt, an analysis of IDD status amongst the school children through the classification of visible goiter, the mapping of the major salt processors and distributors operating in the District and an estimation of the purity and availability of iodized salt.
Advocacy & Awareness Program
a) Pani Pakistan
Pakistan National Consortium for Conservation and Management of Water was set up by a group of concerned partners in July 2005 in response to the burgeoning issues of water scarcity and pollution that Pakistan will face in the near future if no efforts are made to the contrary. With estimated population of 208 million in 2025, and a possible annual economic cost of $1.25 billion of water related disease, it becomes necessary to focus on issues such as these. Pani Pakistan's main objective is to create awareness of water conservation and management issues on a national scale. Its vision is the provision of adequate and clean water for all needs, and the conservation of existing water sources as a trust for future generations.