Background
The Food Project Trust (FPT) was initiated in 2012 as a registered charitable trust. The objectives of FPT included providing wholesome cooked meals to poor families in low income areas of Karachi and providing quality education at nominal or cost free basis to the children of underprivileged families.
Management
FPT is managed by 7 trustees who are professionals in various field and volunteers who provide their services to FPT. FPT employs a part time accountant and four part time field managers.
Community Kitchens
FPT’s core area of activity is providing a fresh and wholesome daily meal to underprivileged families registered with FPT. FPT requires families or individuals desirous of receiving a daily meal to complete a questionnaire regarding their socio economic condition. The homes of the applicants are visited by FPT staff and trustees to verify the applications. Thereafter, the families are monitored and if their economic conditions improve, they are replaced with other deserving applicants.
Preference is given to families headed by women which have minor children and little or no income. A token amount of Rs 5 per meal is charged from those who are able to pay in order to inculcate a sense of responsibility and dignity.
The cost of the meal to FPT averages Rs 150>.
FPT operates three community kitchens located at:
- Data Nagar, Orangi;
- Ghazi Goth, Orangi/Gadap; and
- Mohammad Goth, Northern Bypass/Mangopir.
kitchens.207 number of under privileged families are supported by the Trust per month in the three (3) kitchens consisting of approximately 1242 persons, of which more than half are children.
Kitchen menu consists of fresh seasonal vegetables, beans, daals (lentils) and meat curry is served twice a week. Best quality ingredients are sourced by FPT.
The three kitchens are run by women from the local community, who work in teams on a rotational basis and thus employment is provided to women within the community by the FPT. The cooking staff is taught cooking skills, basic book keeping and accounting.
FPT also provides medical support to children and adults with serious ailments by using contacts with doctors and assisting the patient in having consultations and undergoing procedures at the best medical facilities. Families in acute distress are provided funds for paying their rents and are provided basic food rations on need basis. The Trustees separately raise funds for the aforesaid activities. The Trust has in the past arranged medical camps for the families.
Ration Distribution Projects (Uncooked Items)
FPT distributes ration every month to 50 families of Shah Khalid Colony in Korangi. This ration consists of lentils, rice, atta, tea, oil, sugar and powdered milk. Families for these rations are selected on the basis of their applications and interviews with the trustees.
In addition to monthly distributions, FPT also distributes special rations to deserving persons in villages near Matli, Maula Kathiar, Sanghar, Phalkara, Gharo and Shamspir before Ramadhan.
distributed in the last 4 years are:-2018: 1,100 ration bags
2019: 1,300 ration bags
2020: 1,200 ration bags
2021: 1,500 ration bags
2022: 1,700 ration bags
Clothes Distribution Projects
FPT distributes ladies and gents unstitched suits to both FPT and non-FPT families registered with it’s kitchens during Ramadan every year. In 2022 the following was distributed;
Ladies Suits 630
Men’s Suits 250
Furthermore, shawls and comforters were distributed to FPT and non-FPT families during winter of 2021 at the location of the three kitchens plus Gharo and Shamspir.
Comforters for Karachi 250
Comforter for Gharo 100
Ladies Shawls 500
Gents Shawls 500
Qurbani and Meat Distribution
FPT collects qurbani and sadaqa meat from donors throughout the year. Meat is distributed according to the donors’ wishes or used in the kitchens of the FPT providing meals to under privileged families.
In addition to the above, FPT has successfully arranged qurbani during Eid ul Azha on the instructions of its donors and others in Karachi and interior Sindh as follows;
2018: 10 cows
2019: 15 cows
2020: 40 cows
2021: 46 cows and 3 goats
2022: 52 cows and 6 goats
The qurbani in interior Sindh takes place in the vicinity of Maula Kathiar, Sanghar and Phalkara and sacrificial meat is distributed to inhabitants of the villages adjoining the above towns.
FPT-DIL Secondary School, Data Nagar, Orangi, Karachi
FPT established a primary school in Data Nagar, Orangi in partnership with Developments in Literacy (DIL) in 2002 and which is now a secondary school with an enrollment of 289 children and operates on a double shift. FPT provides funds for the operation of the school, while DIL operates and manages it on a day to day basis.
School is equipped with science and computer labs respectively, a library and a play area.
Students also receive free milk and snacks when donations are available for this purpose.
FPT is registered with the Federal Board of Revenue and is also enrolled with the Economic Affair’s Division of the Government of Pakistan.