By Zaynab Abedin | Assistant - External Engagement
“I was told by a friend to come here and get my son’s Special CNIC made. This is a very good initiative as we are treated in a very respectful manner and the process is quick so we can avoid the hassle of going to different Government offices and waiting for long”, exclaimed Bilawal at the Special Computerized National Identity Card Registration Camp 2016 organized at our office in Saddar, Karachi on 17th March 2016.
Shafqat, whose daughter suffers from disabilities, reinforced the remark above - “I cannot bear the long process of visiting different departments. It takes months to complete the process, but here all the work has been done in a single day.”
With gracious encouragement from supporters like you, this was the first Special CNIC Camp of 2016 we organized in collaboration with four Government departments which were Social Welfare Department, Health Department, Employment Exchange Department and National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA). 200 applicants from our partner organisations, namely Family Educational Services Foundation (FESF), Special Olympics Pakistan (SOP) and Aga Khan Social Welfare Board (AKSWB) were invited and accomodated at given time slots to get their Special CNICs processed.
A cumbersome process was made smooth with the help of our team and volunteers by ensuring all required documents were checked at the reception desk, applicants data was collected (also to aid our employment database and research), refreshment tokens were issued and applicants were directed to the relevant rooms for processing of their Special CNICs. The employment exchange cards were processed first after which medical assessments led to the processing of disability certificates. Finally, the applicants were able to apply for their SCNICs with the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).
Our team of staff members and volunteers ensured that during the camp feedback was taken from the applicants/persons with disabilities and their guardians for future camps. Some of the comments/observations were as follows:
“People over here are very courteous and talk very nicely with us. We are very happy”, the father of a person with disability exclaimed.
“The facilities are all under one roof, which is a great initiative. There are very few programs like these happening in our country.” said Asif, student at Society for Rehabilitation of Special Children (SRSC).
Abdul, who suffers from speech impairment, showed a ‘thumbs up’ sign to gesture that he has completed the obstacles to get his SCNIC.
Prominent personalities from the Government and Media dropped by at the event to show their support and for coverage. They all agreed that for the most of us, living in perfect health, thinking about persons with disabilities does not form part of our consciousness. Persons with disabilities are often ignored, neglected or are castrated from society altogether, which is alarming especially when it is a well known fact that Pakistan has one of the largest population of persons with disabilities in the world. However, according to them, there is hope as there are organizations and institutes like ours (NOWPDP) that cater to the needs and rights of persons with disabilities.
In the words of an elderly person on a wheelchair who came to get his SCNIC processed, “I do not even know the benefits this Special Identity Card has” – a challenge NOWPDP looks forward to taking up simultaneously whilst countering the low number of SCNIC registrations.
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