Farhan published an article on what measures are taken for PWDs by the Government earlier on, https://gbgoodwillmovement.com/what-measures-are-taken-by-the-government-of-gilgit-baltistan-for-its-persons-with-disablities/. Now being in Gilgit; I want to further update this with a focus on accessibility and disability awareness in relation to the city but what we are doing.

As you may know, Gilgit has a very unpredictable terrain with summer being the ideal travel season, though for PWDs, it is not. When we visited for official work at ZS Plaza, Gilgit, there were no lifts or ramps in the Plaza. For those who aren’t aware of Gilgit, ZS Plaza is situated near Heli Chowk which is the main hub of Gilgit. Liaising with different people and organizations there, I found that there is not a proper accessibility planning system until recently.

At the training center of GBGM, despite the terrain being inaccessible keep two wheelchairs at our parking bay which either a student or one of our cabinet members pushes. This is what we mean by transportation difficulties as there are no proper means of transport than personal transport which most disabled people do not have access to, and so we are also looking for some help in this regard.

Many disabled people want to come to us but are limited because of transport issues.

Ayazbullah rahmanir satan e rasheem, Bishamllah Ramhan ur Rahim.

My dear senior minister Abaid Ullah Baig Saheb, faculty members, and my disabled friends asslam alokium. If we were to talk about the rights of special persons, then the first pressing issue which arises is the education of Persons with Disablities. No society progress without education.

In Gilgit Baltistan, today we have on each street a college or a school for abled persons, but not for disabled persons. For instance, when I was studying, there didn’t use to be any government schools for disabled persons within the region except for a private school, Vision Eye International. From there I went to Islamabad for my further studies and Lahore for my Graduation. Though my example is a bit old, it still shows that there are problems for persons with disablities even today.

Even today, though there is a primary school in the Gilgit division, http://www.gilgitbaltistanscouts.gov.pk/TOGeography%20.html, it is still hard for people to access from far-flung areas. This raises a question: why are disabled persons deprived of their rights? I will give you an example. In my hometown, Ghizer, there is a special education complex but mismanagement.

But apart from the education of disabled persons, the government should also ensure that persons with disablities are becoming employable. As mentioned above, I went down South for my further studies: this meant that along the way I made some friends from Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi who are now all employable, but thousands of people like me in GB arent. We have struggled for our education, and we deserve employment. The government should heed attention to this.

When I came back to GB in 2019, there was a disabled act 2019 that was passed unanimously by the GB Government unanimously, and we founded the Disabled Alliance in Gilgit Baltistan for whom I was the president for a year that worked on issues surrounding PWDs. Now we have eight of the disabled-led organizations in GB that visually impaired persons lead. So my request to the government is to heed attention to the special person’s community of Gilgit Baltistan. If disabled persons are leading organizations such as ours, can’t they work in the government sector?

I Would like to express my gratitude to the KIU sociology department and Mr. Zubair Ahmed, its Head for organizing this awareness session and for the students who were listening to my speech. Tommorow we would expect these students who might become lawyers, government ministers or etc to extend their hands to support the disabled cause. Disabled people in the rest of Pakistan have become 1: Lecturers, 2, Ambassadors and Teachers, so why cant we? We can!!!!!!!

In the next few days, we will reflect on the speeches made at KIU on the 6th of June, 2023. Some key points will be taken out and edited.

Dear all, it is an honor to give you this speech. The main points that we are discussing today will be of

1. Disability Awareness –Raising

2. Understanding each other for cooperation and collaboration

3. Introducing Gilgit Baltistan Goodwill Movement’s vision.

Like many other disabled-related organizations, the vision of GBGM is for Persons with Disabilities to work for themselves and establish, manage and lead their organizations. Of course, through our efforts we want GB society to realize that they have a responsibility to provide an enabling environment to PWDs through encouraging and supporting them in all possible ways.

Before GBGM, I had hands-on experience working for and with disability-related causes. I founded the First Disabled Students Network in my former college, the City of Glasgow College https://www.citysa.co.uk/get-involved/sports-societies/society/dsn-test/. I am also a member of the Glasgow Disability Alliance https//gda.scot. I know what it is like being in a disabled-led organization.

While my parents are from the region, it was not until when I supported disabled-related causes in GB that this idea of GBGM was designed as an organization. I already started some social media awareness under this name back in August 2019. The GBGM GB team is made up of mostly educated disabled students who have not been employed due to their disability.

Like any professional organization GBGM first – 1. Collected data and liaised with local disabled persons organizations. This was done by meeting the local and relevant organizations that were working for persons with disablities and at the same time visiting the families of PWDs. 2. GBGM reached out to the neediest people with disablities in areas like Hunza, Nagar, Ghizer, Puniyal and Astore. This was at the same time as Registration where Persons with Disablities were themselves able to register an organization by visiting government offices and etc.

Our long-term project is working on the skills development of persons with disabilities in Gilgit City. I believe that research has proven that such training improves the employability skills of PWDs. We train PWDs in the following skills IT, Music, LED Bulb Making, etc but due to a lack of funds, we are not able to support a bigger cohort.

As I have been brought up in Glasgow, UK, I want to replicate the Scottish model of disability governance within GB. This will require governmental, individual, and organizational funding. I want to also let people know that in January 2023 on our Islamabad trip, we made links with :

•AKDN/ AKAH

•Hashoo foundation

•PPAF

•STEP

•NAV –Tech

•Reputed Experts in the field

If given more funding, we can professionalize GBGM and hopefully continue expanding our skills development project.

Colonel Faheem Rao, Sector Commander of the Special Communications Organization (SCO), paid a visit to Gilgit Baltistan’s Goodwill Skill Development Centre for Persons with Disabilities, reaffirming SCO’s unwavering dedication to supporting the local community. During the visit, Colonel Faheem Rao announced an upgrade in the internet package provided by SCO, increasing the speed from 10 Mbps to 25 Mbps.

An awareness session on disability rights was conducted yesterday at Karakoram International University (KIU) in Gilgit-Baltistan. The event was organized by Gilgit-Baltistan’s Goodwill Movement, a charitable organization dedicated to advocating for the rights and well-being of disabled individuals in the region.

We are thrilled to announce that the Goodwill Movement has officially launched its groundbreaking product today. At Goodwill Movement, we are dedicated to empowering individuals with disabilities and creating meaningful employment opportunities for them . 💪🌟 Recently we announced that team Goodwill Movement was working with its students on a LED Bulb

In a world often consumed by self-interest, volunteering stands as a powerful way to break free from the mundane and make a lasting impact. Whether it’s lending a helping hand to those in need, supporting a cause close to your heart, or contributing to the betterment of society, becoming a volunteer is an extraordinary opportunity for personal growth and social change. This article delves into the transformative journey of becoming a volunteer and explores the numerous benefits it offers to both individuals and the communities they serve.