Mother's dream for earthquake orphans

11:23am Friday 28th March 2008

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IT may have rocked the country more than two years ago, but it will take at least another seven to clean up the damage left behind by the Pakistan earthquake.

Thousands of children were made homeless by the disaster, and are being forced to live on the streets in abject poverty.

Their plight is a horrific one and has touched the heart of Walthamstow foster carer Shahzadi Noman, who has been inspired to raise £50,000 to pay for a new orphanage.

The mum-of-three, of Woodside Park Avenue, claims the development will provide a home for ten children and a mother and so far she has raised £10,766 through a series of fund-raising events.

Masoom Support International held the latest money-making venture, a presentation at St Gabriel's Family Centre in Havant Road, Walthamstow, for Orphan Awareness Week and raised £600.

Mrs Noman, who cares for three teenagers from overseas as well as her own three children, said the charity was also aiming to raise extra cash to spend on other projects in the devastated nation.

The huge earthquake which struck near the Kashmir region of Pakistan in October, 2005, registered 7.6 on the Richter Scale and killed nearly 75,000 people.

And officials claim it will take at least a decade to repair the ruined towns and cities.

Mrs Noman, who has been a registered foster carer for around five years, said: "I kept hearing stories of the plight of children who had been left homeless by this terrible tragedy.

"As a mother I was hugely moved and felt I needed to act. I therefore got chatting to some parents and hit upon the idea that I would love to build an orphanage in that area. It's an ambitious task, but one I know we can achieve.

"In May last year I helped to set up the charity, called Masoom Support International. Masoom relates to someone in a helpless situation. It seemed an appropriate title for our charity."

Mrs Noman is co-chairwoman of the charity with sister Sima Raza, 29, of Salters Avenue, Walthamstow, and the sisters are supported by friends Sima Raja, 27, of Macdonald Road, Walthamstow; Farah Abbas, 41, of Beaconsfield Road, Leyton, and Sumrah Hussain, 37, of Shortland Road, Walthamstow.

The 39-year-old added: "We have drawn up a constitution and are in the process of becoming a registered charity and setting up a website.

"I had given money to charity before but this is much more hands-on and has provided much more satisfaction. It feels like we have been able to make a difference, which is fantastic."

Following several fund-raising initiatives, Mrs Noman travelled to the Muzaffarabad region of Pakistan for five weeks towards the end of last year and handed out donations to several projects.

These included providing materials to help re-build a house and helping pay for treatment for a cancer sufferer. Part of the money also went to worthy causes in Istanbul, Turkey.

Mrs Noman, who shares fostering responsibilities with husband Noman Aziz, also aged 39, added: "Our route to Pakistan took us via Turkey so we also found people who needed our support there.

"I want to go back to Pakistan every October and look for other projects to support. Our main target is the orphanage but we have a great deal else we want to achieve too.

"It was difficult travelling out there and seeing people in such poverty and suffering great hardship but it's empowering to know that we can help them."

Mrs Noman said she wanted more people to join the charity's committee and was looking for financial support from companies, organisations and individuals to boost its total.

She added: "As a mother, I cannot help but be moved by the plight of children whose lives have been torn apart by this terrible earthquake and I think other mothers would be similarly touched.

"We are appealing for help and support because this is a worthy cause and I would urge people to get in touch with us and find out more about what we're doing and what they can do.

"We hugely appreciate all the support we have received so far and want that to continue."

For more information about Masoom Support International, including details of forthcoming fund-raising events, e-mail masoomcharity@hotmail.co.uk