Ihsan Trust Promoting Education For A Brighter Pakistan – Interview

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Ihsan Trust was established as an independent trust (Waqf) in 2010 with the vision to create a poverty free society on the principles of equality and compassion. Their missions is to reach out and help the poor and needy according to the principles of Islam and take care/look after the wellbeing of poor and needy and to encourage the socio economic uplift of the low income community in order to increase the economic prosperity of the society, ultimately contributing towards the betterment of Pakistan and Ummah.

Its aims and objectives are to raise the standard of living of under privileged, downtrodden, neglected sections of the population and low income group, with a strategic approach for developing a sustainable system for the welfare of these neglected segments, helping the society as a whole. The core activities are: 1) Educational & Skill Development, 2) Rural Development, 3) Health & Hygiene, 4) Immediate relief to the affectees of any natural disaster/ calamity, 5) Rehabilitation and other community building services, 6) Qarz-e-Hasna, 7) Establishment and operation of orphanages, 8) Providing funds for the marriage of poor girls, 9) Assist indebted poor people and 1) Islamic Microfinance. Its Board of Trustees comprises of eminent personalities like Dr. Muhammad Imran Ashraf Usmani, Mufti Bilal Ahmed Qazi, Mr. Ahmed Ali Siddiqui, Mufti Yahya Asim, Dr. Zeeshan Ahmed, Mr. Kamal Mian and Mr. Suleman Muhammad Ali.

Followings are excerpts from an exclusive interview with Fayyaz-ur-Rehman.

What is the prime focus of Ihsan Trust?

Fayyaz-ur-Rehman: One of the major focuses of the trust is providing Qarz-e-Hasna (interest free loan) for the education to the needy and deserving students of major and leading universities of Pakistan. Through this scheme Ihsan Trust bears the educational expenses of the students on purely on “Need cum Merit” basis in order to enable them to complete their higher education.

The repayment policy for the Qarz-e-Hasna is very simple. The amount sanctioned to a selected student depends on his/her need and eligibility. During the study period, the student has to pay a nominal, token repayment amount (depending upon the financial position of the candidates, his/her parents/guardians monthly income) to the Ihsan Trust as repayment. After the completion of his/her education, the repayment amount for the Qarz-e-Hasna is to be adjusted according to the income of the student

Does the Trust contact student or student contacts the Trust?

Fayyaz: In order to proceed with the sanctioning of Qarz-e-Hasna to the students, Ihsan Trust has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with various institutes and universities. As per the MoU educational institutions initially select and shortlist the candidates for this scheme. The cases are then forwarded to the Ihsan Trust which after proper analysis of the documents conducts the interviews of the candidates to assess their exact need and requirement of financial assistance. Then managing trustees finally approves the student for this Qarz-e-Hasna facility and the funds of the Qarz-e-Hasna are transferred to the university account on the behalf of the student.

Nothing, not a single penny is given in the hands of the selected students. Monthly token repayment from the student starts from the very next month. Throughout this process, the university helps and assists Ihsan Trust by awareness campaigns, ensuring timely repayments by the students and acting as an intermediary between the Trust and the students.

Would you like to talk about some major arrangements?

Fayyaz: Ihsan Trust signed MoU with The Citizen Foundation (TCF) in 2010 to provide funds for the scholarship of 100 TCF alumni pursuing intermediate education. According to the renewed MoU of 2013, Ihsan Trust has provided funds to TCF for scholarship of 250 alumni pursuing intermediate education.

TCF is a professionally managed, non-profit organization set up in 1995 by a group of citizens concerned with the dismal state of education in Pakistan. It is now one of Pakistan’s leading organizations in the field of formal education. TCF has established 910 purpose-built school units throughout the country with an enrollment of more than 126,000 students. TCF encourages female enrollment and strives to maintain a 50% female ratio in most of its campuses.

TCF has a full female faculty of 6,300 members. TCF also has a dedicated Teacher Training Center in Karachi and Mansehra for the ongoing training of its faculty and provides logistical support to all its teachers. About 9,500 jobs have been created in communities in which TCF operates.

Tell us about some grass root project.

Fayyaz: Ihsan Trust has provided sponsorship to 150 students of Britainnica School located in Surjani Town in Karachi for one year and has also provided copies (notebooks) to 250 needy students of the school. The ceremony to hand over the cheques of these initiatives by Ihsan Trust took place in Britainnica School Surjani Town on Sept 10, 2013.

Waleed Khan of Ihsan Trust highlighted the joint collaboration and other initiatives of Ihsan Trust to the entire team of Britainnica School. The efforts of Britanica School to make remote area children literate and educate are highly commendable. Ihsan Trust is proud to be the part of this noble cause and play its part in providing education to the poor and needy as per its mission and objective.

Nasim Memorial Educational & Welfare Society established in 1983, is running the Britainnica School with the efforts of philanthropist Ms. Yasmin Nigar, who has been running the school in order to provide quality education to the poor children of Surjani Town and Gulistan-e-Johar. Most of the children studying in these schools belong to very poor families. But the entire team of Ms. Yasmin is doing great job in imparting education to them. Although, Britainnica School have been providing the best possible facilities to the children with their own efforts, the costs are rising and the resources are shrinking.

Britainnica facing a severe problem of providing copies, uniforms, etc. to the poor students (these things are provided free of charge to the poor students) and payments of utility bills etc. They approached Ihsan Trust, which agreed to join hands with them in the noble cause.

Has the efforts of Ihsan Trust recognized internationally?

Fayyaz: Ihsan Trust has received the Global “Islamic Economy Award 2017” in the category of “Waqf and Endowment” in recognition of its efforts to provide interest free loans to deserving students for higher education. His Excellency Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, presented the award to Ihsan Trust, at a ceremony held in Dubai. Ahmed Ali Siddiqui received the award on behalf of Ihsan Trust.

Shabbir H. Kazmi

Shabbir H. Kazmi is an economic analyst from Pakistan. He has been writing for local and foreign publications for about quarter of a century. He maintains the blog ‘Geo Politics in South Asia and MENA’. He can be contacted at [email protected]

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