All About Pakistan

KARACHI - A ceremony was held to inaugurate lifeguard services with an aim to provide safety to the 2 million annual beach goers of Karachi. “Aman-PALS” lifeguard services are a much needed public service made possible by Aman Foundation and Pakistan Life Saving (“PALS”).

Taking note of the massive impact of life guard services, which brought drowning rates to nil on the beaches of Karachi, AMAN Foundation has decided to become one of the primary organizations to sustain the invaluable lifeguard services for the next 5 years.

The lifeguards are selected by PALS and then trained by the best in the field, courtesy of “Surf Life Saving”-New Zealand and “Surf Life Saving”-Australia, to turn them into contributing members of their communities and their households. Aman-PALS will not only ensure safety at Karachi beaches but will also sustain and build a thriving social enterprise. This is a prime example of the grass roots approach that AMAN Foundation takes to transform lives.

The lifeguard services were first revived by Aman Foundation in early 2011 through disbursement of a capacity building grant to PALS. During the period June to December 2011, the lifeguards successfully rescued over 300 lives and administered first aid to over 400 beach visitors. The launch of Aman-PALS lifeguard services comes at an important time when thousands flock every month due to the summer season and the rough sea necessitates such free public safety.

http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2012/06/12/city/karachi/aman-foundation-enhances-beach-rescue-services/

The Aman grant will provide employment opportunities to more than 120 local lifeguards belonging to the low income coastal communities.

[Courtesy: TGN]

He’s the internet sensation who sells fish with a song.

Muhammad Shahid Nazir – who is from Lahore in Pakistan – has notched up over a million YouTube hits after performing his “one pound fish” song at Queen’s market in east London.

He’s now getting cover versions made of the song by pop stars including Mindless Behaviour and Alesha Dixon.

The BBC Asian Network‘s Shabnam Mahmood went down to meet him.

Video produced by the BBC’s Dan Curtis

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18061205

 
[Courtesy: TGN]

Karachi: The TCF Family is proud of young Shahid Wajid Ali who is among the winners of 2012 Space Foundation Student Art Contest. TCF Student Shahid is one of the 36 winners (in different categories) out of more than 1,500 global entries! Because the winners are from all over the world, instead of having a ceremony, the space foundation made a video featuring astronauts who announced names of the young winners.

Based in USA, The Space Foundation, sponsor of the 2012 Space Foundation Student Art Contest, is a global, nonprofit leader in space awareness, educational programs that bring space into the classroom and major industry events, including the National Space Symposium. The winning entries of this competition were displayed in the Ball Aerospace Exhibit Center Pavilion at the Space Foundation’s 28th National Space Symposium at The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs (April 16-19). Furthermore, all the winning entries were also displayed on www.artsonia.com/space, an online museum of exceptional student artwork.

To financially support his family, he has been working at a small embroidery setup in his street. Since the tender age of nine he has been working there learning the art of threadwork (zari ka kaam) his tender fingers have been bruised hundreds of times in the process of learning this art but Shahid has never given up.

http://tcf.org.pk/storyDetail.aspx?id=85&year=2012&p=1

Shahid is one of the 36 winners out of more than 1,500 global entries

[Courtesy: TGN]  

LAHORE: Pakistani student, Shayan Anique Akhtar, has set a world record in Microsoft Professional Certificate programme by achieving 998 marks out of a total of 1000, Geo News reported.

His name has been entered in the Guinness Book of World Records for this accomplishment.

Shayan is also scheduled to meet Bill Gates in July this year on a special invitation of the Microsoft founder.

He is also a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP), Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) and Microsoft Professional Developer (MPD).

http://pk.msn.com/pakistan-news/news/126145/pakistani-prodigy-sets-world-record.aspx?region=pk.&featuredpk

Shayan is scheduled to meet Bill Gates in July this year on special invitation from the Microsoft founder

[Courtesy: TGN]