Corporate Citizenship And Corporate Affairs

Smarter Kids can make a brighter future for Pakistan

IBM (NYSE:IBM) presented 26 Young Explorer computers to four non-profit organizations in November 2011 including Development in Literacy (DIL), Mountain and Glacier Protection Organization (MGPO), Kaghan Memorial Trust (KMT), and PAF’s Special School of Education.

This donation was carried out under IBM’s ‘KidSmart Early Learning Program’ which is the company’s initiative to make Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) widely accessible to Pakistani children.

“IBM’s Young Explorer computers are perfect for introducing computing tools to the young children ages 3 to 5 at our Kaghan Memorial School” said, Khurram Khan, Managing Trustee at The Kaghan Memorial Trust. “The KidSmart software provides fun interactive programs that help children to get acquainted with computers while supporting their curricular learning. The icing on the cake is the colorful and child-friendly design of the workstations; their sturdy fabrication protects the systems from damage no matter how young and uninitiated the user may be. KidSmart truly lives up to its name and we feel privileged to have been chosen by IBM to receive these excellent systems for our school.”

The KidSmart program integrates new interactive teaching and learning activities using the latest technology into the pre-kindergarten curricula. IBM's KidSmart program includes the Young Explorer™, a computer housed in brightly colored, child-friendly Little Tikes™ furniture and equipped with award-winning educational software to help children learn and explore concepts in math, science and language. The Young Explorer units are specially designed for children ages three to five years with a focus on creating a positive impact on preschool learning and teacher training in line with government education agendas. The program is now widely acknowledged as a catalyst for curriculum development and learning innovation in Middle East and Africa.

IBM Pakistan launched the KidSmart program in 2006 and has donated more than 80 Young Explorer units to NGOs across Pakistan, partnering with Education Ministries (of Nankana Sahib, Punjab and Sindh) and renowned NGO’s including The Citizen’s Foundation, Care Foundation, Behbud Association, Edhi Foundation and Zindagi Trust.

About KidSmart

KidSmart is an IBM corporate programme which aims to develop the role of IT in early childhood education and help bridge the digital divide. The programme runs in partnership with a professional early learning partner (e.g. an Education Ministry), which provides staff training, supports the selection of schools and participates in evaluation. Independent reports have shown strong developmental outcomes for children and a very positive impact on teacher skills and bridging the digital divide.

Since its launch in 1998, IBM has invested more than $120 million in the KidSmart Early Learning Programme worldwide, including the donation of over 55,000 Young Explorer units. The programme is now in 60 countries, and has trained more than 100,000 teachers and served more than 10 million students.

For more information on the KidSmart Program, please visit www.kidsmartearlylearning.org (link resides outside of ibm.com)

IBM Pakistan Runs Trauma Management Workshops
In response to the devastating floods of August 2010

After the extensive flash flooding in Pakistan caused widespread damage, displacing millions from their homes, IBM Pakistan responded by raising funds and donating generously to the affectees.

But recognizing that the effect of such disasters is much deeper in a longer term, IBM identified the need for training for psychological support in the community.

IBM recently sponsored two one-day intensive workshops in two different parts of the country. Arranged for front line health workers and aid providers, the sessions covered lectures on Overview of disasters, Psychological support for adult survivors of disaster and Psychological support for child survivors of disaster. Participants were from organizations including Rescue 1122 (link resides outside of ibm.com) and Social Welfare and Special Education (SWSE) Ministry (link resides outside of ibm.com), War Against Rape (link resides outside of ibm.com), Aurat Foundation (link resides outside of ibm.com), Red Crescent (link resides outside of ibm.com) and Aahung (link resides outside of ibm.com), among others.

The session in Rawalpindi

In Rawalpindi, close to the capital of the country Islamabad, the session was held in collaboration with Holy Family Hospital on ‘Review of Services for Disaster Management’ on Saturday, 19th February.

Speakers at the session included Prof. Asif Zafar Malik, Professor & Head of Department of Surgery, Rawalpindi Medical College, Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi; Dr Sadia Rafiq, Clinical consultant IBM; Prof. Tahira Zafar, Professor of Haematology; Prof. Fareed Aslam Minhas, Professor of Psychiatry; and Dr Taimur Khalil Sheikh, Medical officer Paeds.

The session was followed by a Visit to Telemedicine & eHealth Training Center and an Overview of Role of Telemedicine in Disasters was given along with demonstrations of live Teleconsultations with remote districts of Attock by Prof. Asif Zafar Malik and Dr. Sadia Rafiq. Attock Telemedicine center is most advanced Telemedicine center in the country and Telemedicine capabilities of this center have been enhanced by Pakistan Telemedicine project (link resides outside of ibm.com) - a Public private partenership of IBM, US State department, Wateen Telecom and Holy family hospital.

Participants and Speakers at the Holy Family Hospital

The workshop in Karachi

The workshop, ‘Working with Survivors of Trauma’ was held in Karachi on 26th February 2011, and was facilitated by Stimulus (link resides outside of ibm.com). The training was a one-day train-the-trainer session that aimed to break through the traditional way of training and made each participant play a major role in the training itself. The session was thoroughly interactive, engaging and was enjoyed by all.

The session featured an active discussion between the participants and a group of panelists: Ms. Farheen Siddiqui (Expert from Drug Free Pakistan Foundation (link resides outside of ibm.com)), Ms. Ishma Alvi (Psychologist/Counselor), Ms. Sarah Zaman (Expert from War Against Rape), Dr. Mukesh Ambwani (Psychiatrist) who answered and guided the participants with their expert opinions.

Ms. Ishma Alvi stressed the importance of each worker looking after their own psychological health when in the line of work that involves working with Survivors of Trauma. Sarah Zaman also spoke about her experiences with 'burn out' and the importance of self preservation.

Participants and Facilitators from Stimulus along with IBM representatives in Karachi

Participants Encouraged to Share Knowledge

Each participant was armed with material to enable them to return to their own organizations and share the valuable knowledge that they had attained in the workshop. IBM also distributed copies of manuals Psychological support for survivors of disaster’ and ‘Helping child survivors of disaster’ available for distribution to the library of each organization, and their medical personnel, social and health workers, teachers and volunteers.

IBM Responds To Flood Disaster in Pakistan

The summer of 2010 produced Pakistan’s worst flooding in 80 years. In a televised address on August 14, Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani said that 20 million people, about one-ninth of the population, had been displaced by the disaster.

Flooding began on July 22 in the province of Baluchistan. The swollen waters then poured across the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province in the northwest before flowing south into Punjab and Sindh. Estimates of the death toll of the floods are up to 2000.

Television footage from helicopters showed a seemingly endless vista of muddy water, freckled with palm trees. Estimates of grievous long-term economic and political damage from the inundation were constantly revised in more dire directions as the rains continued. Roads, bridges and communications networks across the country were severely damaged, Pakistani officials said. With monsoon rains continuing and water-borne diseases reported spreading, international relief officials said the pace of aid donations was still not sufficient to deal with the disaster.

According to the United Nations, the flooding in Pakistan represents one of the worst humanitarian crises anywhere in the world in recent history.

"In the past I have witnessed many natural disasters around the world, but nothing like this. Waves of flood must be met by waves of support from the world."
Ban Ki-moon, U.N. Secretary General [UN News Centre (link resides outside of ibm.com)]

 

At present, our small team of IBMers who work in Pakistan (and their families) are safely accounted for, but our colleagues there face enormous challenges.

"Pakistan is facing one of the worst catastrophes humanity has seen in recent times. We are looking to the international community to step forward, save lives and help Pakistan recover. My team in Pakistan is helping in many ways - from making donations to actively volunteering and participating in the relief effort.

We will continue to work with the government, NGOs and IBM volunteers over the coming weeks to respond to this crisis. Together we can make a difference."
Humayun Bashir, Country General Manager IBM Pakistan.

IBM Pakistan continues to work closely with the government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to support relief efforts, donating technology, including servers and related hardware, to the National Ministry for Disaster Response (NDMA).

An appeal for donations was launched for employees in Pakistan and the management team’s goal is to continue to support IBMers' volunteer activities in support of NGOs.

IBM is also helping to provide trauma management services to assist medical and care professionals in Pakistan to provide much needed counseling and support to people affected by the disaster. As part of these efforts, IBM is also translating support materials and guides into Urdu.

IBM inks KidSmart agreement with the Ministry of Education, Sindh

2008 was IBM's 3rd successful year in rolling out their worldwide KidSmart program in Pakistan. This sets as a great achievement for IBM Pakistan as now we have partnered with the Ministry of Education Sindh, and donated these innovative learning units for their Government schools.

In addition, IBM Pakistan also partnered with various NGOS in donating these innovative learning units with printers. Of them include Edhi Foundation at Bilguis Edhi Female Child Home, Kaghan Memorial Trust, Developments in Literacy and Ministry of Education, Sindh

Each IBM KidSmart Early Learning Centre consist of colourful and durable 'Little Tikes' desk and bench seats for children working in groups of two or three with award- wining educational software and a colour printer. The centres are supported by Teachers' Guide, online training and multi lingual website for teachers and parents. In addition teachers who have been involved in this program can participate in collaborative professional development, web-based tools which support effective communications and collaboration.

Saher Sohail, Communication Analyst, IBM Pakistan handling over the agreements to Haleema Edhi at Edhi Foundation

 

Khurram Khan, Managing Trustee of KMT with Adnan Siddiqui, Sales Manager North, IBM Pakistan at the KidSmart handing over ceremony

IBM KidSmart Early Learning Programme

As part of IBM’s commitment to community leadership longside technical leadership and its aim to help develop a knowledge based society in more than 50 countries around the world, IBM is continuing its spirit of Corporate Citizenship and Corporate Affair by providing its KidSmart Early Learning Programme in Pakistan to the three NGOs namely Behbud Association, Developments in Literacy and The Citizens Foundation to address the digital divide in access to Information Technology.

Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq, Minister of Education, Sindh inaugurating the KidSmart unit. Also present were Shazia Marri, Minister of Information, Sindh, Shafiq Ahmed Khoso, Secretary Education and Humayun Bashir, Country General Manager, IBM Pakistan

 

In this regard IBM organized a KidSmart Day at Marriott Hotel in Karachi where IBM donated the KidSmart units to the heads of these NGOs. Speaking on the occasion, Humayun Bashir, Country General Manager, IBM Pakistan said that we are presenting a programme that aims to support very young children in underprivileged communities who currently have no access to IT and gives them a chance to learn , share and create knowledge that ultimately will contribute to the establishment of a new, more highly developed society.

Naheed Mirza, CEO, Behbud Association, Saeeda Fancy, President of DIL, Shazia Marri, Minister of Information, Sindh, Humayun Bashir, Country General Manager, IBM Pakistan, Pir-Mazhar-ul-Haq, Minister of Education, Sindh, Shafiq Ahmed Khoso, Secretary Education, Sindh, Mohammad Zakir, Secretary IT, Sindh and Lt. General S. P Shahid, CEO, TCF
 

Also, present on the occasion were children from schools where these Kidsmart units will be placed by the NGOs, Government dignitaries and IBMers.

About KidSmart

IBM developed KidSmart in 1999 to extend its partnership programmes in the education sector to the critical pre-school years and demonstrate how IT can be applied to improve educational achievement through the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) and help prepare children for the Knowledge Society, particularly in disadvantaged communities that have very limited or no access to IT.

KidSmart is an exciting initiative for IBM in Pakistan and we have been delighted to donate 12 specially designed computers, set in a colorful housing made by leading toy manufacturer Little Tikes, which are child proof, especially designed to be appealing to children to these NGOs. The units allow two or more children to work together, sharing learning experiences, teach them team work and collaboration while making them comfortable to technology. It not only facilitates the kids but it also helps the teachers to collaborate with the other teachers around the globe, which will help them open up new levels of experiences.

IBM Helps NIIT to Establish Linux Competency Center

IBM established a Linux Competency Center at NUST Institute of Information Technology (NIIT), Rawalpindi in June 2007. This Linux Competency Center will help customers, students, developers and business partners in Pakistan to experience and test Linux hands-on and to explore the benefits of open standards-based computing. In addition, IBM is extending its Scholars Program to offer free software, course material and access to IBM Portals to major Universities in Pakistan and discussions with some universities e.g. FAST etc. are underway. The Teach the Teachers program will span several Universities and teachers will be trained at NIIT. As part of establishing the center, IBM has donated its range of enterprise systems (including pSeries Unix Servers, Intel Processor-based xSeries and BladeCenter servers, TotalStorage), Printers, PCs, CISCO equipment - all of the hardware running on Linux SuSE deployed by IBM Global Technology Services team. IBM will also provide free hardware and software services for the first year. In addition, IBM Middleware software will be used by NIIT in their curriculum for graduate and undergraduate students under IBM Academic Initiative program.

KidSmart Donation to TCF and Khubaib Foundation

In order to continue Pakistan Earthquake Relief Efforts, IBM Pakistan donated Little Tikes KidSmart units to The Citizens Foundation (TCF) and Khubaib Foundation, both working as nonprofit organization in Pakistan.

KidSmart consists of a colorful, robust, housing for a PC, specially designed with high quality early learning software. It is a corporate program which aims to develop skills of children of 3-7 years age.

In this regard, IBM Pakistan held a signing ceremony with TCF in Karachi. Present on the occasion, Lt. Gen. (R) S.P. Shahid, CEO of TCF, illustrated that these units would be used in the TCF schools to assists towards the learning process of children. IBM also donated four ThinkPad laptops which he said would be utilized in the relief related works in the earthquake affected areas. Humayun Bashir, Country General Manager, IBM Pakistan, said that the idea here is to present a friendly and easy to learn environment for the preschoolers to experience interaction with high understanding and fun.

A similar event was held at Khubaib Foundation in Islamabad. Speaking on the occasion, Nadeem Ahmad, Chairman, Khubaib Foundation, appreciated IBM's efforts as a socially responsible corporate citizen. Syed Khalid Rahman, Channels and Communications Manager, IBM Pakistan, said that this would enrich the quality of learning and problem solving skills in children. Also present on the occasion were M. Nasir, Vice Chairman, Khubaib Foundation, Yousuf Ahmed, Ex-Country General Manager, IBM Pakistan & Earthquake Relief Coordinator on behalf of IBM Pakistan, and other team members from Khubaib Foundation and IBM Pakistan.