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Mission

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Rock It with Thaakat

www.thaakat.wordpress.com

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Table of Contents

Message from the Executive Director 4

Who We Are 5

Local Projects 2010 6

Global Projects 2010 8

Message from the Global Needs Ambassador 8

Waste Management Project 9

Pakistan Flood Relief 12

Global Projects 2011 16

Project GreenLight India 17

Treasurer’s Report 18

Support 19

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Message From the Executive Director

Thaakat Foundation was established officially as a 501c3 nonprofit organization in October of 2008. We are a rather

small team from small beginnings. The effort started from a gathering one night where a few friends decided that we

would be on board with establishing a serious but fun charity effort. We wanted an effort that allowed youth to give

back to their communities, something that allowed us to show that we can indeed make a difference.

From late night meetings to parading ourselves across events and campuses in the Chicagoland area to gain support, we

have been on the reigns of a non-stop campaign. Today, we have expanded to gain the support of two chapters in New

Jersey.

Throughout this time we came to find that not only were there South Asians in need abroad but that there was much in

service and care we could give to our local communities. From cheerful luncheons with the elderly at Hamdard Center to

“sharing is caring” lessons with elementary school kids, we wanted to show people that the importance of work across

boundaries, generations, and cultures was so important to maintaining a society of tolerance and love.

Thaakat’s goal is to create a charity effort that is fresh, young and fun. To promote a movement of good that youth can

relate to. We want young South Asians to realize the impoverished state of affairs of the underprivileged in our home

countries of South Asia. There is no better way to be proud of our culture than to encourage the people in need who

help our colorful traditions and countries to thrive and succeed.

Our entire board drives our charity efforts in full gear on a 100% volunteer basis to ensure that everything which is

donated goes straight to our charitable causes. From providing warmth to the victims of the flood this winter to bringing

cleanliness and sustainable income to a community of 3,500 people, Thaakat Foundation strives to bring hope to those

that need it.

Hearing of the everyday stories, seeing the pictures and imagining the condition of poverty in South Asia has been

difficult. Somewhere in a dugout of retreating water there is a girl named Uzma in our home countries. As I wake up in

the morning from my comfortable bed, she is securing herself near a tree branch waiting for the next announcement of

food packages. I leave my home in my car to attend my day of work so that I may earn myself an income. However, she

is living by the hour wondering how she will make it through the day. As I ponder about how I will spend my weekend,

she is wondering what day of the week it is, with sunrise and sunset being the only attachment she has to reality.

As global society becomes more intelligent and capable of accessing information, let us be proactive. The truth is that

the region and its people have ambitions just like the rest of us. They want to prosper, industrialize and take a stand on

the global economics podium. The people want to educate themselves and earn better living standards for their

families.

Please continue to help us to help others.

Thank you so much for all of your love and support, it has inspired us to continue our work for years to come.

Sincerely,

Uzma Bawany

Executive Director | Thaakat Foundation

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Who We Are

Uzma Bawany | Founder, Executive Director

Ammara Bokhari | Global Needs Ambassador

Denish Ghayal | Strategic Planner

Mahreen Younus | Treasurer

Amreena Khan | Public Relations

Mohammed Ali | Investment Management

Nudrat Zoha | Sponsorship Management

Ridha Khalid | Sponsorship Management

Mazin Malik | Sponsorship Management

Puja Patel I Board Assistant

Sarah Khan I Board Assistant

Nafia Khan I Board Assistant

Umaymah Syed l Vice President 2010 Term

Sara Khan l Sponsorship Chair 2009-2010 Term

New Jersey Executive Leads 2010

Syed Murad Ali | Founding President at Rutgers University, NJ

Nabiha Ahmed | 2010 President at Rutgers New Brunswick, NJ

Marium Soomro | 2010-2011 President at Rutgers Newark, NJ

Ridah Mannan | 2011 President at Rutgers New Brunswick, NJ

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Local Volunteering 2010 This past year we arranged approximately ten unique volunteering events for our local communities, majority of them

being South Asian, in the Chicago metro and New York tri state area. Here are a few highlights:

04-2010: Hero of the Day and Murals at Hamdard Center

(Chicago IL): Hamdard Center is a wonderful institution which

serves the South Asian and Bosnian communities in Chicago.

Wanting to give the residents fresh new surroundings, we

partnered with AT Kearney and purchased wall murals, bringing

some serene décor to their activity rooms. We also spent time

with the children making puppets!

12-2009: Holiday Decorating at Chateau Center (Elmhurst, IL):

Working across religious and cultural borders, Thaakat aims to

share the importance of unity and diversity. Bringing holiday

cheer to the residents of Chateau Center Nursing Home, we

gleefully decked out their activity room with Christmas

decorations, worked with them to make their own gingerbread

men and left with joyful spirit and cheer!

03-2010: Alameda Center (Neward, NJ): Lo and behold we

discovered a nursing home in central New Jersey that dedicated

an entire floor to South Asian residents. Full with B4U, cultural

dishes and familiar backgrounds, the residents had everything

they needed, except new company. We made a few new friends;

singing, dancing, and painting with the elderly!

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06-2010: Garden for Good at the Manhattan Asian

Womens Shelter (NYC, NY): Housing women and children

on the escape from abusive relationships, we wanted to

provide them with a hobby to take their mind off their life’s

struggles. We asked the directors here what the residents

enjoyed doing most. When we heard they took a liking to

gardening, we went out and purchased all of the colorful

and tasty delights we could. In a few months, the residents

had brought to life tasty herbs, peppers and vegetables.

07-2010: Children’s activity at the Manhattan Asian Women’s

Shelter (NYC, NY): In the last ten years, this shelter has more

than tripled the number of South Asian residents looking for

comfort. Unfortunately with such fast growth, the staff hasn’t

been able to provide them with all of the resources and help

they need. We were able to finally provide these women with

a route of communication and friendship. Thaakat’s chapter

at Rutgers University visited throughout the year to give them

some introductory lessons in English!

10-2010: Lets Diwali at Alameda Center (NJ)- The last time we visited the center, the

residents sent us away in tears. We figured the best time to return was to celebrate a

joyous occasion with them. With a packed house of volunteers, we worked with the

wonderful residents to make their own “dias” and provided them with an afternoon of

acapella music to some of their favorite Hindi songs.

11-2010: Thanksgiving with the Elderly at Hamdard

Center, (Chicago IL): Every year, The Thaakat team has

made it a tradition to spend time giving thanks with the

elderly South Asian residents at Hamdard Center. With

help from Italian Express and gracious donations, we were

able to provide the residents with a full thanksgiving feast!

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Global Projects 2010

Message from the Global Needs Ambassador

2010 was an epic year for the progression of Thaakat’s Global Division. In 2009, we had established a successful recycling

camp in the village of Jawali, India. Through a partnership with New York based organization, More Than Tomorrow,

villagers were taught how to turn discarded paper products into recycled paper, which were bound into journals and

sold for the community’s direct benefit. Perhaps it was this very project that inspired us to focus on self-sustaining

environmental friendly projects in South Asia.

And so we came across a small village in the Faisalabad district of Pakistan called Gutwala that desperately yearned for a

clean-up. The village of 3,500 residents needed a waste management program to keep their surroundings clean and

teach the villagers recycling techniques for proactive community development. We partnered with Tasawar Waris of

Green Gold Foundation in successfully helping restore the village and promote a “green” lifestyle.

In late July, Pakistan was heavily hit by monsoon rains and the country soon became submerged in severe flooding. It

was, and still is the worst flood in its history and has affected nearly 20 million people. Thaakat knew it had to reach out

immediately, and quick. Syed Sana Ullah managed and led our global volunteer team in Pakistan through organized

distribution efforts, providing direct aid to victims of the floods. It began in the city of Sadiqabad, where several victims

from surrounding flooded villages were being brought to for refuge. The city’s road sides, open lots, and bridges were

filled with families who had lost everything in the floods. Sana eagerly gathered a team of six to ten courageous

volunteers in the city and thus began Thaakat’s flood relief efforts in Pakistan. Our donors were generous and our Iftaar

Dinner Benefits in Chicago and New Jersey were very successful in raising funds to help the victims. Beginning in August,

our global volunteer team made several visits throughout the year to various flooded villages. There were three major

weekend-long distributions that were conducted and several smaller ones where Sana and his team helped local victims,

providing mineral water to them almost daily. Our flood relief efforts played a major role in the expansion of our Global

Division and we hope to continue them throughout the future.

I would like to thank everyone who has been in support of Thaakat Foundation- whether you are a donor, sponsor,

volunteer, faithful Facebook friend, avid Twitter follower, or frequent blog reader- your contributions and support have

traveled a long way and have helped hundreds upon hundreds of families. I would also like to send a special heartfelt

thank you to our amazing global volunteer team led by Syed Sana Ullah. Every smile that Thaakat helped bring, every life

that Thaakat helped change, every ounce of hope that Thaakat helped restore, has been thanks to all of you.

We may be small but our vision is big. Our efforts are sincere as we continue our global projects in South Asia. One step

at a time, they will lead to greater things and help in bringing about greater change.

2010 was indeed a great year for Thaakat Foundation as we helped many in need thanks to our generous supporters and

spirited volunteers. We excitedly look forward to 2011 and the new projects we have launched! We hope you will

continue to be a part of helping pave the road to a brighter future!

Sincerely,

Ammara Bokhari

Global Needs Ambassador | Thaakat Foundation

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Waste Management Project

Village of Gutwala, Faisalabad, Pakistan April – December 2010

To combat the environmental issue of waste management in Pakistan, Thaakat Foundation

partnered with Green Gold Foundation to help clean the village of Gutwala and teach its residents how to recycle and compost solid waste- leading to a cleaner, healthier environment.

Before Clean-Up

After Clean-Up

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HOW WE HELPED:

Nearly 3,500 people were helped and taught

environmentally friendly solid waste

management techniques.

Local villagers who were unable to support

their families were hired on a full-time basis

and trained on waste collection and how to

use the machinery and equipment-

composting and recycling 95% of the waste

from their village.

The machines and recycling processes

allowed residents to gather their garbage and

compost organic waste while reselling

inorganic waste.

The profit made from recycling went towards

sponsoring the education of children in the

community who could not afford to attend

school. WHAT WE DID:

Thaakat covered machinery and overhead

salary and training of villagers for a year-long

term.

We promoted “green” and clean living

environments, changed attitudes and

brought hope to the community of Gutwala.

RESULTS:

The village of Gutwala has been able to bring

thousands of rupees of profit back to the

community. See the monetary breakdown on

the next page, detailing returns the village

made from gathered waste items.

The grounds that have been cleaned are now

being used for weddings, agriculture and

construction of real estate. In addition to

cleaning the land, the village was also able to

clean over 20,000 feet of drains to provide

cleaner water for drinking and irrigation

support.

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Total Resources Recovered (Rupees)

Inorganic Detail Total - Rupees

Paper 80,885 80,884.91

Bottle Glass 9,490 9490

Mirror 8,267 8267.25

Bone 730 730

Bottle 20,440 20440

Silver 1,825 1825

Tin 4,417 4416.5

Rags 365 365

Plastic White 18,068 18067.5

Plastic Color 29,200 29200

Plastic Black 657 657

Shopping Bag (Print) 5,293 5292.5

Shopping Bag (Ghee) 5,110 5110

Shopping Bag (Samika Print) 3,559 3558.75

Shopping Bag (Gudee) 45,078 45077.5

Shopping Bag (Karak) 2,811 2810.5

Shopping Bag (Raper) 2,519 2518.5

Shopping Bag (Samika White) 2,281 2281.25

Shopping Bag (Dirty) 4,471 4471.25

Total 245463.4

Cleaned entrances into the

village of Gutwala:

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Pakistan Flood Relief

HOW WE HELPED:

Our global volunteer team provided

hands-on relief through:

Free Medical Camp

Home reconstruction

Distribution of:

o Food packages

o Mineral water

o New clothes

o Bedding

WHERE WE HELPED:

Guddu Barrage

Kot Sabzal

Sonmiani

Jacobabad

Dera Allah Yar

Sadiqabad

Sacks Distributed*

1 Sack Consisted of: Quantity

Flour 1

Oil (2L) 2

Sugar 2

Daal Moong 1

Daal Chana 1

Rice 2

Tea Packets (200g) 1

Red Chilli (200g) 1

Salt (200g) 1

Bath Soap 2

Dish Washer 1

Empty Bag (sack) 1

Sadiqabad, Rahimyarkhan, and Baluchistan Regions of Pakistan August 2010 – Present

Thaakat’s global volunteer team organized several on-site visits to flood affected regions, providing

fast hands-on relief to victims who were severely affected by the floods.

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Volunteer Visit 1 ($3,000)

Detail of Expenditure Quantity

Mineral Water Bottles 1950

Sacks Distributed* 160

Cooked Food Packs 220

Families who received cash 3

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Volunteer Visit 2 ($3,000)

Detail of Expenditure Quantity

Mineral Water Bottles 1800

Sacks Distributed* 90

Cooked Food Packs 215

Milk Bottles 122

Medicines 150

Families who received cash 20

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Volunteer Visit 3 ($3,200)

Detail of Expenditure Quantity

Blankets / Quilts 115

Jackets 350

Ladies Suits 475

Mens Suits 110

Families who received cash 61

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Global Projects 2011 The first week of January 2011 was an exciting one for Thaakat. Our global volunteer team in Pakistan conducted an

additional volunteer visit to rural flood affected regions surrounding the Baluchistan district to help villagers combat the

harsh winter cold. Brand new blankets, pillows, jackets, and clothes were distributed to families to help keep them

warm. Families in very poor conditions were given cash to help start up their lives again. Our volunteer team in Pakistan

still continues distribution efforts to provide hands-on relief to flood victims.

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In 2011, Thaakat also embarked on a new global project: “Project GreenLight

India”. Our goal was to help light up the village of Pendakwandi, located in the

Thane district of India that had zero access to electricity. Like several poor

villages across a nation with the highest number of people living without

electricity, villagers are left with darkness after sunset. Through a partnership

with Greenlight Planet, a US based enterprise that distributes solar powered LED

lanterns, Thaakat Foundation was able to provide solar lanterns to 350 families!

More than 400 million people do not have access to electricity in India- an issue that continues to be widespread in

South Asia. Many poor villagers face its difficulties and in lieu of electricity, resort to the use of kerosene lamps, which is

both dangerous and expensive.

Solar lanterns are a clean and effective alternative to kerosene lamps and an ideal asset for poor villagers; they are

portable, waterproof, and able to provide 16 hours of light after a 4 hour solar charge. Greenlight Planet recently sent

1200 solar lights to flood affected victims in Pakistan. An escape from the day’s heat, having a light at night holds many

advantages for poor villagers: helping children study and learn, adults cook, and workers to travel back and forth to and

from work in safety.

Thaakat Foundation’s efforts in this small village were managed by Harshil Parikh, who

leads expansion and distribution for Greenlight Planet in India and led our distribution of

solar lanterns to 350 families. Previous on-site visits to the village had been conducted,

examining the condition of the village, writing down names of families and amounts of

lanterns to be distributed to each family. The average monthly household income for

each family is around Rs.2000, which is about $44 per month. Thaakat Foundation

provided a 50-60% subsidy for the lanterns and the villagers were able to pay Rs.300-350

for them. Subsidizing lanterns for an affordable cost allowed villagers to invest in a

product they can use, helping to realize its true value.

On the day of distribution, all villagers were gathered in an area and taught how to use

the solar lanterns. Harshil explained how he was able to sense a true connection

between his team and the villagers. The team stayed with the villagers through the day

and into the night, asking questions about their livelihood, their families, and getting to know about their daily lives. The

team spent a significant amount of time in each home, ensuring proper installation of the solar panels and the villagers

had began using the solar lights as night fell, right away benefiting from its use.

“I have to say that in all my travels to villages in India so far, this was one of

the poorest I have been to,” Harshil explained about his visit. “This village has

absolutely no electricity, is in a very hilly area with no other major

infrastructure or access to markets close by.”

Our goal for 2011 is to adopt a small district in the same area of India and

provide 1,000 solar lanterns to poor villagers. There are many villages like

Pendakwandi located in remote areas with zero access to electricity and

Thaakat hopes to brighten their lives… one light at a time.

Project GreenLight India A Mission to Light up a Lifetime

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Treasurer’s Report

Note: There is a variance in the amount of approximately $5,000 between donations collected and donations distributed.

This amount represents the remaining funds that will be fully put towards the Pakistan Flood Relief effort.

* As a mandatory requirement of the Islamic faith, every year 2.5% of one's wealth is given away to the poor. This contribution is called Zakaat.

$5,000

$5,000

$7,680.00

$3,500.00

$4,000.00

$2,000.00

$1,500.00

$2,000.00

$2,850.00

$4,500.00

Where Donations Came From

Flood Relief Dinner Rutgers

Flood Relief Dinner Chicago

Donation Matching

Insider reviews

Charity Tournament

Rutgers general

University events

Donation general

Sponsors

Flood online donations

$11,200.00

$12,700.00

$3,100.00

$1,100.00

$900.00

$500.00

$800.00

$800.00 $2,014.00

How Your Donations Helped Us Help Others

Green Gold SWM

Flood Relief- Sadiqabad, PK

Project Greenlight

Flood Relief- Karachi, PK

Local Zakaat

Donations to Non-Profits

Local Volunteer Projects

PR, fees and overhead

Charity Fundraising Event

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Support

Donors (Over $1,000):

Yasir Nagarwala & Hina Ahmed

Danya Saleh

Sharmeen Younus

($500 - $999):

Amna Ali

Mahreen Arain

Shabbir Ahmed & Asma Siddiqui

Shahab Bokhari & Famliy

Shazia Hasan

Illinois Institute of Technology Pakistani Students Association

Samia Malik

Sandeep Mehta

Altaf Patel

Mr. & Mrs. Younus

($250 - $499):

Baruch University Pakistani Students Association

Saad Bawany

College of DuPage Muslim Students Association

Lane Tech Muslims Association

Zeenat Mannan

Ahmad Qadri

Mr. Muzammil Siddiqui

Shua Siddiqui

ZStar Network

Anonymous (1)

($100 - $249):

A T Kearney

Adnan Abbas

Amena Ahmed

Omer Ahmed

Tania Ahmed

Vaseem T. Ahmed

Hassan Ali

Syed Favad Ali

Syed Fayyaz Ali

Alina Amor

Salman Bhagat

Mr. & Mrs. Bokhari

Jibran Ilyas

Shama Ilyas

Muneera Imam

Mohini Jayswal

Mr. Wahid Karim

Poonam Radhari

Uzma Rana

Ajay Raval

Alia Sheikh

Sidra Siddiqui

Syed Sikander

Rabia Rizwan Ullah

2010 - 2011 Annual Sponsors:

Sahiba Boutique- IL

Taj Palace- NJ

Mr. Younus Suleman

Corporate Donation Matching ($1,000 - $5,000):

GlaxoSmith Kline

Gelber Foundation

($100 - $500):

Exxon Mobile

Accelor

Pepsi Co

Syserco

Media Sponsors:

Urdu Times

Curry Bear

2010 Charity Basketball Tournament Corporate Sponsors:

Pita Inn

Per Desi Grocers

Pita and Kabob

Medinah Park District

Italian Express

Laaj Studios

Qalam Designs

Best WebCam Tutors

2010 Charity Basketball Tournament Teams:

1st and 3rd Crew

Reunited

HNIC

Outlaws

Team Invisible

Team Supreme

Chicago All Day

Speed

DePaul

Relentless

Abu Buckeyes

Wing Da Wong Number

Biryani Boys

Girls Basketball

Submission

The Big 5

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