DOST Welfare Foundation (DOST) a charitable, not-for-profit organization established for providing services to the marginalized and vulnerable groups in society, including drug users, persons at-risk of or infected by HIV/AIDS, prison inmates, juvenile offenders, minor children in detention, female prisoners, street children, women and children, has effectively been serving the dwellers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in particular and rest of the country in general since 1992.
“DOST, based in Peshawar is recognized nationally and internationally for its specialized services for the most vulnerable and marginalized segments of society, in five thematic areas, namely drug abuse prevention treatment and rehabilitation; HIV/AIDS prevention, care and support; human rights protection; human resource development and community development.
More over DOST reaches out and heals these unfortunate human beings by providing them with services based on their Needs and Rights”. Elaborated veteran social worker and founder and Chief Executive of Dost Welfare Foundation (DOST) Dr. Parveen Azam in an exclusive interview with the Pakistan Observer.
Dr. Parveen Azam Khan who has been serving the ailing and poor segment of the society for more than five decades, said the establishment of DOST was in fact the materialization of her late father Dost Mohammad Khanzada’s dream who wanted to see her a missionary doctor.
She informed that DOST has been reaching out to unfortunate, miserable and stigmatized individuals living in difficult and inhuman conditions, through a process of awareness, primary prevention, rehabilitation and social development and ensures their wellbeing and recovery adding DOST services are Rights based and Needs based and include a comprehensive range of activities which cater for the physical, psychological, social, spiritual and financial needs of clients and their families.
Dr. Parveen, a recipient of 2002 United Nations Vienna Civil Society Award in recognition of her outstanding achievements and contribution to the global fight against drug abuse, crime and terrorism and also honored with the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz 2003 by the President of Pakistan for her work of excellence in the field of Public Service in Pakistan, revealed that at the time of DOST’s inception in 1992 there were hardly any treatment and rehabilitation facilities in existence to cater to the drug affected population, and the founding members were motivated to set up DOST drug addiction treatment programs.
“We started our mission by burying the dead bodies of the unfortunate victims of drug abuse, and by giving them dignity and humanity in death, we sent a strong message of love to the community, that “DOST was their friend”. She maintained. “Today with a capacity of over 500 beds for residential drug addiction and rehabilitation services for adult male, female and children, DOST is one of the biggest drug addiction treatment service providers (NGO) in the country”.
Dr. Parveen disclosed with pride. She added DOST is also acknowledged and recognized at the national and international level for its contribution, and quality services in the area of Drug Demand Reduction (DDR) and since its inception in 1992, facilitated over 60 thousand drug addicted people for treatment in different community settings, including DOST’s residential drug addiction treatment and rehabilitation centers, prisons of KP, Afghan Refugee camps in KP and home-based DDR services in the community through DOST’s Community Centers, DOST has also established and operationalized two residential drug addiction treatment and rehabilitation centers and two Drop-Centers in two provinces of Afghanistan in 2007-08. Subsequetly, these caters were closed due non-availability of funding.
“Today Pakistan as a whole, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in particular, are in the grip of massive drug addiction, which is especially a?ecting the younger generation adversely. According to the report of UNODC and Narcotics Control Division of Pakistan 2013, 10.7 % population of KP is abusing hardcore drugs, which is almost double the ?gure of the other provinces”. The CEO of the Dost foundation said. Dr. Parveen, however, regretted that despite this alarming and dangerous situation the public facilities are almost non-existent and private facilities are few and unavoidable for the majority of clients. Dr. Parveen apprehended that the NGO’s providing quality services in the area are facing funding and sustainability problems. With the global funding for DDR going down, lack of support from government under public private partnership has made the functioning very difficult.
She said though the KP government in previous tenure generously supported DOST and provided Rs. 150 million to carry out its activities yet later fundings could not be materialized owing to certain pre-conditions by the officials. In March 2017, the then Chief Minister, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa directed the concerned departments to prepare and submit new PC 1 as a Non- ADP scheme for a Grant in Aid based on the previously approved PC1. Even though Grant-in Aid was processed two years ago, but the same is still pending”. Lamented Dr. Parveen Azam who also has to her credit the nomination for the “Project 1000 Women for the Nobel Peace Prize in the year 2005.
