Hyderabad: Everything begins with an idea. But sometimes a moment of indifference could be the trigger. It was so in the case of Zulfequar Hussain, former Director of Bombay Mercantile Cooperative Bank. One day he was sitting in his office in Aurangabad and a dilapidated house collapsed right in front of his eyes in Loha Bazar, Chowk area. Those present there were touched by the tragedy which claimed the lives of two earning members and left their five children to fend for themselves. More than the misfortune, what troubled Hussain was the crass indifference of people who merely expressed sympathy and left. He was moved in a different way and wanted to do something for the bereaved children beyond lip sympathy.
And the idea of Faiz-e-Aam Trust took birth. Soon poor and destitute found in it a helping hand and a shoulder to cry on. That was the year 1982. Two years later the Trust opened its branch in Hyderabad. There has been no turning back since then. As the name suggests, its ‘faiz’ (munificence) has spread far and wide to all and sundry.
As he looks back on Faiz’s journey in the last four decades, Iftekhar Husain Fida Ali, Hon. Secretary of its Hyderabad branch, is pleased with the work done and the achievements made. But he doesn’t want to rest on laurels. “I have miles to go before I sleep,” he repeats a line from a famous poem.
On Monday evening Husain will take a walk down the memory lane at the programme being organised at the Salar Jung Museum and outline the vision statement for the coming years. The Faiz teams, both in Aurangabad and Hyderabad, have their job cut out: create more opportunities for students who have the calibre to study but can’t afford the expenses, render medicare to more underprivileged persons and rehabilitate the lower strata of society by helping them set up small businesses.
If statistics are something to go by, Faiz has impressive numbers of providing succour and relief to the needy: 10,000 plus education beneficiaries and 8000 plus medical beneficiaries. The Zulfeqar Husain Memorial Hospital at Kagzipura in Aurangabad has treated 3.80 lakh patients at a cost of Rs. 1 crore. This selfless service has drawn the appreciation of one and all, including Mother Teresa, the famed nun known for her charitable work.
Unlike other welfare organisations, Faiz doesn’t believe in merely adopting a child. It goes a step ahead and ensures that other children in the family are also taken care of so that the entire family is uplifted economically. Its volunteers look out for deserving destitute in vulnerable areas who want to study but have no means to do so. Over the years it has transformed the lives of many poor children by providing assistance for education and now they are in a position to help others. Helping others grow is the secret of Faiz’s growth.
On the education front Faiz has done extremely well. It has spent a total of Rs. 8.78 crore to help 3341 students from 1982 to 2022. Of these the female beneficiaries account for 2,080. This apart, Faiz has churned out more than 3000 nurses in partnership with the Bibi Amena Hospital in Hyderabad. Each one of them was provided with financial assistance of Rs. 1000 per month. In association with other charitable trusts too, Faiz has been extending aid to families based on their needs.
This is not all. Faiz has also helped many realise their dreams. Take the case of Mohammed Yousuf, a polio affected boy from the old city of Hyderabad. To his misfortune a pair of crutches became an inseparable part of his body. But his fortune turned for the better when he came into contact with Husain and the late Abid Ali Khan, the founder Editor of Siasat. Looking at his interest in education, they extended financial assistance. He passed B.E (Electronics and Communications) in the first division. Faiz helped him fulfil his American dream too. Yousuf landed a job in General Motors and did extremely well. Now he has set up the Equally Able Foundation in the US and helps differently able persons. In 2019 he spent more than Rs. 2.40 lakh through his Foundation on 101 students back home.
Likewise, Syed Hasan of Mir Alam Tank and his sister, Saba Begum, have realised their dream of becoming doctors. Faiz adopted him right from the first standard and funded his education till he completed his MBBS. Now he is working in the Owaisi Hospital as a doctor in General Medicine. His sister too has cleared MBBS with the financial assistance of Faiz. “Now I want to do my bit for the community and guide others”, says a grateful Dr Hasan.
The case of Mohd Jameel Husain’s children is also quite interesting. Faiz adopted all his 12 children and helped them come up in life. The eldest daughter, Ayesha Jabeen, has completed MBBS and is pursuing M.D while her younger sister, Atufa Jabeen, has passed out B Pharmacy. The other siblings Adeeba Jabeen, Aafiya Jabeen, Arshiya Jabeen, Mohd Muzammil are all pursuing different courses. They couldn’t have come this far without the timely help rendered by Faiz.
In the same way, Faiz has helped the children of Mahmooda, a widow, who was struggling to raise her children through tailoring. Besides extending financial assistance towards ration, house rent and medical treatment, Faiz adopted her three children – Syeda Fayeq, Syeda Asma and Syeda Tabassum. While the first one is pursuing B.Ed, the second one has completed B.Sc and the third sibling is doing B. Pharma.
Another major thrust area of Faiz is imparting technical skills through its four Skill Development Centres in the old city. Through the Ayesha Effendi and Siasat centres computer skills are being imparted to the students.
Apart from education and medical care, Faiz has been helping out people in association with the Siasat Daily. The Kapda Bank set up by them has benefitted more than 50,000 persons. Similarly the two organisations have rendered help to Delhi riot victims and rehabilitated the affected families thanks to the generous contribution received from donors. While the COVID pandemic and the resultant lockdown left thousands of people sick, unemployed and struggling, Faiz pitched in to render relief. It fed more than 7000 families at a whopping cost of Rs. 24 lakh.
Among the many beneficiaries is also Syeda Salwa Fatima, the first woman pilot from Hyderabad. Her success shows how Faiz and Siasat Daily gave her not just the wings but also the landing gear. As its motto goes, Faiz believes in helping the helpless.
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