By Syed Khaled Shahbaaz
Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Zakat and Charitable Trust (HZCT), one of the largest Muslim charitable organizations in Telangana, observed its three decades of philanthropy.
At the annual Iftar meet held on Sunday Mr. Ravi Gupta, Principal Secretary Home Department and Director General of Anti-Corruption Bureau in Telangana State, congratulated the trustees and paid rich tributes to founder-Chairman Ghiasuddin Babukhan on completing 30 years of service to the poor.
Babukhan could not attend the trust’s annual meeting on account of his ill health.
Gupta said, “Generosity never fails, it always comes back with wonderful returns.” He was referring to former beneficiaries of the trust who have made their lives beneficial to others with the help of the trust’s scholarships and educational programmes.
The 1990 batch IPS officer appreciated the charitable initiatives taken by the trust, particularly in the field of education. Glancing through the annual report, he lauded the contributions of trust to promote education among the deserving lot.
“The trust has been able to change the lives of many children who had no basic facility of education. Now they are doctors, engineers and are well placed in multinational companies in the country and elsewhere,” he said.
Many of the philanthropic initiatives of the HZCT have inspired the government to model its schemes around them. For example, the Shaadi Mubarak scheme of the Government of Telangana is inspired by the orphan and widow remarriage scheme of the Hyderabad Zakat and Charitable Trust. The minority schools project is also reportedly inspired by the charitable project of the HZCT which set up schools to provide education to orphans and the underprivileged. Today, an adaptation of this concept has led to 204 minority residential schools and junior colleges in Telangana managed by the Telangana Minorities Residential Educational Institutions Society (TMREIS).
The Hyderabad Zakat and Charitable Trust founded in 1993, is observing 30th anniversary this Ramadan. During 3 decades of its service, the trust spent nearly Rs 155 crore in charitable initiatives, of which, over Rs 105 crore were spent on providing education to the poor and the deserving.
A K Khan, Advisor to the government of Telangana on Minority Affairs, who has been a regular speaker at the trust’s annual meetings, has joined the trust as its Chief Patron.
Presenting the annual report, HZCT Trustee Shaik Khalil Ahmed said the trust has disbursed scholarships worth Rs 1.7 crore to 4259 school students, and an additional Rs 27 lakh were spent on funding 267 students including 46 medical and 10 nursing students besides post-matriculation scholarships.
Additionally, the trust spent Rs 1.37 crore to distribute 16,569 food packs and 1449 clothes packs to orphans and deserving students of government schools in the State. The trust also provides extensive 18-month coaching to Civil Services aspirants in collaboration with SAFI in Kerala and has supported 16 marriages of the poor girls. All in all, the HZCT spent Rs 4.27 crore benefitting 22,569 people.
It’s sister organization FEED (Foundation for Education and Economic Development), spent Rs 1.37 crore rupees in scholarships to 4695 orphans, and about Rs 22 lakh to support post-matric education of 226 beneficiaries, of which 30 are pursuing medical courses. Additionally, FEED supports 91 Urdu and 3 English medium schools in Telangana and Rayalseema with a combined strength of 22,500 of which 72% are girl students.
Additionally, about 1350 widows were paid Rs 1500 each through direct account transfer, while 2050 orphans and widows were given clothes packs, and 300 wheat flour packs distributed during Ramadan. It spent Rs 8.8 lakh benefitting 73 families in relief and rehab programmes, with the total amount spent being Rs 6.32 crore. Both HZCT and FEED together spent nearly Rs 11 crore in a year on different charitable and educational initiatives. From a meagre Rs 11 lakhs spent towards charity in its founding year to Rs 11 crore in three decades the trust has indeed come a long way in empowering the underprivileged.
Earlier, HZCT Trustee Javed Hood presented a short audio-visual film showing the 30 years of its journey. The Chairman of the Minorities Commission Taher Ansari was also present on this occasion.
Syed Khaled Shahbaaz is a young journalist and advertising executive based in Hyderabad
Photo Caption: Chief Guest Principal Secretary Home Department and Director General of Anti Corruption Bureau Mr. Ravi Gupta IPS addresses the Annual Meet and Iftar Program 2023 of the Hyderabad Zakat and Charitable Trust at Lake View Banjara Function Hall in Hyderabad on Sunday evening.
Chief Guest Principal Secretary Home Department and Director General of Anti Corruption Bureau Mr. Ravi Gupta IPS, Telangana Minorities Affairs Advisor Mr. A.K. Khan, Chairman Minorities Commission Mr. Taher Ansari, Mr. Mansoor Babukhan, HZCT Trustees Mr. Javed Hood and Mr. Shaik Khalil Ahmed during the Annual Meet and Iftar Program 2023 of the Hyderabad Zakat and Charitable Trust at Lake View Banjara Function Hall in Hyderabad on Sunday evening.
