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500 Friends A WA charity working to relieve poverty in rural Pakistan. We have ACNC registration. ABN: 8834 1350 663
https://www.abr.business.gov.au/ABN/View/88341350663

James and Rema are  living in difficult circumstances, caring for a widowed mother in poor health, as well as their own ...
15/10/2026

James and Rema are living in difficult circumstances, caring for a widowed mother in poor health, as well as their own young family. To make things worse, James was bonded to a brick kiln, until a generational family debt was re-paid. Rema was working at the kiln also to try and pay down the debt.

They had been living at the brick kiln, but Rema was being harrassed by the kiln owner, and for her safety, they chose to move to this old mud shed- only 3 walls and no proper roof. It is on a piece of land they own, but there is no privacy or safety- except from the harassment. The children are not going to school.

With all his resources exhausted, James approached us for help, through Anosh.

On the weekend, Anosh travelled to the kiln and paid out James's debt. Now, the family will immediately have the benefit of his wages, small as they are, while we set about providing a safe and weatherproof kiln fired brick room, with toilet, electricity and a water pump. It will take a little while, but this family should have proper shelter before Christmas.

As soon as possible, we will also work towards getting the children into school.

Sarah and Isaiah have their new room finished now.With a separate toilet and a simple safe electrical supply, they can r...
13/10/2026

Sarah and Isaiah have their new room finished now.
With a separate toilet and a simple safe electrical supply, they can run lights, a fan and the all important water pump.

The girls have reached the hospital  ready for their training,  which will last for two years, followed by six months or...
12/10/2026

The girls have reached the hospital ready for their training, which will last for two years, followed by six months or so as interns.
From a small impoverished rural village, living with their families in one room, sharing their bed with other siblings, they will live in a boarding house, with regular meals and their own bed.
For these girls is the added benefit of having familiar faces from their village to share the journey.
I have included a picture of the family of one these young women, the oldest of five girls. Such a huge step, into a very different world!
We will follow their progress and share in their success as they achieve this enormous step out of the generational poverty which faced them until now.

These two  young women have been sponsored through a  2 year nursing/midwifery course and graduated this year. Both of t...
04/10/2026

These two young women have been sponsored through a 2 year nursing/midwifery course and graduated this year. Both of them are now at work in hospitals in regional cities.

We are so happy to see that they have worked hard and succeeded, and now have a more secure future. They will be a blessing to their families, and the community as well.

Our new nursing students have a list of requisites to take with them to the boarding house.Anosh has been busy getting s...
04/10/2026

Our new nursing students have a list of requisites to take with them to the boarding house.
Anosh has been busy getting some of the linen they will need. These are three of the girls, with a new and very different life ahead.

30/09/2026

Great news, just no pictures yet unfortunately. Our two graduating nurse/midwives have found paid positions in hospitals.
Just as exciting, we have enrolled four new young girls from the village who will commence their training course in October.
We will share their enrolment day pictures in a few weeks. In the meantime, Anosh will organise sheets and blankets, washing buckets, plates and utensils, and various other personal requisites that have to be brought to the boarding house. Although the conditions may Spartan by our standards, for several of these girls, it will be the first time they have not had to share a bed with a sibling.
The girls are allowed only one phone call home a week (if that is possible) and one visit per month, after the first month. Fortunately, the girls are from the same village, and so they will have some familiar faces around.

We hope and pray for their success as they begin this new stage of their lives.

At the beginning of July, , our first ever training programme commenced- as a extension of Steve's  electical workshop p...
26/09/2026

At the beginning of July, , our first ever training programme commenced- as a extension of Steve's electical workshop project. We developed some basic agreements for the trainees, the trainer[Steve] and supervisor- Anosh. All these have been signed. A simple timesheet records the hours worked each day.

Our two trainees received their first monthly training allowance today- this is not so much a wage, but intended to make up for the lost earnings that their families depend on. Steve also receives a small trainer's allowance to acknowledge the time taken from his own earning hours to instruct and supervise the boys.

This is new ground for all of us, and we will review the process after 6 months.
We are hopeful that the boys will continue to enjoy the work, and learn useful skills from Steve which will give them much better, safer work options than the brick kilns.

13/09/2026

Things have been a little quieter this past week, as Anosh has been attending a conference arranged by his employer.

However, we have been informed that two more young women from the village have gained admission to the nursing/midwifery course in Faisalabad, which will commence in late October. This is a wonderful opportunity for them and their families, and so for us too as we prepare to support them through the next two years.

The house and toilet for Isaiah and Sara is finished, and we will post some pictures when Anosh returns and visits the village.

We are soon to have our AGM, and it is time to reflect on the achievement of the past year, made possible by the generous donations of our supporters.

I'll start with the overall numbers. We raised a staggering $52,719 altogether, of which 72% - nearly three quarters - was from direct monetary donations. This is such a blessing for a small group such as we are. Fundraising is very time consuming and unpredictable. These monetary donations allow us to move forward with confidence that we can honor our promises - especially the longer term ones. We spent $44,429 on projects of various kinds, including-

* 7 houses with water and a basic electricity supply
* 9 Toilets for families which had none
* 4 reconditioned motor bikes
* 2 debt repayments - one for a widowed grandfather supporting
his daughters and a grandchild, one for a 14 year old boy
* 1 home business established
* 25 primary/secondary students supported with fees and books
* 4 post secondary training students maintained
* 2 emergency temporary health support projects
* 5 ongoing monthly food supplementation to vulnerable families
* 2 ongoing health support projects
* a contribution to the upgrade of our Partners' car, which is the primary means of project management and often used for materials supply.

Importantly, we have been able to add to our small reserve of funds, which provide a buffer against sudden changes in our income flow, and to be able to commit quickly with confidence when the larger project requests are received.

It is hard to describe the sense of joy and relief that these gifts bring to the families who receive them, but the many pictures which are posted throughout the year tell that story better than words.

It has been our privilege to share this journey with them, through your support, and with the tireless work done by Anosh and Lubna, their family, and the band of volunteers who assist them.

Thank you and may God bless you richly for your generous hearts.

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Steve now has his two young trainees signed up for their opportunity to escape brick kiln work which they have already b...
30/08/2026

Steve now has his two young trainees signed up for their opportunity to escape brick kiln work which they have already begun. Both boys say they are enjoying the instruction, and have been reporting every day for between two and four hours of training. Anosh travelled to Steve's workshop today to collect the paperwork- trainee agreements and timesheets.

We are looking forward with great hope to seeing this young man's plan succeed, and we are thrilled to be able to support it.

Steve is taking the responsibility of training young men very seriously. In the pictures below, he has set up a whiteboa...
28/08/2026

Steve is taking the responsibility of training young men very seriously. In the pictures below, he has set up a whiteboard to show diagrams, and the young trainee, Munawar, is completing some written tasks.
Steve has taken on two quite young village youths who would otherwise be working in the brick kilns.

Address

Northam, WA

Telephone

+61410325027

Website

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