HDF Fundraiser Inspires Hope, Collects Hundreds of Thousands in Pledges

By Adil James, TMO

Dearborn–May 11–In the recently renamed Hyatt Regency Dearborn (now the “Adoba Hotel Dearborn”) the HDF Foundation held a very successful fundraiser this past weekend.

HDF is the Human Development Foundation, an idealistic organization formed by Pakistanis to benefit the people of Pakistan.  Pakistanis from America give very generously to support education projects, microloan projects, and other community services projects in Pakistan.

The keynote speech was by Pakistani Ambassador Masood Khan (who held, among many other prominent positions during his career, the position of Pakistani Ambassador to the UN), but the evening also featured presentations on the accomplishments and aspirations of HDF by several HDF officials including Mr. Salahuddin Khan, and a valiant fundraising effort by Dr. Abdul Majid Katranji.

The Ambassador spoke at length on the many positive contributions of the Pakistani professional community within the United States, arguing that the professional success of Pakistanis in the US had brought pride to Pakistanis within Pakistan, and reflected well on the educational foundation that the American Pakistanis (“doctors, engineers, IT people”) had received back home before coming to the United States, in his elegant words those successful Pakistani-American professionals were “nurtured from the hand of Pakkistan; nourished with the grains and fruits from Pakistan, trained in Pakistani universities–which were not bad after all–developing into the finest specimens of human achievement.”

Ambassador Masood Khan speaks to several hundred visitors at the HDF Fundraiser.

The ambassador spoke as well on the efforts of HDF to provide needed assistance to people within the United States, mentioning as examples several Pakistani doctors who had provided free clinics to people in American cities.

Another theme of the speech was the subtext in which the non-resident Pakistanis in the United States were during the fundraiser waiting eagerly to find out the results of the unprecedented election in Pakistan.

Acknowledging the challenges which face Pakistan at this juncture, the ambassador proudly said that “Pakistan is a great nation by any standard,” and promised that Pakistan, with its fine and intelligent people, would boldly and resolutely face the difficulties that face it.  “With the genius of our people, we are second to none.”

The ambassador spoke engagingly of his having been impressed with the work of HDF from the 1990s when he first came into contact with the organization, which was then engaged in the “sublime mission” of changing society in Asia, America, and Africa, and providing needed intervention in the social structure.

There were several videos demonstrating the effectiveness of HDF microloan projects which had apparently transformed the businesses of four distinct families, impacting their businesses, the education of their families, and enabling the beneficiaries to benefit many other people through the “multiplier effect.”

The evening also featured an excellent buffet of Pakistani food and entertainment until late in the evening by Humera Arshad, a popular Pakistani pop singer.

Fundraising was extremely successful, with the HDF collecting approximately $250,000 in pledges.

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