China-funded compassionate home to bring ease to life of ailing Pakistani children

ISLAMABAD, May 28 (Xinhua) -- A compassionate home formed by Chinese and Pakistani charity organizations was formally inaugurated here on Sunday to provide temporary accommodation for the relatives of children treated in hospitals for serious diseases.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the Islamabad China-Pakistan Youth One Heart Step and Cure Home (ICOSH), the charitarians and officials said that Pakistan and China have joined hands to serve the ailing humanity in Pakistan and bring ease to their lives.

The Beijing-based charity One Heart Sphere Charity Foundation (BOHS), Islamabad-based volunteer organization China-Pakistan Youth Exchange Community, and Pakistani non-governmental organization Step and Cure have funded and operated the compassionate home located in Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad.

Sobia Adnan, the Pakistani director of the ICOSH and founder of Step and Cure discussed in a meeting with the Chinese side last year problems faced by the attendants of the patients who come from far-flung areas of the country to Islamabad to get treated in hospitals for serious diseases.

"The Chinese were so kind to cooperate with us and form the cure home where the attendants can stay and have food and rest here for a while," she added.

The other major project of the ICOSH includes accommodation and treatment of kids suffering from various long-term mental and physical diseases at the cure house where their attendants can also stay with them, she added.

"With the help of China, we just sowed a seed ... it is beginning with a small project in Islamabad, and with cooperation from the people of both countries, we will further expand it to other cities of Pakistan," she added.

In his address, Qiu Xu, Chinese director of the ICOSH and founder of the BOHS, said that his team extended help to the flood-hit people of Pakistan last year, and decided to launch a long-term program to continue helping them.

He said that the Chinese charity decided to form a compassionate home here to provide shelter and food to the ailing Pakistani children and their family attendants who have to stay outside the hospital while waiting for medical treatment.

"We want the fruit of our friendship reach to the ailing Pakistani people and their families, and the cooperation will further grow in the future," he added.

Li Yue, counselor of consular affairs with the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan, highlighted the bilateral friendship, adding that the Chinese charity organizations play a great role in strengthening the people-to-people bond between the two countries.

"People-to-people bonds are the foundation of public opinion for the realization of the Belt and Road Initiative and the social foundation for the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor."

He lauded the Chinese organizations' efforts for social welfare activities in Pakistan and their hard work by working at the front line to help the Pakistani people.

The children at the ICOSH, belonging to different areas of Pakistan, also thanked Chinese volunteers for their help on their journey towards a healthy life and promising future.