Pakistan Youth Hostels Association

ACTIVITIES

TOURISM FAIR IN PICTURES

Development Activities
Social Activities

Development Activities

One of the most important activities of the Pakistan Youth Hostels Association is to construct Youth Hostel buildings at places of historic importance and scenic interest, in order to provide overnight stay to the Youth of the country and foreign tourists at affordable rates. The Youth Hostels Association continues endeavoring to increase the number of Hostels to provide accommodation to the maximum number of youth. In pursuance of this objective the Pakistan Youth Hostels Association has recently completed two Youth Hostels at Gilgit and Karachi .

The Association intends to construct four more Youth Hostels within the year 2005-06 at Lahore , Abbottabad, Thandiyani & Swat.

Swat:

The valley of Swat is known for its scenic beauty, lush green valleys, Pine trees and snow peaks. The valley is also known for its Goldmines. The valley has beautiful spots which always remain color of attraction for the tourists. Saidu Sharif is the capital of the valley. The twin city of Mangora has now merged into Saidu Sharif. There are many places like Miandam, Madyan, Bahryan, Kalam, Mahudand, Malam Jabba, Butkaro, shrine Akhund of Swat, Mount of Ilam, Janial Valley and Murghzar etc are centre of attractions for the tourists.

In view of the demand of Youth the Association is constructing a 60-Bed Youth Hostel at Madyan.

Thandiani

It is the highest spot around Abbottabad. The word “Thandiani” means the coldest place. It is 26-Km from Abbottabad. The winding road passes through fragrant pine forests ends in the most pictureous place. A jeepable road goes to Nathia Gali. The summer capital of the Government of NWFP, Thandiani is very popular spot among the tourists. The Association has bought one acre and to construct a 50-Bed Youth Hostel, which would be completed in 2 years

Malik Miraj Khalid, Caretaker Prime Minister inaugurating a Recreation Centre at the Abbottabad Youth Hostel.

Mr. Pervaiz Saleh, chairman Literacy Commission delivering his inaugural address of the Youth Hostelling for Citizenship Program at Islamabad Youth Hostel.

The first batch of the citizenship Program with the Vice Chancellor of Quaid-e-Azam and Allama Iqbal Universities, Islamabad.

H.E.Dr. Chang Soo Ko, Ambassador of republic of Korea in Pakistan, awarding certificate to a participant from Balochistan.

Mr. Ajta Luosangtudan, Vice President of All China Youth Federation, awarding Certificates to the Female Participants of the Citizenship Program.

Ms. Seela Ebert, Director Common wealth Youth Assoiation Awarding Certificate to a participant from sindh.

A Group of Master Trainers of Girl Guides/Principals of Colleges in Murree at the inauguration of the environment program.

Social Activities

The youth hostel movement all over the world has undertaken to provide better facilities and recreational activities at the youth hostels like walking trips, trekking, camping, mountaineering and indoor games. The Pakistan Youth Hostels Association has also planned to provide all these activities in its youth hostels. The following activities have been included in the social program of the Association.

Hostelling for Citizenship

In Pakistan, there is a serious shortage of sports and recreational facilities and, of course, sports and exercise as a habit, has found no place in our society. From the very beginning, the children are not provided with basic sports aid at school and community level. Seventy five per cent of Pakistani youth are living in the rural areas and because of lack of educational and recreational facilities, this section of the youth is under privileged as compared to their urban compatriots. The overall size of the non-student population of the country in ages 15-29 years was estimated at 24.604 million in the year 1992 as compared to 22.531 million in 1981's census and 12.732 million in 1972's census. The situation is therefore graver in the rural areas, which needs more attention and a harmonized program at the community level. The rural youth did not have any opportunity even to visit important historical and scenic places of the country which had prevented development of their cultural and social ties with their counterparts.

The Pakistan Youth Hostels Association has, therefore, been planning that such youth may be invited to visit urban areas in an organized manner. In order to implement this idea, the Pakistan Youth Hostels Association devised a program called "Hostelling for Citizenship" with the object of promoting healthy recreational and educational activities. Under this Program, the uneducated youth living in the rural areas of each Province were to be selected through the Provincial Local Governments for participation. Besides, being provided with an opportunity of seeing the scenic and historical places of the country, they would also meet their counterparts belonging to other regions. Sight seeing and their stay in the youth hostels would promote mutual understanding between the rural and urban population. This will not only be a sight seeing trip but a community working together to find out how citizens in a democracy can bring about improvements in health, education and welfare of all its citizens. They could stay in the youth hostels where recreational-cum-educational programs could be organized for them. Their boarding may, however, be paid by the Government.

Youth Organizations' Directory

In order to promote inter-personal relations, the Association intends to print a Directory of the Non-Government Youth Organizations. The Directory would include names, addresses, phone numbers and other related important information along with photograph of the office Bearers of these bodies.

Youth Travel Bureau

A Youth Travel Bureau is an important component of all the leading Youth Hostels Associations. The Travel Organizations provide expert travel advice to the youth who intend to travel in and out side their countries on affordable expenses. These agencies collect travel information from various countries, plan their trips and make rail, road and accommodation concessions available to them. The Pakistan Youth Hostels Association has also plans to set up such a Bureau.

Youth Train

The Pakistan Youth Hostels Association wants to promote national integration and love for the country among the youth by providing them the opportunity to see the beautiful sites all over the country. To implement this idea the Association plans to run a Youth Train from Peshawar to Karachi and back. The Youth Train would be stopping at all the historical places for one day at each place where the participants would stay in the youth hostels/rest houses for sight-seeing with the help of the local youth. The Ministry of Railways would be requested through the Youth Division to charge Army rates from the passengers of this train. A dining car would be attached with the train to provide meals and snacks facilities. The tickets for this train would be sold through the Local Government Departments.

Students Insurance Scheme

In Pakistan the drop out rate of students in enrolment is very high. About 50% students get out of their schools, while 25% reach upto graduation, and 0.5 % only reach the University level. These drop-outs do not get any employment which make them frustrated. Their frustration is intensified by the economic problems faced by their parents who cannot even meet their meager daily expenditures. Consequently, they indulge in criminal activities. The Association intends to remedy the situation by providing some financial assistance to such youth to meet their daily expenditure during the transitional period of their lives. The Association would propose that a Students Insurance Scheme may be launched.

Under this scheme, the students may be asked to buy an insurance policy and pay a premium of Rs. 1 to 5 per mensum which would mature at the time when policy holder becomes a dropout. He may then be paid the amount of the policy which may be of some help to him/her.

Youth Computer Centre

The introduction of computer technology in various Government and Non-Government organizations has been rapid and has become an important component of office work. All the Matriculate youth are required to know the use of computer if they want to be recruited in the Government Departments. Since there is a shortage of Computer Training Centres, most of the youth cannot get training in this field. The Association, therefore, intends to open such Training Centres in its hostels situated in the big cities.

Youth Co-operative Stores

It is a matter of common knowledge that in all the commercial transactions, the middleman takes a major share of the profits of the products. The main sufferer in this business is the retailer who bears the brunt of the middleman as well as that of the entrepreneur. This arrangement makes life very difficult for the parents belonging to middle class, having 3 to 6 children. The Association intends to reduce the middle-man's profit to the extent where merchandise required by youth may be sold at a reasonable cost. A Youth Co-operative Store, first of its kind, will be opened for this purpose in Islamabad as a pilot project. If this venture is successful, the Association would set up one store each at Provincial Headquarters.

International Youth Centre, Bhurban

The Pakistan Youth Hostels Association seeks to develop the existing youth hostels located at Bhurban, Murree into an International Youth Centre. This Centre to be built on a five acre, scenic location will provide a combination of lodging, recreation and convention facilities. Centrally located or otherwise, important youth hostels in other countries are equipped to cater for conventions and conferences. In Pakistan it will be the first Centre of its kind providing services for the youth and other organizations that require low budget facilities. The project results from a comprehensive study of the Bhurban location, the needs of the hostel sector in Pakistan and the role the Youth Hostels Association can perform as a leader in this field.

Mr.Mushahid Hussain Syed, Minister for Tourism, Government of Pakistan offering prayer after laying the foundation stone of Youth Hostel, Patriata.

Girl guides working on the project

A visiting delegation of IYHF with the office bearers of the Association at Taxila Youth Hostel.

The Centre, with its close proximity to the capital islamabad, is conceived as a project of national significance within the youth hostels network, including:

This project will fulfil the demand for a much needed convention facility. As mentioned above there is no facility provided by the government or the private sector that can serve the needs of the students and youth for holding conferences, seminars, camps etc. Even the 32 Universities of the country are without such a facility. Pakistan has a warm climate with temperatures reaching up to 52 degree centigrade.

During summer, Murree hills as an accessible summer resort offer an ideal location for planning a recreational facility for the youth. Youth and students cannot afford the expensive hotels and the government rest houses serve only a limited elite of government officials.

The International Youth Centre at Bhurban can become the focus of a variety of educational, social and cultural activities. Various non-profit organizations and women organizations can also benefit from such a facility offering a low-budget alternative to the commercial convention centres and hotels.

The Association plans to use this Centre for launching a Leadership Training Program for the youth of the country for inculcating the democratic values and basic citizenship training. The Association believes that strengthening of democracy in this country on stable and long-term basis requires imbibing democratic values amongst the youth.

Once the Centre is complete, it hopes to regularly bring groups of youth from all over the country, particularly, the student leaders, students union office bearers, sportsmen, young writers to this Centre specially during summer vacations to participate in the Leadership Training Program.

There are about one million Pakistanis living abroad who want to send their children to Pakistan during winter and summer vacations on educational and recreational trips but they are not in a position to do so for lack of adequate facilities.

The association, therefore, intends to start a summer educational-cum-recreational program for the children of Pakistanis living abroad at reasonable payments.

Such a project is in tune with local developmental efforts by the government in the Murree Hills. Unlike the commercial enterprises, Youth Hostels Association brings with it a commitment to social development and a history of cooperation with various government organizations.