Teaching people how to fish

The real value of charitable giving this Ramazan in Pakistan appears to be on par with or marginally less than last year, as prolonged economic stagnation has strained household finances, limiting how much people can afford to donate. The financial strain appears to have hit the more popular consumptive giving (food supplies providing immediate relief) harder than transformative causes (healthcare and long-term social welfare donations), which enjoy greater support among relatively well-off, educated professionals. Once again, Karachi leads other cities in charitable giving. Despite the uptick in remittances reported by the State Bank, several charitable organisations focused on consumptive options have seen a sharp decline in overseas donations, impacting their direct support operations for the poor. In February, remittances increased by 38.6 per cent year-on-year to a record $3.1 billion, according to the State Bank.