Together for a Better Tomorrow
SCINOSA
WELCOME TO SCINOSA !
SCINOSA
The founder of SCINOSA, Mr A.S. Muslim envisioned to create a society that has inclusivity in terms of living and educating the children with disability in Pakistan. The sole aim of SCINOSA is to help make children in need of attention more independent and self-sufficient.
A Legacy of Empowerment and Transformative Impact
Founding Year
Launched our mission to empower communities in 2010.
Education Focus
Began initiatives to promote quality education for all.
Global Impact
Expanded efforts to address global challenges and sustainability.
Committed Individuals Driving Impact and Change
Alice Johnson
Executive Director
Mark Thompson
Program Manager
Emma Patel
Outreach Coordinator
James Lee
Research Analyst
Sophia White
Education Specialist
David Brown
Communications LeadBe Part of Our Team, Drive Positive Change!
EMPOWERING LIVES, BUILDING FUTURES
Core Values Driving Positive Change
We prioritize integrity, empowerment, collaboration, and sustainability to create lasting impact and support the growth of thriving communities.
Integrity
We uphold transparency, accountability, and honesty in all our actions.
Empowerment
We strive to uplift communities by fostering growth and building capacity.
Collaboration
We work together with stakeholders to amplify impact and achieve shared goals.
Sustainability
We focus on long-term solutions that ensure lasting, positive change.
Early Years
For some time, the new Society was unsuccessful in its efforts to implement its stated objectives. No guidance or help was available as no work has been done in this regard in the country. Thus, no worthwhile programme could be undertaken for about 2 years. The Society could collect only about Rs.1,500/- as total capital during this period.
The founder Mr. A. S. Muslim undertook a tour of several European countries in 1961 and utilising his business contacts, visited several institutions engaged in the education and training of the mentally retarded in Belgium, Holland, Norway and the U.K., and collect guidelines and some material. It was during his visit to Norway where he visited a centre for special children that Mr. Muslim discovered the model he was looking for.
SCINOSA Day Home (SDH) was established on the pattern of Ragna Ringdal’s Daghjem, Oslo, Norway on 1st March 1962 in rented premises at 18/H/2 P.E.C.H. Society, near Masjid-e-Tayyaba, Karachi. It not only functioned as a place where children with mental handicaps were looked after but also involved them in activities that helped stimulate their mind.
Rent for the premises was Rs. 250/- per month. Staff consisted of one leady teacher, a B.A., B.Ed., at monthly salary of Rs. 250/- and an Aya at Rs. 100/- per month salary. The centre had 2 children with fees of Rs. 250/- per month each.
The early programme in 1962 began with a sum of less than Rs. 1,500/-, collected as membership fee over a period of two years. This capital represented not more than two months expenses for the centre. However, as the work progressed and the centre became known, both the parents & general public responded. With the help and participation of parents of the afflicted children, some well-wishers, and philanthropists, SCINOSA Day Home has flourished into the largest non-profit private institution in the field in Pakistan. SCINOSA is not only the pioneer, it has been and continues to be the leader in providing care, training and rehabilitation services to the children afflicted with Down’s syndrome and mental retardation in Pakistan
New Premises
Mrs. B.K. Das wife of Vice Admiral B.K. Das of the Pakistan Air Navy came into contact with SCINOSA and got close to the children. She used her resources and the KDA allotted a plot in North Nazimabad on which today our present school stands. Generation of parents have and shall be indebted to this gracious lady for her contribution to children in need of special attention.
Once the land was with the society, the next step was to get a school building. Mr. G.D. Tharia, a parent, whose son was one of the first students and is still enrolled came forward and through his good offices, Mr. Hameed D. Habib, of the Habib Family donated the amount required for constructing the building which was made operational on 1st March 1972, designed by architect Mr. Minoo Mistry. To this day our students are benefiting from their kindness.
Beginning with 2 students in 1962, the ultimate strength of the students in the old premises rose to 35 which was the maximum number that could be accommodated in the space available. However, when S.D.H. was shifted to its present purpose premises in 1972, the average yearly strength rose to 60.
Moving Onwards
On 28th February 2003 exactly 30 years since the first building was made and 40 years since the society was founded the foundations the new school building was laid by Mr.A.S. Muslim in the presence of students, teachers and well-wishers.
The new 24000 square feet school building became operational in 2005and includes 16 classrooms along with a hydro-therapy pool, exercise room, vocational rooms, dining area and other facilities in keeping with the times.
The aim of the Society is to help special children develop into fully functioning and useful individuals, to the best of their potential. Students admitted to the Day Home, are assessed by trained psychologists, and an Individual Education Plan is made for each child. Apart from regular classes. The SDH provides Speech Therapy, Physiotherapy and Hydrotherapy as development aids.
At SCINOSA, we believe in celebrating the individual strengths and challenges of each child. Our experienced educators and specialists’ work tirelessly to create personalised learning plans that cater to the diverse abilities and talents of our students. It is our firm belief that every child deserves an opportunity to grow, learn, and thrive.
The vocational training department at SCINOSA plays a crucial role in equipping our children with valuable skills. With the help of dedicated instructors, our students create a wide range of products using various tools. These include hand embroidery, stitching, fine arts, jewellery, handloom creations, block printed products and woodwork. Through these vocational activities, our children not only develop their creativity but also gain a sense of accomplishment and self-esteem.
We are passionate about our work at SCINOSA because we passionately believe in the potential and abilities of every child. Witnessing their growth, progress, and the joy they experience when they create something beautiful is incredibly rewarding. It is our mission to provide a platform where our children can showcase their talents and skills, fostering a sense of pride and inclusion.
Currently 190 students are enrolled at SDH, mostly from underprivileged backgrounds, whose fees are heavily subsidized by us. Our facility is run entirely on donations and through fund-raising events, but our impeccable reputation has allowed us to grow over these last six decades, so much so that we do not turn back any student for their inability to pay the fees.
Mental Retardation Research Programme
Soon after establishment of SCINOSA Day Home, Dr. Howard Rusk, representing President John F. Kennedy, visited SCINOSA with a proposal to include S.D.H. in the Joseph P. Kennedy Junior Foundation program of worldwide research on mental retardation. As SCINOSA was not equipped for a technical and professional programme of this nature, it could not directly participate in this undertaking. Also, no possible aid for the programme could be availed by a non-government agency like SCINOSA, therefore SCINOSA arranged establishment of MRRP at the Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre Karachi. SCINOSA was thus instrumental in the establishment of Mental Retardation Research Project in Pakistan. The project Directors was Dr. Zaki Hassan and Dr. Akhter Ahmed as the Deputy Director, with a large team of others interested. This project worked for several years and examined about 1,000 mentally retarded children, with SCINOSA being the main source of information and the observation centre.
The MRRP publish a report about its findings, making a basic but very valuable contribution to the work for the mentally handicapped in Pakistan, for which SCINOSA has been rightly acclaimed at various relevant forums.
Governing Body Members
Mr. Habib Tharia
Chairman
Mr. Qaizar Colombowala
Vice Chairman
Miss. Mariam Halai
Honorary Treasurer
Mr. Suleman A. Tahir
Member
Mrs. Seemeen Muslim
Member
Mrs. Sahar Maqbool Soomro
Member
Mrs.Asifa Ataka
Member
Mrs. Rahat Muslim
Member
Mr. Zulfiqar Ali Ramzi
Honorary Secretary
