CITATION of C.E.O

Mrs. Saima Ammar(Chief Executive, PFFB)

Chief Exeuctive Officer Mrs. Saima Ammar lost her eyesight completely at the age of two and half (2 ½) after her optic nerve was damaged due to high fever. She received her early education from London. After finishing her ‘A Levels’ from Worcester College for the Blind UK, she joined the inclusive education system in Pakistan and holds the Masters degree in International Relations from the Quaid-e-Azam University Islamabad. It is worth mentioning here that she topped amongst 1000 students in the entrance test on open merit at Quaid-e-Azam University.

Mrs. Ammar has been working with the Foundation for over 16 years. Her main focus and area of expertise is in the Education of Visually Impaired in Pakistan. She has attended many National and International Conferences on Disability, including the UN Women Conference held in Beijing China in 1995. Retina International Conference Japan, 13th World Congress of Retina International "Focus on Seeing 2004" in Noordwijk, Netherlands, Played an instrumental role in organizing a “First International Seminar on Retinitis Pigmentosa and Allied Retinal Dystrophies” by PFFB, in June 2006, Attended International Visitor Program of United State of America Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs from May 12- May 24, 2008. During visit her Areas of focus were employment and education. She was first blind person nominated from Pakistan in this program.

She is also the Founder of Audio World, a program that provides independent access to Education, Information and Entertainment through audiocassettes through out Pakistan with the help of free registered door step postal facility. Free Registered Postal service was made possible by amending Postal Laws on Government level with her great efforts. PFFB Audio World program caters to more than 4,000 Visually Impaired throughout Pakistan. Beneficiaries of this program by the grace of Almighty Allah have joined all kinds of professions including Law, Gender Studies, Banking, Special Education, Mass Communication, and Teaching. One of our students of this program Aqil Sajjad is even doing his PhD in Physics from Howard USA.

Saima has spare headed the IT Helpline program at PFFB which provides training in Computing skills to the Visually Impaired community through a talking software JAWS. With the help of this program numerous educational and employment opportunities shall open up for the Visually Impaired students.