As now most of the SANA Members and Sindhis in general, living here in United States as well as back home are familiar with the "FAME FUND". For those who haven't yet heard about "FAME FUND", following is the brief introduction. "Fame Fund" stands for "Dr Feroze Ahmed Memorial Fund".

Dr. Feroz Ahmed was a professor in the School of Social Work at Howard University Washington D.C. He received his doctorate in demography from the John Hopkins University School of Public Health and did his post doctoral research at Harvard University's Center for population studies. Dr. Ahmed taught at several universities in the United States, Canada and Pakistan, and lectured worldwide during the last twenty years.

Dr. Ahmed is the author of twenty books and monographs. He has published over thirty scientific papers in peer review journals and nearly three hundred articles in daily papers and popular magazines.

He was the founding editor of the critical magazine Pakistan Forum which was published in early 1970's, in urdu, from Karachi, Pakistan. In addition, he was a regular contributor to Africasia (Paris) and Viewpoint (Lahore). The broad range of subjects on which Dr. Ahmed has written include sociology, political economy, politics, demography and epidemiology. Dr. Feroz Ahmed Died in April 1997.

Soon after the demise of Dr. Feroze Ahmed, an idea was floated by the then President of SANA, Ada Iqbal Tareen to create a fund in memory of Dr. Feroze Ahmed and award scholarships to the needy students back home. He trusted me for this task. To materialize the conception, a committee consisting of Dr. Shaukat Ansari, Dr. Saghir Shaikh, Saeen Nisar Ali Shah and Saeen Aijaz Memon was formed. Later on Adi Nasreen, Aijaz Memon and Adi Fakhurnissa Shah (Mrs. Nisar Ali Shah) were added to the Committee in order to get the representation of the ladies. Each member of the Committee made the initial contribution of $100.00. In its first meeting the Fame Fund Committee decided to award one Scholarship of $500.00 for Post Graduate Students and four scholarships for Under Graduate Students. The applications for the grant of scholarships were invited through publication of advertisement in local Newspapers in Sindh.

Ada Nisar Siddiqui of Los Angeles used his resources to get the advertisement published in Daily Ibrat without any cost to Fame Fund. He also contributed $100.00 to the Fund. Dr. Ajaz Shaikh and Dr. Askar Qalbani were the major contributors and each one of them donated $250.00. SANA provided $1,000.00. In response to the advertisement, 159 applications received. Each of the application was thoroughly scrutinized by all members of the Committee. None of the applicants qualified for the post graduate scholarship of $500.00 and thus the number of undergraduate scholarships was increased from 4 to 6 and following students were awarded the scholarships of $250.00 each.

The selection process for the FAME Fund scholarships for the year 2003-2004 has completed. The entire process to finalize applications and candidates list took more time than scheduled. In fact, it was verification of certain details at the local institutions in Sindh that took more time than anticipated.

Friends,

For the award of Dr. Feroz Ahmed Memon Memorial Educational Fund (FAME Fund) scholarships for the Academic Year 2004-2005, the FAME Fund Committee of Sindhi Association of North America (SANA) posted details on 18 January 2005 and invited applications from meritorious Sindhi students who are pursuing education at Universities in Pakistan.

Further to the above announcement, the information was also posted on the related Sindhi e-mail listings and later published in Sindhi Daily Newspaper Kawish on 4th. April 2005.

In order to provide more time to applicants to collect required details and complete the application requirements, the Committee has decided to extend the last date for receiving applications from May 10, 2005 to May 31, 2005.

Application forms and further details are available at the SANA web site at http://www.sanalist.org/fame_fund.html

The mailing address is FAME Fund, 2920 Holly Hall Houston, Texas 77054.

On 15 June 2005, the Committee will make announcement about award of scholarships. Selected students will be notified and scholarships will be awarded.

For further clarification or information, please forward your question at e-mail fame_fund@sbcglobal.net

THE SCHOLARSHIPS

FAME Fund will confer the following awards:

1. Eight scholarships for Undergraduate Studies in Sciences. $250.00 each.

2. Two scholarships for Post-graduate Studies in Social Sciences and Humanities. $500.00 each.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Application forms are available on the above website.

2. Applicants must attach the copies of the documents identified on the application form.

3. For those who are not able to get access to the above website, please write e-mail to the     above e-mail address and the application will be sentattached with e-mail.

4. In case some one has already applied and forwarded applications with proper attachments     need not to apply again. Applications already received (for the Academic Year 2004-2005) will     automatically enter in the process.

5. The last date for receiving applications at the above address is MAY 31, 2005.

6. Application form filled properly and with all required attachments to be forwarded at the above     address via regular mail.

PLEASE DO NOT FORWARD YOUR APPLICATION THROUGH REGISTERED MAIL.

SANA Executive Council and SANA FAME Fund Committee, request you all to pass on this message to the deserving Sindhi students in Pakistan.

With Regards,

Zafar Agha
Ghulam Mohiuddin
SANA FAME Fund Committee
Houston, Texas

For the academic year 2003-2004, FAME Fund will confer the following awards:

1. Four Scholarships for Undergraduate Studies in Sciences. $250.00 each.

2. Two Scholarships for Post-graduate Studies in Social Sciences and Humanities $500.00 each.

AWARD OF SCHOLARSHIPS

In addition to the above six scholarships, Saeen Salim Hemani (a relation of Saeen Ghulam Mohiuddin Memon) has generously donated $1000.00 for awarding 4x$250.00 scholarships.

Accordingly, for eight scholarships ($250.00 each) for undergraduate students in Sciences and two Post-graduate scholarships ($500.00 each), applications for the grant of scholarships were invited through Sanalist, SANA web site, and other associated Sindhi lists and web sites.

Applications were also invited by publication of advertisements in the Daily Kawish, a local newspaper in Sindh. Our team member, Saeen Ghulam Nabi Morai used his own resources & time to get the advertisements published twice in the Daily Kawish without any cost to FAME Fund.

In response to the advertisements, 160+ Undergraduate & 7 Postgraduate applications were received. Each application was thoroughly evaluated for eligibility by members of the committee. 15 applications were finalized for Undergraduate & 2 for Postgraduate for 2003-2004 year. The finalized list was sent to Sindh for verification of credentials. After thorough investigation, 8 undergraduate & 2 postgraduate applications were selected for awarding above scholarships for the year 2003-2004.

THE RECIPIENTS OF SCHOLARSHIPS

Undergraduate

1. Ghufrana Memon - PMC Nawabshah
Father's name: Noorjehan (mother)
Starting date: 18-01-2000 ---Expected Graduation date: December 2005
Resident - Qazi Ahmed, Nawabshah

2. Khalida Avesi - PMC Nawabshah
Father's name: Abdul Ghafoor Avesi
Starting date: 26-01-2000 ---Expected Graduation date: 2005-2006
Resident - Khairpur Mirs

3. Anwar Hussain Abbassi - Liaqat Medical College (LMC) Jamshoro MBBS
Father's name: Naeema Parveen (mother)
Starting date: 17-01-2000 ---Expected Graduation date: Dec 2005
Resident - Shah Latifabad, Hyderabad

4. Rajendar Kumar - Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (MUET) Jamshoro, Software dept.
Father's name: Arjan Das
Starting date: 31-12-2001 ---Expected Graduation date: 31-12-2005
Resident - Mirpurkhas

5. Shoaib Memon - Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (MUET) Jamshoro.
BE (Petroleum & Natural Gas) Major: Reservoir Engr
Father's name: Ghulam Muhammad Memon
Starting date: Jan 2001 ---Expected Graduation date: Dec 2004
Resident - Hyderabad

6. Adnan Akbar - Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (MUET) Jamshoro.
Major: Computer Software Engineering
Father's name: Akbar Memon
Starting date: 31-12-2002 ---Expected Graduation date: 31-12-2006
Resident - Jamshoro

7. Mian Abdul Mannan Panhyar - Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (MUET) Jamshoro.
BE - Electronics, Major: Control Engineering
Father's name: Mian Qabool Muhammad Panhyar
Starting date: 29-12-2001 ---Expected Graduation date: 01-02-06
Resident - Shikarpur

(Prof. Dr. Bhawani Shankar, Head Electronics Dept. - Mehran Engineering University - assisted in verification of certain details for the above applicants)

8. Wajahat Ali - LUMHS Jamshoro
Father's name: Misri Faqir
Starting date: 25-10-2002 ---Expected Graduation date: 25-10-2007
Resident - Bhit Shah, Taluka Matiari, dist: Hyderabad

Post Graduate:

Sindh University

1. Miss Irshad Soomro
University of Sindh - Major field: Research on Sindh
Father's Name: Widow Sahib Khatoon (mother)
Starting date: 11-09-2002 ---Expected Graduation date: 2006
Resident - Qasim Abad, Hyderabad

University of Karachi

2. Kamaluddin Jamro
University of Karachi
Father’s name: Loung Khan Jamro
Current Degree: A research study Sindhi Folk Songs (Ph.D.)
Resident - Ghousia Colony near New Town Chowrangi, University road, Karachi.

1. Miss Tahira Zaib -Laghari LMC Jamshoro

2. Mr. Shahid Nawaz Memon -Agri Univ. Tando jam

3. Mr Ghulam Mujtaba Mangrejo -QUEST, Nawabshah

4. Mr Munawar Hussain Kumbhar -Mehran Univ. Jamshoro

5. Miss Aisha Qureshi -Sindh University Jamshoro

6. Mr. Ramchand -Sindh University Jamshoro

For the subsequent year 1999, the applications were invited in the same fashion on the prescribed application Forms. Thanks to Dr. Saghir Shaikh who designed the forms for both for Graduate and undergraduate applicants. All committee members had their input to improve the format. The application forms were made available to all major Universities and Colleges in Sindh. 235 applications received by the dead line. All members of the Committee minutely examined all applications and following students were declared eligible for the award for the year 1999:

1. Mr. Abdul Haque Chang - $ 500.00 QA Univ. Islamabad

2. Ms. Shakeela Talpur -$ 250.00 Agri. Univ. Tando Jam

3. Mr. Asif Ali Jatoi -$ 250.00 Inst. Chartered Acc

4. Mr. Abdul Fatah Shaikh -$ 250.00 QUEST Nawabshah

5. Mr. Hareesh Kumar -$ 250.00 Agha Khan Univ. Karachi

A comprehensive report was submitted during SANA CONVENTION 2000 at St. Louis and responding to the request for the funds, the following friends came forward and pledged funds for the project:

1. Dr Rafat Ansari -$ 500.00

2. Mr Khalid Channa -$ 500.00

3. Dr Valeed Shaikh -$ 250.00

4. Dr Askar Qalbani -$ 250.00

5. Mr Abdul Shakoor Awan -$ 250.00

6. Mr A. Razak Shaikh -$ 250.00

7. Dr Ajaz Turk -$ 250.00

8. Dr Abdul Wahab Kazi -$ 250.00

9. Dr Saleem Shah -$ 250.00

10. Dr Khalid Memon -$ 250.00

11. Dr Naeem -$ 250.00

12. Mr Kaleem Akhund -$ 50.00

Many more who made pledges are being requested and reminded to make their promise good. The Fame Fund Committee is committed to continue their efforts increase the number of scholarships each year.

To conclude this report, we thank all who contributed to the Fund and our special thanks to the Committee members who devoted their time and efforts to make this program a success. Comments and suggestions are sincerely solicited from all on the list.