Barakat Foundation, an affiliated entity of Executive of Imam Khomeini Order, has just passed its tenth year of formation. Relying on its experienced and achievements within recent years, Barakat Foundation spares no efforts to eradicate deprivation and realization of policies of Economy of Resistance and empowering people who live in the less-developed parts of the country.
Regarding what had been done in the Barakat Foundation and future plans of this foundation, you may find the interview the 4th Jihadi Management Seminar special edition made with Dr. Aref Noruzi here:
Q. Based on what purpose, Barakat Foundation was formed?
A. In 2007, in order to serve more the needy and deprived people, The Leader of Islamic Revolution said to Head of Executive of Imam Khomeini’s Order (EIKO), Dr. Mokhber, “I am thinking about solving problems of the deprived people. For example, I expect you to solve problems of one thousand villages; how would be valuable if you could to build up one thousand points in the country or to construct one thousand schools across the country. Prepare Setad for such purposes.”
In response to this order of the Leader to head of EIKO to eradicate deprivation in the country and to make EIKO effective and influential in this regard, it was determined that an entity to be founded in order to generate durable jobs and to empower people in terms of social and economic considerations across the less-developed countries.
The purpose of developing this foundation as an affiliated entity of EIKO was identification of opportunities and capacities hidden in the deprived areas in order to be able to play as a growth engine in the less developed areas through participation of local and regional entrepreneurships as well as private sector.
Given the growing unemployment rate in villages and less-developed areas, Barakat Foundation has tried to take a positive and effective step to decline unemployment rate and to enhance employment rate in such parts of the country through targeting correctly; it has also tried to shift activities of people who live there from single-dimension activities in to multi-dimensional field of activities and help them to earn more incomes.
We believe that investment and assisting deprived areas and needy people would be useful and effective when the way is paved for more efforts, activities and economic, social and cultural development in such areas. In fact, the motivation of working and endeavor will be flowed through empowering and activating talents and activities and you may see its material and spiritual manifestations in people life and it would be followed with social and economic development in such parts of the country. Accordingly, naming this entity “Barakat” (Bless in Persian) shows the message that eradication of poverty and deprivation would be possible just via Jihad and efforts.
Q. What is the main mission of Barakat Foundation? And who are its targeted population?
A. Barakat Foundation’s activities are made in order to increase and improve economic empowerment and entrepreneurship across the less-developed parts of the country, considering economic, social and cultural dimensions.
The strategic purposes of this Foundation are defined in the framework of plans and projects of empowerment and entrepreneurship through attracting participation of non-governmental and non-profit organizations and using governmental facilities and bank loans, which are necessary to develop sustainable employment in the less-developed parts of the country, to extend educational, cultural spaces and to underpin infrastructural affairs which are defined to grow and develop of such areas. Accordingly, the main missions of Barakat Foundation, as the representative of Executive of Imam Khomeini’s Order (EIKO), who is tasked with creating value socially and serving needy people who mainly live in the less developed areas are as following:
- Participation in economic empowerment, entrepreneurial development and job generation
- Assisting in development and extension of educational and cultural-religious spaces
- Assisting in improving health level and extension of sanitary and health spaces
- Providing supportive, insurance and financial services to the deprived ones
- Implementing considerations announced by the Leader’s office in order to solve the needy’s problems.
Q. What role the Barakat Foundation has played to realize Economy of Resistance which has been emphasized by the Leader and what plans it has in its hands in this regard?
A. The order of Leader about mobilization of all nation’s power to participate in the economic arena and his emphasis on the necessity of prompt action and certain timing in order to compile the roadmap, regulations and executive plans and policies of Economy of Resistance in 2014 made EIKO and its affiliated units to mobilize its capacities to realize the Leader’s considerations and with proposing a proper model will pave the way for maximum realization of Economy of Resistance purposes.
For this purpose, using wise methods, recruiting proper resources and following Jihadi intelligent participation style, Barakat Foundation has succeeded to help in development of more and more effective opportunities to enhance welfare levels of the deprived people. Enterprise-based economic empowerment along with society-based economic empowerment, relying on the domestic efficient manpower, products based on regional economic advantages, reduction of unemployed manpower in various economic and executive sectors of the country, developing and equipping regional enterprises in order to reduce economic dependency on imports and oil constitute main activities of Barakat Foundation in this regard.
Q. Please explain about the most important projects, either competed or in-hand, of Barakat Foundation in different parts.
A. Helping in economic empowerment of the less-developed parts of the country through participation in 322 economic projects in 31 provinces of the country with the total investment value of 58000 billion Rials and generation of 198000 direct and indirect job opportunities, implementation of 24990 infrastructural projects with 13,720 billion Rials investment including construction 1357 schools with the admission capacity of 177000 students, 1023 mosques and cultural centers, 21500 housing units for the needy and 1110 constructing projects such as road-building, bridge-building, power supply, water supply and village renovation, etc.
Monitoring, guiding and implementing development plans in the Andica, Lali and nomadic areas of Masjed-Solayman Township in Khuzestan Province, implementing comprehensive plans in 116 regions including Hormoz Island, Ravar, Sarvabad, Bijar, Nehbandan, Sarbaz, Delgan, Basht, Charousa, Dishmook, etc, providing electronic health and medical remote services through launching five centers. Constructing and completing 11 hospitals with 1000 beds, 4 centers to treat cancers at the highest level and 153 comprehensive health and medical centers across the country; Providing the needy people living in the rural and less-developed areas with insurance services through Barakat Insurance Company; Implementing supportive projects to support orphans and deprived people (e.g. health examinations, insurance, nutrition, etc.), implementing “Barakat-e Khanevadeh” project in order to treat poor infertile couples, helping treatment of the needy patients who suffer from untreatable diseases, etc.
Q. Employment is one of the most pivotal demands of the country, especially in the deprived regions. What measures have you taken for this problem and what have you done for this?
A. Empowering less-developed areas and generating jobs in these areas are the most important aim of the Barakat Foundation and more than 70 percent of the Barakat Foundation’s resources have been dedicated for this purpose. In the second 5-year plan, Barakat Foundation has kept its maximum share in realization of economic empowerment in the less-developed areas, Barakat Foundation pays a special attention to 4 main approaches: market, science, work, consumption and production.
Q. How Barakat Foundation cooperate with other supportive and executive entities of the country and based on what it will be defined and formed?
A. Barakat Foundation designs and operationalize its plans and projects as the partner of the executive entities, so it avoids any sort of confliction of duties and responsibilities.
Most projects are implemented in the framework of cooperation MOUs. For example, projects like constructing Barakat schools are competed through working with Organization for Development, Renovation and Equipping Schools; construction and completion of hospitals and cancer treatment centers and Health Centers are completed with cooperation of Ministry of Health; construction of more than 21500 housing units for the deprived classes of the society is done with cooperation of Housing Foundation.
