OBAT Helpers is a non-profit, 501(C)3 organization committed to provide aid, support, education and economical empowerment to the suffering and displaced people. Our immediate focus is the most forgotten and ignored people, commonly  known as Stranded Pakistanis/Biharis, who have been suffering silently in the many shanty camps across Bangladesh for the past 39 years. They are almost helpless and rootless. Without any guarantee for permanent settlement, these human beings are in distress. There are about 250,000 human beings  languishing in the 66 makeshift camps in extremely sub-human conditions. They are a population living in abject poverty with no basic amenities or sanitation facilities.

OBAT Helpers was initially formed as a family initiative to alleviate the suffering of displaced people, in a limited manner. In fact, OBAT is an acronym formed by the first letters of the names of the parents of Anwar & Afshan Khan (Obaid, Bilquis, Aman & Tayyaba) the founders of this charitable initiative. However, once these forgotten people were chosen as the immediate relief focus, the founders realized that a family initiative like theirs would be rendered totally ineffective by the extreme severity and magnitude of the crisis on hand.

It has always been our staunch conviction that once the consciences of men and women are aroused, even the seemingly impossible deeds can be accomplished with ease. OBAT Helpers was thus incorporated as a non-profit, non-religious, and non-political organization in the State of Indiana. The organization is strictly bound by its commitment to provide help to all needy people irrespective of narrow partisan concerns like race, creed, color, ethnicity, religion, disability, national origin, economic background or gender.

OBAT Helpers as a non-profit organization is solely dependent upon donations and volunteer support to carry out its programs and activities. 

OBAT Helpers aims to provide effective relief and rehabilitation, through the 'involvement and empowerment' of the affected communities to bring about sustainable development. We recognize that distribution of financial assistance alone cannot assure sustainable development in the long run. We believe in a policy of involvement and empowerment to guarantee better health, education, hygiene, sanitation and financial progress in the long-term perspective. All the support and relief programs initiated by OBAT are based on education, poverty alleviation and economic empowerment.

During the first phase of development, we focus our energies on building and providing the basic amenities and livable living conditions for the camp dwellers. Presently education and economical empowerment are the major focus area; the imperative shall be on equipping them to help themselves and their fellow beings in the community, in the most effective manner. We believe that a judicious strategic mix of aid, education, vocational training and empowerment will help us achieve this objective.