Sindh a province in Pakistan is renowned for its world heritage sites and the hospitality of its people. I don’t recall ever having visited villages and towns their and not being floored by howwelcoming everyone is.
Today as we sit and reflect on the relief effort we realize a solemn fact and are humbled as to how much there is to be done. Villages that were once bustling with energy, commotion and people sitting at make-shift road-side cafes tell a different story.
Outskirts of Karachi are housed tens of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDP’s). It is a humbling site and consistent though most of the province! But where there is desperation there is heroism. Out-pour of assistance both from our individuals and communities is inspiring indeed.
A group of enthusiastic volunteers have been whole-heartedly serving their fellow brethren since August. They stand testimony to the fact that everyone can contribute and make a difference. To date we have collected donations along with clothes and medicines contributed by our extended member base.
As part of immediate flood relief we have collaborated in setting up medical aid camps. Distribution of food (rations bags), clothing and toys on the festival of Eid are key-features of our relief effort.
Our volunteers and team intends to carry forth the effort with ever continuing zeal and zest. We are currently working on the feasibility of setting-up and adopting villages as part of the long-term relief effort. Therein we plan on conducting the Breath Water Sound Course (a powerful personal transformation program) in various affected areas.
A team of 30 members is also being recruited who will actively work in select communities to strengthen the recovery process.
It is the compassion to serve and contribute that determines our collective strength. Everything great in this world started as a simple thought in someone’s mind!
Detailed itinerary of our work is as follows:
August 15, 2010
Art of living [AOL] joined hands with Layton Rehmatullah Benevolent Trust [LRBT] visited two flood relief camps in Jandomari which is about 50 km from Thatta town to provide medical relief.
The first camp had about 50 families and camp 2 had about 20 families. 60% of them were children.
They had re- located here before the floods destroyed their homes in villages in upper Sind. It was apparent they had always lived in poverty. They had no tents but just dried branches and leaves as a roof over 4 bamboo poles and 2 charpoys underneath for each family. Few pots for cooking and rellis (traditional bed-covers) drying in the sun appeared to be their only possession.
Camp 1 almost the entire population was infested with Scabies (contagious skin disease). Few cases of diarrhea and most women and children were anemic looking and underfed.
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August 22, 2010
AOL members along with the LRBT medical team set out to re-visit the above camps. AOL took 50 bags of dry rations to last them a week and a supply of Scabiol cream to treat scabies. They put on gloves and demonstrated the correct application technique on the affected children and advised them on preventive measures to avoid disease. Fortunately because of the open environment and plenty of dry wasteland around there were no mosquitoes or flies.
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August 19 – 23, 2010
A pediatrician from AOL along with 3 young brilliant doctors from Aga Khan Hospital went to Sukkur and Khairpur sponsored by the Pakistan Medical Association to give medical relief at camps set up in various Indus Research Center sponsored schools and several tent camps in open grounds in the district. Dr. Nabeel our Harvard trained public health expert conducted 3 workshops for Lady Health Workers in Sukkur, Khairpur and Pano Aqil. Their role in preventing any outbreak of disease in the camps should not be underestimated
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September 3, 2010
7 AOL members visited a camp in Keamari Town – Musharaf colony on the outskirts of Karachi.
Pakistan Medical Association selected this camp and provided us with medicines to attend to the sick in this camp of 600 affectees. 5 of our team surveyed the entire camp area and spent a good 2 hrs in their midst. They gathered the inhabitants and made useful suggestions to improving their living conditions – sanitation and water being main topics. They were fortunate to have fairly spacious individual family tents, toilets and adequate water supply but cleanliness needed a lot of attention. Cooked food was provided daily by Aman Foundation.
A Police Hospital medical camp was attached to this relief camp . We had reached there at 8am but were not allowed to see patients as their own Police Hospital doctors would arrive after 10 am and certain rules had to be followed. So we waited. Meantime a women who had delivered a baby had PPH and we rang up Edhi for an ambulance which arrived within minutes and we sent her off to the nearest hospital. Then came a very sick dehydrated 2 yr old vomiting profusely. Another Edhi ambulance was called by us and child sent off to a hospital. A lady doctor arrived at 10 and said we could go ahead and see the sick children who had already surrounded us.
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September 5, 2010
8 AOL members along with the deputy managing director of PIA and his wife set out with 200 dry food ration parcels plus 200 hardboiled eggs and biscuit goody-bags. AOL team included a dermatologist, eye specialist and a pediatrician.
A far out location was selected by the Deputy Commisioner of Thatta district where relief was desperately needed . A local MNA and a police patrol accompanied us. We had 3 vehicles loaded with supplies to be protected. What we saw really distressed us – all 3 camp inhabitants had been living there since a month and they had lost everything in the floods – some even their little children. The children were gathered together and given the egg and biscuit goodie bags and made to peel and eat the eggs. The men queued up peacefully and took their share of ration. Patients were seen and medicines were distributed according to need. We gave Iron and FA to all pregnant and lactating moms, multivitamins to most women and children who were obviously malnourished .
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September 19, 2010
A fund-raiser for AOL members was organized at an Art School here in Karachi. Famous Sufi musician Arieb Azhar mesmerized the audience with the compositions of Bhullay Shah.
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Upcoming Activities!
September to December, 2010
- Fund-raiser Art of Living friends and family
- Yogathon
- Continued distribution of aid
- Fund raising concert
- Launch of Humnawah (IAHV’s Youth Leadership Training Program)
- Possibility of setting up a model village
January, 2010 onwards
Evaluation of relief effort, reporting, documentation and way forward determined accordingly.
said the woman with a tasbi in her hands while she looked at her young children. “I fear for them, for us, we have no place to live…” This woman and her family along with 17 other families had all taken refuge in a near by school, after the flood swept away their entire village.
