Siran Valley families start over

Yet ask almost anyone in the area about the assistance they received after the 7.6 earthquake in Pakistan’s rugged northwest and they will smile and tell you that they received something beneficial from World Vision.

Tents, tarpaulins and Corrugated Iron Sheets (CGI) are seen dotted around the valley, showing how deep in the field World Vision was able to distribute relief supplies.

But the less visible aid is also still present – food supplies, quilts, blankets and warm clothes for children – and the sense that people were not left alone amidst the turmoil after the quake.

For these people, moving back to destroyed homes and devastated infrastructure is yet another daunting challenge Families who left the area to seek refuge in relief camps started the long journey home in the middle of March. Some are still returning home. For these people, moving back to destroyed homes and devastated infrastructure is yet another daunting challenge.

Across the Siran Valley, homes, schools, shops and health units were destroyed. Fields and roads transformed.

Twenty-two-year-old Mohammad Banaras remembers that day of transformation, standing next to his temporary shelter.

“The screeches of my 11-month-old daughter Umaima were disturbing me because I wanted to pass my fasting day sleeping until the noon prayers as it was the month of Ramadan. I asked my wife to take our son from the room. As soon as she went out, the earth was shaken; resonating violently and a heavy stone fell on my bed. It missed me. I ran outside and the roof of our house came down behind us.

Banaras, father of three-year-old Omair Ahmad used to live with the families of his two brothers. He jointly ran a small food shop in Manda Gucha market with his brother Mohammad Irshad.

“We were earning Rs.200 to Rs.250 (Approx US$3- 4) daily from our food shop and shared the income to provide for our families”, said brother Irshad.

“I was sleeping in my now collapsed food shop when the quake hit. I had a narrow escape,” he added.

Banaras said, “We lost everything and struggled to find something to eat and a roof to live under. We had a very hard time until the air drops were made by helicopters.”

“We three brothers received 30 CGI sheets, 10 sheets per family from World Vision, and constructed temporary shelters. Without them we would not have survived the winter and snowfall”, said Banaras.

“Recently we also received soybean-wheat porridge from World Vision for our children under age of three”, he added.

Chan Khan, father of five boys and five girls from Manda Gucha used to work in the city of Lahore prior to the earthquake. He said, “I had been earning Rs.100 per day (Approximately US$1.50) to support my family. I lost everything in the earthquake and have recently built a temporary shelter with the help of ten CGI sheets provided by World Vision”.

His eldest son Gul Dad is a driver while a younger son Safdar is a bus conductor. Two of Chan Khan’s daughters are married. One daughter is in level two and two other daughters are not yet of school age.

“We could normally find small jobs in Manda Gucha or forestry openings during harvest time but now no such thing is available. Our water resources have either been damaged or destroyed by the earthquake. Our lands have been destroyed and cultivation is not possible”, explained the father.

He added, “One of the greatest problems is that our health facility was destroyed and we must go to Panjool hospital, even for minor treatment”.

Salma Bibi, a 12-year-old level six student said, “I have been studying in the government middle school for girls in Manda Gucha and during the earthquake I was injured by a stone”.

“My father has been working in Saudi Arabia for the past three-and-a-half years. He did not come back after the earthquake. Myself and my brothers Ayaz, and Nawaz, and sister Uzma, who is in Katchi (Kindergarten) received warm clothing and shoes from World Vision. We wore them and they helped us to stay warm”.

“We received food rations, tarpaulins and tents from World Vision. We also received ten CGI sheets from World Vision and constructed a temporary shelter with the help of our neighbours with whom we now live with our mother”, she added.

Salma said, ”I want to become a schoolteacher after getting a higher education. But there is no girls’ high school in Manda Gucha. The only girls’ high school in the area is in Shinkiari, which is more than 50km way. It is very difficult for me to travel so far”.

As the post-disaster emergency relief phase is over, and the transition to recovery and reconstruction is underway, families like that of Salma require ongoing support, especially in the area of education and restoration of livelihoods.

World Vision and local partner BEFARe (Basic Education for Awareness, Reform & Empowerment) have established 19 temporary schools across the Siran Valley, including four schools in Manda Gucha.

Teachers have been trained or retrained from local areas to help ensure their commitment to schools over the long-term. School Management Committees have also been formed for each school to help ensure that parents and family members can play a greater role in promoting the education of their children.

World Vision’s Child Protection Team has also established a Child Friendly Space in Manda Gucha, to give children a place to play and learn outside of school and also to help identify out of school children. The team plans to establish a second space in the area.

I want to become a schoolteacher after getting higher education. But there is no girls’ high school in Manda Gucha. The only girls’ high school in the area is in Shinkiari, which is more than 50km way Headed by Reconstruction Engineer Sasa Radisic, World Vision’s reconstruction team is currently conducting assessments of locations that are potential sites for permanent schools. The number and kind of permanent schools will be determined both by community needs and the availability of financial resources.

To address the need to help restore livelihoods and income generation, World Vision is carrying out a number of livelihood projects in the Siran Valley.

Dr. Bernard Mtonga, World Vision’s Livelihood Programme Manager said, “We are promoting food production in the area and will be distributing agro-packs containing seeds of a cereal crop (maize), a legume (beans) and vegetables (tomato and cucumber) seeds and fertilizer. We will also be distributing agro-tools”.

“We are focusing on livestock restocking and veterinary services. We will be promoting restocking of cattle (bulls, oxen and cows), buffaloes, goats and sheep”, said Mtonga.

He added, “We will also be offering health and nutrition training for the target communities. Our approach is gender focused and we want to make sure that both male and female beneficiaries are targeted”.

World Vision’s community mobilisers are helping to establish stronger relationships with communities such as Manda Gucha to help address families’ needs and determine how best World Vision can support them in rebuilding their lives.