PHOTO GALLERY:
1. Updates On Relief Efforts 15th June'09                      Some Touching Experiences
2. Updates On Relief Efforts 12th June'09
 

Rasool Allah salallahu Alayhe Wasallam said, "A Muslim is a brother of another Muslim, so he should not oppress him, nor should he hand him over to an oppressor. Whoever fulfilled the needs of his brother, Allah will fulfill his needs; whoever brought his (Muslim) brother out of a discomfort, Allah will bring him out of the discomforts on the Day of Resurrection, and whoever screened a Muslim, Allah will screen him on the Day of Resurrection." (Bukhari)

 

PESHAWAR  REPORT

May 20^th – 5^th June 2009

 Initially we started our efforts by coordinating with all Al Huda branches of Peshawar region and made different teams to support geographically located IDPS nearest to the branch location. Our first challenge was to get the facts. We instructed our teams don’t believe what people tell you; only trust what you personally verify. Keeping this in mind our teams visited many areas on 20^th May, 09. This visit helped us in setting our priorities  and determine where and how to help the truly needy people.

 

SITUATION ON THE GROUND:

• We saw mostly people from average to above average socio-economic background who had to leave their homes only on few hours  notice to clear the area and could not carry any thing from their homes.
• We met people who were very religious and disciplined with high self respect.
• Most people were in bad shape, their feet swollen due to walking bare foot for many miles.
• They had no summer clothing as they are coming from very cold areas.
• They had no utensils, chattai or any kind of bedding.
• There was no clean drinking water for them which was causing diarrhea and many other diseases.
• They had no medical care and  women, children and senior citizens were  severely affected.
• There were a large number of orphans who had lost their parents due to the operation and they needed extra care.
• One estimate suggested 60,000 women were pregnant. 50-60 babies are born everyday with no medical facility to take care of new born babies.
•  

RESPONDING TO THE NEED

An immediate call was sent to all Al Huda regional offices. The Al Huda campuses in Karachi, Quetta, Islamabad and Lahore were very cooperative and responded promptly. The response in the form of cash,rations,medicine, beddings, clothing, water coolers, bed sheets, chappals, chattai & started coming swiftly as the need demanded.

 

 RELIEF EFFORTS

Our team visited Mardan, Takhbai, Pirpiai, Yar Hussain Camp(swabi) & Jallala camps with senior doctors, medicines, ration and clothing. The distribution of the first consignment was carried out. On the first day we met around  45 families, most of them belonged to high income group. The most emotional part was one of the experiences shared by a lady who had got married just a week ago...she said that she had such a luxurious life that her bed alone was of  one lac Rs. She could not control her tears. There were many heartbreaking stories.

The relief efforts were also  carried out in  Dargai, Pir Pai, Mankai,Rasul pur,  Takht bai, Jalala, Jaghra, Jalozai.  We also provided relief goods in camps located in different schools and  factories.  In Pir Pai as well as some other areas families have been settled in houses and are provided rations and cash regularly.

In Pir pai, we have started a weekly Quran class which is attended by a large number of ladies who highly appreciate it. It builds their spiritual and emotional strength and helps them in meeting the intolerable conditions with patience and do not get overcome with stress and anxiety.

ASSISTANCE GIVEN SO FAR

An approx 16000 people have been assisted in various ways. Rs 2.5 million (25 lacs) worth of rations, water, medicines, clothing, utensils, other items of use and cash has been distributed among the people. Donations in kind (Quran, rations, clothes, shoes, bedding, medicines,) are also provided.On a regular basis 600 families are being given rations every month.

 

  

 

  PRESENT STRATEGY: FOCUS ON ONE CAMP

 

• Our team has discovered a much neglected camp, located in the far flung village: YAR-HUSSAIN, District Swabi. It has 25,000 people residing in 3,500 tents with daily increase in number. We visited numerous tents and asked the families about  their problems & short listed them.

• The problems were mainly lack of medicine, no electricity, insufficiency and low quality of food, lack of clean drinking water, summer clothing, shoes, soaps etc.
• We contacted CE WAPDA NWFP  and he responded by immediately sending electric poles & assured us that  electricity will be provided in 2 days time.
• We identified 4 -5 places for the installation of hand pumps to provide them cool drinking water close to their tents, which will be operative in next 3 to 4 days.
• We are working on setting up a water filtration and refrigeration plant worth Rs. 12.5 lac. This will be installed INSHA’ALLAH  very shortly.
• We had 2 sessions of detailed meeting with Mr. Abdul Sattar Edhi in Peshawar regarding this camp’s issue in particular and IDPs in general. He very kindly accompanied us to the camps in order to see the food quality and assured us to provide dry ration in bulk. We committed to monitor its fair disbursement.
• To cater for the day to day material needs of IDPs we have made an appeal to the Relief Commissioner NWFP to allow us to establish a permanent supply center in the camp vicinity, and we have managed to arrange NOC for it. Here our residing surveyor, the area Nazim and our members will identify needs and provide us the information for action.
• Our team of consultant doctors have agreed to visit the camp twice a week as IDPs are dying due to heat stroke, diarrhea, snake bites, pregnancy & skin problems etc.
• We are planning to establish a vocational center for camp ladies, we will provide them sewing machines to keep them busy and also enable  them to earn some money.
• Most importantly, we have started a weekly Quran class which is attended by a large number of ladies who highly appreciate it. It builds their spiritual and emotional strength and  helps them in meeting the intolerable conditions with patience and do not get overcome with stress and anxiety.

  

 

Pictures of Camp Yar Hussain (25,000 plus people)

 

 

 

KARACHI  REPORT

May 20^th – 1^stJune 2009

 

FUND GENERATION THROUGH BRANCHES

13 lacs have been generated and provided to Peshawar Branch. Out of which 3 lacs was specifically for provision of water through water tankers and hand pumps.

Following were also dispatched: 400 unstitched clothes, 32 large bags and 600 women’s stitched suits, 45000 paracetamol injections, 19 large bags of ration, 2 cartons new chappals, 4964 bed sheets, 112 quilts.

Another Rs 3 Lacs have been channelized through the Peshawar chapter of APWA  who have been working in various camps around Peshawar. 1 lakh was used in providing cool water tankers and  2 lakhs in Rations.

Fund is still coming in and some of it is being diverted to IDP’s coming to Karachi.

 

IDP’S IN KARACHI:

The councilor of the area in Korangi contacted us regarding the families who have arrived here and are staying with their relatives.  We identified approximately 150 families initially to assist.

Our group of volunteers visited them on Sunday, 31^st May. They were provided with ration worth 2 Lacs. Each packet contained 10Kg atta, 5Kg rice, 5Kg sugar, 1Kg channa daal, 1Kg mung daal, 0.25Kg tea, salt, 2Kg ghee pouches and washing powder. The pack also contained stitched suits, biscuits and juices. Each family was also given monetary help to take care of their other needs. In addition floor mats, Jai Namaz, towels, utensils clothes and water coolers were provided.

Good work Branches (staff and students) and social welfare Department! KEEP UP THE EFFORT.

May Allah swt accept our effort and provide us relief from this test of our endurance and emaan. Ameen.

 

 

 Future targets

1.      Continue support in areas already targeted.

2.      Provide basic necessities for new born babies and new mothers

3.      Provision of Men’s summer clothes.

4.      Provide medicines for hospitals in Peshawar

5.      Provision of insect repellants

6.      Provide kafan for deceased.

7.      Water filtering plant for the camp.

8.      Find and support families arrived in various localities in Karachi.

 

Welfare for the heart, body and soul

 

وَمَا تُنْفِقُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَلأنْفُسِكُمْ وَمَا تُنْفِقُونَ إِلا ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِ اللَّهِ وَمَا تُنْفِقُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ يُوَفَّ إِلَيْكُمْ وَأَنْتُمْ لا تُظْلَمُونَ

 

And whatever you spend in good, it is for yourselves, when you spend not except seeking Allâh's Countenance. And whatever you spend in good, it will be repaid to you in full, and you shall not be wronged. (Al-Baqarah :272)

 

The welfare support provided by Al Huda is highly personalized and motivated by the desire to please Allah Subhana Watala alone. We always make that extra effort to make sure that the work is done in the best possible manner, aiming for excellence all the time. We are extremely conscious of the the amanaat entrusted to us and we make sure that it reaches the needy instead of falling into wrong hands.Our administrative costs is negligible as most of the work is done by volunteers.

 

On the human level, we try to cater to each individual as a fellow human being, whose material, emotional and spiritual needs are to be met safeguarding his/her self respect. At no time do we lose the focus that we are dealing with human beings, our fellow Muslims in great emotional pain and distress with multiple needs. And the most essential need is to turn to Allah for help, peace, solace and forgiveness,which is why we have started weekly Qur’an classes in the camps to help them to connect to Allah and find solace and solutions in the words of Allah.

 

Insha’Allah, we will continue to support the distressed and the needy in any situation to the best of our ability and resources. We are extremely grateful to Allah to have given us the chance and also our well wishers, staff, students and their families for their continued support without which this would not have been possible.