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Pakistan Visit April 2011: New Homes for displaced families

Updated 11 May 2011

The following article is one of a series of reports of Pakistan Visit April 2011 where Sayyid Aliraza Naqvi, Assistant Secretary General for Islamic Education and Sr. Kaniz Bhimani, Relief Manager for International Relief and Development toured Pakistan’s flood affected areas and visited sites where The World Federation of KSIMC is rebuilding Islamic Centres and new homes for the flood victims.

Disasters rarely give warning and last July, 20 million people across Pakistan lost their homes. It is not uncommon to find these displaced men, women and children living in tents, makeshift shelters and even sleeping under the open sky. We even witnessed one family rebuilding their home using mud and water. What other options do they have?

Thanks to the support of donors from around the world, The World Federation in partnership with Hussaini Foundation has begun building new houses across Pakistan in an effort to remove families from the harsh open sky and into adequate homes.

During our travels, we visited the Village of Walidad Brohi in Shikarpur. The population of this town is 230 people. 22 World Federation sponsored houses have been built here and the construction of another 20 homes starting in April 2011. We had an opportunity to meet Alla Baksh - a much respected elder of this village who was the first Shia Muslim here. During his lifetime, he has converted many people to the Shia faith. Today, his legs are paralyzed. Hussaini Foundation did provide him with medical treatment in Karachi. He too lost his home in the flood and was gifted a new house through The World Federation.

ABOUT THE NEW HOMES
The construction of new homes in Pakistan’s flood affected areas began in January 2011. To date about 2,000 homes have been completed in the South Region, out of which 400 are sponsored by The World Federation. There is a sense of urgency to finish building as many homes as possible as the hot summer season is soon approaching where temperatures will reach 40 to 45 degree Celsius; the people will not be able to survive the heat in their tents.

Our partner, Hussaini Foundation has provided each house they build with a registration number. The registration number corresponds to the homeowner and address. So at any given time, we can track where they have built each house, and who is living there.

CRITERIA FOR GIFTING NEW HOMES
In Punjab, Hussaini Foundation has left it to the village committees to decide who should get ownership of the homes that have been built. In Sindh, usually the widows, disabled and large families qualify first. Homes are also allotted to the Ahle Sunnah families to build stronger ties of brotherhood with them.

HOME FURNISHINGS
Each home that we gift to the flood victims is furnished with beds, stainless steel cooking utensils and dishes to give the families a positive start in their new life.