So as I promised myself to take a some relief goods to the flooded areas in Pakistan so with Allah’s and people’s support we at TAG (Tirmizi Action Group) managed to do that. With our teams special efforts we managed to collect over 2,10,000 Rs. worth donations and over 900 Cloths.  I thank those who contributed and trusted me with there money from the bottom of my heart.

on 22 Aug 2010 Sunday we took the relief supplies with this and went to Charsada along with a medical team from Islamic Medical College that was headed by Dr. Mauz Iqbal.

Now we reached Charsada Interchange and right at the edge of Motorway there were a few tents and kids started gathering around the relief truck and started asking for goods. We stood there for a while in order to regroup, but none was going to distribute anything to those guys.

After getting together we moved towards the flooded areas in Charsada (for pictures you can check floods in pakistan charsada ). Now the medical team had some point decided where they were going to hold the camp and destribute the goods. Upon reaching that place I saw that the extent of damage in that place was not that much, 1-2 houses damaged rest everything was pretty much back to normal.

I asked them that I am not satisfied and won’t be distributing the relief goods to these people, that many other families might be in more need and waiting for this.  The langugage barrier proved fatal as we were not able to understand them (phatans / phustu speakers) and they were not able to understand us. However, we started visiting village after village , asking people in the way but everybody was misguiding, reason being that they wanted us to give or distribute the relief goods in their areas.

After a few hours search we were able to find a nice guy who told us that these places haven’t suffered much , the villages near the river are the most effected and the people living there haven’t recieved much aid as nobody bothers to go to those places. We requested him to join us and fortunatly he agreed and we started our journy towards those places.

After an hour of traveling we reach the village tarnaf that was almost wiped off by the flood. All the houses damaged and people were forced to live in tents. Tents were also very short in numbers so in one tent we saw multiple families. 

We distributed the relief goods to them, the colony consisted of 48 tents, after distributing goods here we went to two other camps before coming back home. We reached back home at 1:00 am but all were over satisfied with the efforts and results.

Now the reason for me to share all this was to guide or warn about the problems that could be faced.

Good :

1. I love the fact that people specially youth is so receptive about the whole thing and are participating by all means.
2. People instead of fighting or differences are coming together for one cause.
3. Youth has felt the responsibility and many are taking action.

Bad:

1. Many of us we still don’t contribute or participate because of trust deficit.
2. Many of us make excuses that we have given already. With the damage of such magnitude no matter how much you could give still there would be need for more .. so be generous give out as much as you can or as little as you can, but keep giving.
3. Large number of audience they want to do something but don’t know what to do or how to contribute and end up doing nothing.

UGLY:

1. Because of the relief goods are free and with prevailing inflation, many of the poor class has started to pose as affected and started collecting relief goods. I saw many camps right outside the Charsada Interchange and on investigation and research I found out that those are normal guys who now just got hold of a tent and moved here and are now collecting relief aid from every passing truck. Those are not flood affecties but normal poor class and street beggers.
2. The relief goods that is collected , packed and transpoted but still most of it doesn’t end up with deserving people. Many of the convoys carrying the goods when they reach the effected city they come across some tents or people who pose as needy and flood effected , so these guys distribute the relief goods to them, without much research. The need is to research a bit move about in the effected area , preferabally move away from the city into villages cause those are the areas where not many focus so deliver the goods to them. Everybody would misguide in hopes that the relief goods would be distributed in there region , but responsibility would fall on the guys who are managing these convoys.

I hope we could help our brothers and sisters in need and end there sorrows.  Know it the destruction of such magnitude the situation won’t improve in matter of weeks it would take months to rebuild, so in that time you have to keep sharing and contributing as much as you could.

In my next post I will write about how easy it could be to help !!!! The solution is in front of us if only we want to see ..

- Tirmizi