Thursday, December 22, 2005
Week Seven
Chattar Kallas Dec 20th- We are heading back to Thailand, happy with our efforts here in Pakistan despite some extremely trying times.
School and Playground
The school and playground have been completed and are a hit with the kids and parents
alike.Our colourful school painted by the children
has been attracting alot of interest from NGOs, perhaps most importantly has encouraged a local NGO ITA to provide professional teachers qualified in trauma counselling as well as curriculum and school supplies for all children. This is much to our relief as the previous teachers who lacked qualification and had been using questionable disciplinary measures will be made redundant by this move. ITA which is a fantastic group to have on board will also be using the school to host training workshops for both the men and the women with a view to more long term recovery.
Not surprisingly the children are more interested in the playground which has and will continue to provide hours of entert
ainment, a much needed change from playing in the dirt and trenches around the camp. Sanitation
Sanitation, one of our biggest challenges, is at the moment outstanding with many figures from NGOs and the UN commending the cleanliness of the camp.
Camp management
Camp management has improved vastly through the Gora family and Dewan staff cooperating and making improvements where neccessary .
There is a real feeling of pride amongst the Dewan staff, something we all felt was lacking initially. This is a great development as we now feel secure that Chattar Kallas camp will continue to run smoothly.
There is a real feeling of pride amongst the Dewan staff, something we all felt was lacking initially. This is a great development as we now feel secure that Chattar Kallas camp will continue to run smoothly.
Honey and Milk
On our farewell we again bought and distributed honey and milk- the importance of which could be lost on people back home being these items are so taken for granted, however out here a jar of honey and milk for the children ensure a certain standard of life, something these people are definetely deserving of considering the losses suffered and the winter ahead living in an affectee camp. 
Wrapping Up
Wrapping up we are all sad at the prospects of leaving however some of the group will be returning, Sally and Sarah will return late January and Roxanne will be joining them late February.
The focus for returning will be on long term recovery and will most likley concentrate on helping vulnerable persons such as widows generate income and find prospects for the future whether it be returning to villages or reclocating.
We will continue to use this site to provide updates on our return to Pakistan for those persons interested.
The focus for returning will be on long term recovery and will most likley concentrate on helping vulnerable persons such as widows generate income and find prospects for the future whether it be returning to villages or reclocating.
We will continue to use this site to provide updates on our return to Pakistan for those persons interested.
Thankyou
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Thursday, December 01, 2005
pakistan earth quake ground team week 5
Dec 1rst- Chattar Kalas, PakistanOur management at Chattar Kalas continues. With an extra 100 tents granted by the Turkish Red Crescent, we are now sheltering and aiding just about 4000 people in this camp. The number of families expected to arrive in the next few weeks keep rising.
Instilling management into this tent village has been a cultural challenge, a headache. The populaces of Pakistan tell us that their own people are very lazy. They've been used to getting told what to do their whole lives and have a hard time taking initiative. These mountain inhabitants have spent their whole lives far away from each other, in partial solitude, and have been very independent. Now the tragedy of October 8th has forced them all into sardine tight tent villages. Reality is, this is a crisis! Everyone must take initiative. We are showing and encouraging Dewan staff as well as the earthquake victims how imperative it is to cooperate with each other and start working with each other.
Some of the managers of the camp
Sarah: ma
nages sanitation of the camp. Recent outbreaks of severe diarrhea have spawned in poorly sanitized camps and will continue to do so if not properly monitored.
Paddy and Roxanne: head the drainage department working in
collaboration with Oxfam. With the winter moving stealthily in, we are receiving about 4-6 inches of rain a week. This is not much, but tents have already started to flood. With the expectancy of receiving up to 12 inches of rain and snow in the next few weeks, proper drainage in Chattar Kalas is urgent!
Instilling management into this tent village has been a cultural challenge, a headache. The populaces of Pakistan tell us that their own people are very lazy. They've been used to getting told what to do their whole lives and have a hard time taking initiative. These mountain inhabitants have spent their whole lives far away from each other, in partial solitude, and have been very independent. Now the tragedy of October 8th has forced them all into sardine tight tent villages. Reality is, this is a crisis! Everyone must take initiative. We are showing and encouraging Dewan staff as well as the earthquake victims how imperative it is to cooperate with each other and start working with each other.
Some of the managers of the camp
Sarah: ma
nages sanitation of the camp. Recent outbreaks of severe diarrhea have spawned in poorly sanitized camps and will continue to do so if not properly monitored.
Paddy and Roxanne: head the drainage department working in
collaboration with Oxfam. With the winter moving stealthily in, we are receiving about 4-6 inches of rain a week. This is not much, but tents have already started to flood. With the expectancy of receiving up to 12 inches of rain and snow in the next few weeks, proper drainage in Chattar Kalas is urgent!Sally: is coo
rdinating education through social organization. She is in the process of building a transitory primary school that will serve in addition as a community center. This building will school up to 500 students and will hold social weekly activities. (Ninja martial arts, indoor cricket, art classes, and workshops to enable women to make handicrafts to start generating their own income. This building will serve as well as a transit area for families arriving when no tents are yet available, or when tents suffer unexpected misfortunes (flooding, tearing, etc)
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
The UNHCR, which is the chief NGO that deals with refugee camps has reviewed our camp as being one of the best they have seen. Despite UNHCR wanting to eventually close all tent villages to encourage people to go back to their homes, reality remains that many of these mountain people are migrating down to the valleys for one main reason, because they know that they are not and will not be ready for the winter. To stay up in those high and remote areas with no proper shelter is to welcome death. Their only hope is to come down to these tent camps in the valleys
The crew
We have met up with another four incredible hard working volunteers. Dave and Mary Heaton (who some might remember from the Tsunami Volunteer Center in Thailand, Luke Buckmeov and Begonia Lopez Corona, one big happy family.
rdinating education through social organization. She is in the process of building a transitory primary school that will serve in addition as a community center. This building will school up to 500 students and will hold social weekly activities. (Ninja martial arts, indoor cricket, art classes, and workshops to enable women to make handicrafts to start generating their own income. This building will serve as well as a transit area for families arriving when no tents are yet available, or when tents suffer unexpected misfortunes (flooding, tearing, etc)The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
The UNHCR, which is the chief NGO that deals with refugee camps has reviewed our camp as being one of the best they have seen. Despite UNHCR wanting to eventually close all tent villages to encourage people to go back to their homes, reality remains that many of these mountain people are migrating down to the valleys for one main reason, because they know that they are not and will not be ready for the winter. To stay up in those high and remote areas with no proper shelter is to welcome death. Their only hope is to come down to these tent camps in the valleys
The crew
We have met up with another four incredible hard working volunteers. Dave and Mary Heaton (who some might remember from the Tsunami Volunteer Center in Thailand, Luke Buckmeov and Begonia Lopez Corona, one big happy family.
Consequently to the earthquake, market prices have sky rocketed. Basic food and building supplies have at least doubled in price. Locals know that foreigners are here to buy supplies and are taking full advantage of ripping us off. Locals rather make an extra dollar than help a fellow Pakistani from freezing to death this winter. It really leaves a bitter taste in our mouths about this culture. None the less, pulling our funds together we are building the temporary school that Sally is designing, as well as a playground. Responding to the 400 families' needs and requests, we are supplying each of them with 800g of powdered milk and 500 grams of honey, supplies that most NGO's do not provide, but that local natives judge very important. The milk is the little calcium that children will see through out the harsh winter. Honey for these people is seen as a medicinal healing as well as an over all mental and physical reinforcement, very important to survive the winter.
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