Some of the women of Clifton have had it with the damaged roads outsides their houses and their children’s schools. They went to their union council nazims and administrators, they have spoken to the men who run their building associations and they have written letters to the City District Government Karachi. All they received in return were figurative pats on the back and empty promises.
As empty promises don’t build roads, the women decided that if they wanted the job done, they would have to do it themselves.
For one or two hundred rupees a day these women have found an initial although workable solution to get rid of the potholes and ditches. “We promise the garbage pickers on the road that if they fill up the ditches in an hour or two we will give them cash,” explained one of the women living in Block 5 of Clifton, Muniza Saleem.
The women were surprised to learn that the garbage pickers are usually more than happy to perform the task. They fill up the hole with mud and then top it off with stones and pebbles to secure it. It may be a temporary solution that lasts till the end of the month or the next heavy rain, whichever comes first, but at least something has been done.
Saleem started this alone, she did not ask for anyone’s help, and she did not advertise her idea to the rest of the women in the building. But over the course of three years, that’s how long she has been doing this, her neighbours, other women, began to follow her example.
“If we don’t do this, then who will?” asked Rehana Gulfam. “My husband is part of the government but no one listens to anyone. The best way is to do it yourself.” The ditches and potholes, which suddenly appear out of nowhere when you are driving, make it dangerous to drive at night, especially since the street lights rarely work and oncoming traffic uses the high-beam to blind you. They have also contributed to traffic jams. Gulfam also got the run-around when she went on her own to try and get the civic authorities to help. The defunct union council nazim “understood” their frustration with the damaged roads but he refused to help them because he said he had no funds.
To make matters worse, the roads that the government does build, or the patchwork, is so shoddy that it takes a burst sewage pipeline or rain to wash away the work. “They only allocate a budget to build the road, not to maintain it,” she said she also discovered.
Not all the women ask garbage pickers to fill up the ditches, they offer the job to anyone they see loitering on the street. They explained that the best job is usually done by the street children. In return, the children are promised food and drinks and they work faster than others and do a better job that lasts longer. At other times, they even ask newspaper vendors or errand boys who are employed by the grocery shops nearby to fix the roads in exchange for one or two hundred rupees. “The biggest operation we conducted was when they tore down a building nearby and left behind a pile of rubble,” said one woman. “We went and spoke to the construction workers there and asked them if we could have the rubble. The labourers helped us load it into our cars and transport it to different roads around our houses in Block 5.” The man filled up the patches with the rubble and the women discovered that the ditches remained fixed much longer that way than with the mud and stones.
“This city is ours and so are these roads. Initially I would think the government should maintain these roads,” said Gulfam. “But now I think that it’s best if you clean up the mess yourself.”
Published in The Express Tribune, August 24th, 2011.
COMMENTS (30)
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This is such an interesting story, which reminds one that we can always help ourselves. Great job!
And silly men would keep ranting abt how women can’t drive well.. sigh! Women do what men can’t!!!
This is a really good example of self help which we need to carry out in other aspects in our country. We all complain about trash and garbage in our streets and neighbourhoods, but do we really make an active effort to make sure we do not litter in our streets, bazaars, out the car windows?
@Nadir: although i agree that the children may be under age to work, all children in school not working, is a luxury a developing country like ours cannot afford right now nor can their parents. There is an argument surrounding child labour as well; it is something the developed nations can afford to think about and want to abolish, however, some children may be their family's only hope of income and that's not just unfair its reality in the third world.
ET should rephrase title of this story as "Karachi's women ‘ditch’ govt to get roads fixed themselves". This paper is not being read in Karachi only.
@Nadir El-Edroos: Stop being such an idealist. you live in pakistan. atleast this way they are earning some wages to support their family instead of being unemployed and being tempted to engage in criminal activities.
thats the attitude we need to sort our issues 'lets fix it ourself'.
Bravo! Everyone can learn a little from these women. @ Nadir: You are the kind of person who always looks at a glass half empty! I have never heard a positive comment from you.
@Nadir
So what would you do instead? Let the roads be ditches AND let the poor garbage collectors do what they do everyday, earn bare minimum? Thank you for being a classic example of what we call a redundancy. Words without thought serve no purpose. The next time you pay 500 to a street kid for putting rubble in a road ditch, write what you wrote. Till then, start thinking.
@Nadir El-Edroos: ....this should be considered bonus....as it is in addition to their actual wages they get from the municipality :)
Hameed, that would be sister. :) I don't even know if there is a functional district office here. They must be sleeping.
President Zardari has spent hundreds of thousands erecting security fences, barbed wires, blocks and what not around Bilawal House, but what about the people living around Bilawal House? We are less humans. Seems like all the funds have been used up there. It looks like an obnoxious empty zoo, the "thing" he has created around Bilawal House. It makes one blood boil.
@ S.Mirza, i live in the same block brother and i agree that this block has become the worst block in Clifton after Block 1. Apart from the dug up roads the tanker mafia has started parking all over the place including the main road.
We are the Road Traffic Injury Research & Prevention Centre located at Neurosurgery department Jinnah Hospital Karachi, good initiative by women of DHA, In our research we have observed that underage driving / teen aggresive driving plays a lot of part in road accidents in DHA, will some women come forward and play a part in disseminating or raising awareness on the road safety issues present in DHA? Our women or mothers have a lot to do in keeping our own children driving behaviors in check.
at last there is a ray of hope..i believe in every city there are women and men who are educated and can give a hundered or two to avoid such irrtations near their houses.
while reading this article one thing which came to my mind, that it, what if these initiative and innovative women get proper responsilbilities and they work for the betterment of themselves...for their own children..what if 2 or 3 women take the responsiblity mutualy for one street or one building..and it is practical it can be done..and should be done.... period.
this is an example which tells us that stop crying for help from the numb governments...do it yourself :)
@Nadir El-Edroos: You wont have anything positive to say about Pakistan or its affairs, be it a citizen. People dont even get to earn 100-200 rupees a day even, thanks to her that at least someone would have had earned a day's food or some sustenance.
*"The biggest operation we conducted was when they tore down a building nearby and left behind a pile of rubble,” said one woman. “We went and spoke to the construction workers there and asked them if we could have the rubble. The labourers helped us load it into our cars and transport it to different roads"*
Cars???? :s Seriously??
buhahahhaha
Your use of 'govt' in the headline irks me to no end.
I live in Clifton Block-2. A month back some people who had obtained the NOCs from the relevant district government, dug the entire road outside our apartments to lay some pipes. After that was done, they just left, leaving the huge ditches uncovered, to the point of them being dangerous. After much cry, they came back and filled in the deep ditches with mud. BUT, the question is who is going to rebuild the road outside? Who is going to level the ditches? Who is going to remove the rubble? My mother has renamed Block 2 to the real, "khadda" road now. Many a times, we have considered getting the road rebuilt ourselves, but then if we do that, what is the government for? What function do they serve? Zilch. And what guarantee do we have that after spending our halal money, some Tom, Dick or Harry will not come and break up the road and dig trenches once more? Is somebody listening at all?
Yes, this side of the bridge lacks basic road infrastructure. Apnee madad app is a great rule.
Oh God! Now I can imagine how much one would have to listen to the "power of women" for the coming days on this topic
I laud these women. You can sit back and complain about ineffective governance or you can put your foot down and solve the matter yourself. The latter requires more effort and a certain degree of selflessness (free-rider problem), so I appreciate what these women are doing. I wonder if civil society can by-pass the government and come up with their own solutions and quick-fixes to other commonly experienced inconvenience.
At the same time, we must ask the government why there is so little in the coffer? Where is the tax-payers money going? We must also try to battle the disease of tax evasion, which is surprisingly an activity engaged in by some members belonging to the relatively affluent segment of society.
Very nice piece Maham. It was a good read, especially since it was thought-provoking. I hope this will be the first in a series of articles related to such issues. Keep it up!
Wow..I don't know whch road this was. But a similar miracle happened on the lane in front of my appt. Some women (can't be a man) has filled those holes with those bricks that were lying at the footpath for a park (govt is working on thus park since 2 yrs now). I respect the thought. Thank u super women.
it is heartening to hear stories of emancipation and self-reliance of any disenfranchised portion of society, particularly women. it is even more encouraging that these these stories are not lost in the strains of grander narratives that find it difficult to accommodate outliers. congratulations to both the women who form the essence of this story and the woman who found it worth her while to give the former a voice.
Awesome! We need more women like these. Good story!
I think its brilliant that these women took matters into their own hands. I think we've all had enough experiences to realize that nothing will get done unless we do it ourselves. Clearly our government has better things to do in life so bravo to these women who did what they had to do to get things done. It's good to know that people have started taking things into their own hands and started to improve their city even if it's one block at a time. A very well written article! Good job Maham.
Such a refreshing piece of journalism... well thought-out, researched, and written! As a block 5 resident, I can say that this is a very relavent topic. I will never see garbage pickers, potholes, or women the same way ever again. Maham, I look forward to many more pieces from you.
Errr...this is all very good, but Rs100 or Rs200 a day! That doesnt even meet the legal minimum wage!
They explained that the best job is usually done by the street children. Right, child labour, so inspiring!
Another form of exploitation, just that the pay masters are portrayed as something inspiring!
i ABSOLUTELY agree with Gulfam. The govt is full of blood sucking leeches. We must clean up our own mess and facilitate the public goods through our pockets now. And 3 cheers to the Clifton ladies. A very good initiative. And this article should be an inspiration for others in situations like these, rather than just complaining. Lets be the change we want.
A very good initiative taken by the women. The times are coming when we will be required to do these tasks on our. I agree with Mrs Gulfam.
..and men would keep ranting about how women can't drive well.. sigh Women do what men can't!