Out of sight, but still in their minds

KARACHI: As the second wave of floods threaten Sindh, some solace can be drawn from the fact that relief efforts are being made across borders and oceans.

The Muslim Students Association at Columbia University, New York is part of this struggle to help those affected thousands of miles away. Even though school is closed, students rallied to raise $15,000 (nearly Rs1.2 million) from different fund-raising activities, including going door-to-door, in Muslim communities, mosques and churches in New York city.

“This money will be donated to the great work being done by the Rural Support Programme and the Armed Forces of Pakistan, while the goods we have received will be air shipped,” Taimur T Malik, president of the Columbia Muslim Students Association told The Express Tribune via email.

Across the ocean, in London, four people, Adil, Fatima, Naz and Hammad, decided that they would hit 10 tube stations for donations and collections on Aug 19 at 8:00 am and Aug 20 the same time. The effort, aptly named ‘Tube Collections for the Pakistan floods’, will ultimately benefit the Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC) Relief Fund. They can be contacted on facebook or at [e-mail]. Meanwhile on the home front, Iqra University (IU) is also stepping up its game. University management held a meeting with students to discuss relief efforts for people across the province. “We need to play our part as students,” said IU Registrar Akif Hasan. “We have a platform from where we can gather and make efforts to help those in distress.”

The students have decided to form committees and groups to collect funds and goods, including food, medicines and other things required in the areas affected by the flood.

A call centre has also been set up, where students volunteering for the IU relief camp will work to motivate colleagues and people across the city to come and help them in donations and collections.

Expressing little faith in politicians and leaders of the country, Hasan said that it was the youth who could do something for the millions affected by the floods.

IU has put an option on its website, enabling students to donate online by selecting that option, which allows the amount they wish to contribute to appear in their fee vouchers. “I think it is our religious obligation and national duty to help our compatriots in these testing times,” said an MBA student, Naveed Jalal.

Pehla Qadam (PQ) too is continuing with its efforts to help ‘compatriots’. The campaign that started out as a week-long collection turned into a two-week effort and has now become a month-long camp.

So far the PQ has delivered five-day food supplies to 1,165 families in Sukkur and Khairpur.

“We have also raised over Rs1.5 million in just 10 days,” the group told The Express Tribune.

Their fourth truck of goods will leave for Sukkur on Wednesday, August 18, with supplies for over 450 families.

According to the group, their truck to reach Sukkur this week was the first to deliver relief goods in many of the city’s affected areas, therefore pressing on them the need to speed up the relief effort.

The Pehla Qadam camp will run till the end of Ramazan at the Royal Rodale every day between 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm and 9:00 pm to 12:00 am.

Afterwards, the group plans to adopt a village in Sukkur district and work there as a long-term rehabilitative effort to help people find means of income. For further information, contact [e-mail]

additional input from PPI

Published in The Express Tribune, August 16^th, 2010.