Flood survivors’ fantasies come alive at the ‘model’ Nur Goth in Thatta

It has been built by funds from PMA and Midland Doctors Association-UK.

KARACHI:

“My relatives thought I was being deceived. They told me not to come here. My mother said the ‘doctors’ will take my kidneys and sell them off.”

To Manzoor Ali Khaskheli, whose hut in Badin was devoured by floodwater last year, the idea of being handed over his own two-bedroom house with a plush green lawn and even little gate sounded too good to be true. After all, he and his eight children had been living in his brother’s house for over two years. The tiny structure threatened to burst at its seams as the family waited for the government to swoop in. It never did.

“Nobody seemed to care. I lost my shelter and my livelihood. I almost lost hope,” he told The Express Tribune. But the knights in shining armour soon knocked on his door - the Midland Doctors Association UK (MDA-UK) and the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) were building a model village, Nur Goth, in Thatta and the project’s members had come to Badin to do a survey on which families needed relief the most.

MDA-UK has been contributing to charitable works in Pakistan since the earthquake in 2005. It has spent Rs550 million on different projects since then.

After seeing the tiny house packed to the rafters, they offered Khaskheli one of the houses in the village and he promptly left, despite concerns that it was all a scam. When he got there, his eyes which were moist with tears at departure grew wide with disbelief.

The village before him consisted of 100 two-room houses made of red bricks. There would be a school, hospital, an education centre for adults, women’s vocational training centre, computer training centre and community centre. The village would be lit by solar-powered lamps. The Edhi Foundation said that it would run the hospital, The Citizens Foundation (TCF) would look after the school and the Rotary Club would run the vocational training centre.

On Saturday an inauguration ceremony was organised in which the keys to some houses were handed over to their beaming owners. The event was attended by doctors, social activists, and philanthropists from different parts of Pakistan, Washington, Tehran and the UK. Renowned philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi was the chief guest.

MDA-UK’s chairperson Dr Iftikhar Yousif said: “We have ensured that all basic facilities are provided to residents, including a filter plant and modern sewerage system.”

The village is named after a girl called Nur who recently passed away in the UK because of a heart ailment. Her UK-based parents played an important role in raising funds for the model village. Dr Nighat Shah was also instrumental in raising a hefty amount for the project.

Edhi spoke at the inaugaration, saying that “the nation has learnt to help but not politicians,” He said that such projects help people who have been forced to deal not only with the aftermath of a calamity but apathy as well.

Qurban Ali, another flood survivor, also became the proud owner of a house (number E-6) earlier this week. “I have four daughters and wanted to educate them. There are number of hurdles for girls’ education in our areas but these doctors will help my daughters to become like them.”

Ali Akbar Mallah, yet another flood survivor, said he had only two wishes in his life after the floods hit - a shelter and education for his three children. “The village has fulfilled both. It seems as if I am in a dream,” he said excitedly. He was forced to move three times in search of shelter, but it seems as if he will now be staying put.

PMA’s former president, Prof. Tipu Sultan, PMA’s current president, Dr Azhar Jadoon, PMA Karachi’s president Prof. Idrees Edhi also spoke on the occasions.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 16^th, 2012.