Below are notes from two PTPI Chapters, one in Islamabad, Pakistan and the other in Punjab, Pakistan.
From Islamabad:
(In August 2009, houses of Christian residents were set on fire in the town of Gojra, Pakistan. Learn more at BBC News.)
PTPI’s Islamabad, Pakistan Chapter (Capital Chapter) visited those affected on Monday, 31 August, 2009. We started our journey to Gojra (a small city about 350km south-west of Islamabad in the Faisalabad region of the Punjab Province) at about mid-day and arrived at about 6:00 in the evening. It was a six hour drive.
Members of PTPI's Islamabad, Pakistan Chapter deliver supplies to the residents of Gojra
We were greeted warmly and served with a cup of tea. Right after tea, as per need of the local people, we handed over 980 dining plates, along with 100 Kg of rice and 32 liters of cooking oil. We were taken to the location where the houses were burned and went through the camps. Because the houses were turned to ash, all of the people are living in tents. It is an unbelievable situation. Very few wash rooms have been built for the 100 families living there. The children must stay at home (from school) as they don’t have books and work books.
Residents of Gojra live in tents after their houses were burned down
We met a young man named Baber. Six of his family members were burned in the fires. One church and at least 60 homes were turned into ash. Six died due to the fires and two more were fatally shot. There are many with burns. People are frightened.
They are living in miserable conditions as the winter season is approaching; they need warm clothes and mattresses. Their children need to go to school and need books, copies and necessary stationary.
From Punjab:
(Read recent articles about Pakistan’s Swat Valley at the BBC News Web site.)
I was recently in the northern area of Pakistan, in Swat Valley. Maybe you have heard about the refugees of SWAT Valley. Currently our some of our chapter members are making a budget to donate winter clothing, such as sweaters, for refugees. In coming months it will be very cold there.
For our first step, we are planning to distribute 10,000 winter sweaters among the refugees. The company from which we are planning to buy these products agreed to give these products at cost price i.e, USD $ 3.50 apiece. It is budgeted USD $ 35,000 for ten thousand pieces. The number of refugees is approximately 2.5 million.
Our chapter members have donated approximately USD $ 7,000. The company from which we are buying donated USD $5,000 and some individuals (parents of some chapter members) related to our chapter also donated USD $5,000. We have collected approximately USD $18,000 now, and we are targeted to USD $35,000.
Other recent activities include a student trip to the cultural building “Qila Rohtas“. Our chapter also started a program for grades 11 & 12 (two year program), for free education in APTECH Computer Education. Presently there are five students on the list. They are good students but due to their financial background they had to stop carrying out their education.
On November 9, 2009, PTPI made a contribution via UNICEF to aid in Pakistan Emergency Relief. With the urgent, devastating and complex humanitarian crisis facing civilians there, it is our hope that these funds will assist displaced individuals and help them on the road toward recovery.
