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PROGRESS
REPORTS
- (for PDF version Click Here)
REPORT
FOR JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2006
BACKGROUND
At the outset of November the official death toll resulting
from the massive earthquake in Pakistan at 0855 (local) on Saturday
8th October 2005 measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale was declared
to be more than 73,000 (plus 77,000 injured) with many unofficial
estimates putting the casualty total in excess of 85,000. The
number of homeless survivors is assessed at 3.3 million, with
over 4 million people affected by the disaster. In broad terms,
the principal impacted regions (i.e. up to 95% of buildings
demolished; electricity, water, communication and food supply
infrastructure destroyed) in North West Frontier Province and
Azad Jammu Kashmir lie northwards of Abbotabad, embracing Mansehra,
Muzaffarabad, Balakot, Batagram and the similarly named areas
beyond, where many remote communities are inaccessible except
by helicopter.
I-LAP
INITIATIVES IN EARTHQUAKE RESPONSE
This earthquake is said to be the most powerful to hit the region
in 100 years, is feared to have killed and injured thousands
of people and caused massive destruction in northern Pakistan.
I-LAP from in its inception has tried its level best to help
people in time of need and emergency. Looking at this vast devastation
I-LAP and its disaster response team had reached in the earthquake
hit areas on the very day. Observing and assessing the situation,
I-LAP has initiated emergency response and launched a participatory
strategy to help people at the best level. I-LAP strategy remained
as followed:
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Rescue
-
Emergency
Relief Distribution
-
Provision
of temporary shelter
-
Need
Assessed Relief Distribution
-
Rehabilitation
-
Reconstruction
Above
mentioned major activities were the strategic processes to respond
the earthquake affectees. All of these are continued except
the reconstruction because INGOs as well as Government of Pakistan
is a bit reluctant to take the decision about reconstruction.
There are three major projects going on in District Mansehra
Tehsil Balakot. These projects were initiated by looking at
the need and feasibility of them.
1.
EDUCATION
It is said and noticed that the majority death toll rate consist
of little children who were in the school busy in getting education.
A few of them died and some were injured. The educational infrastructure
is either completely collapsed or damaged and cracked. Children
are very much afraid of the situation and have great fear due
to devastation and aftershock. Parents of the children are very
much worried and upset to see their children's future at stake.
In this connection I-LAP-KNH have already worked by opening 02
Child Friendly Learning Spaces in District Mansehra and got
a healthy and encouraging appreciation from the community, parents
and children. Following were the major activities remained in
the month of January and February 2006.
MAJOR
ACTIVITIES
-
Organized
a mega "Eid Milan Party" program for the learners
of CFLS with the concept of "life would smile once again"
in Shohal Najaf Khan - Balakot
-
Eid
gifts were distributed among all the learners of CFLS on the
eve of Eid-u-l Uzha.
-
Identified
three new areas to open up Child Friendly learning spaces
-
Conducted
surveys in the identified areas to get information about the
locale, children and destruction
-
Organized
parents meeting to get to know about the learners
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Prepared
play ground for the learners in Shohal Najaf Khan - Balakot
-
Installed
cradles, slides and other means of games for the learners
in Balakot and Garhi Habib-u-llah
-
Installed
02 big winterized and water proof tents for Computer Centre
at Shohal Najaf Khan - Balakot and Batsing - Garhi Habib-u-llah
-
Identified
the learners for sewing centers at Shohal Najaf Khan - Balakot
and Batsing - Garhi Habib-u-llah
-
Established
02 sewing centers at Shohal Najaf Khan - Balakot and Batsing
- Garhi Habib-u-llah
-
Identified
well qualified and well experienced instructors for the sewing
centers
STATUS
OF CFLS
So
for, I-LAP has established 02 CFLS in Balakot and Mansehra District
Mansehra where children are provided a friendly learning environment
to get them out from trauma and fear. Children learn by playing
games and playing roles. I-LAP has provided them basic facilities
and entertainment facilities so that the children involve themselves
in getting education and get used to come school regularly.
EID
MILAN PARTY
Interfaith League against Poverty - I-LAP and Kinder Not Hilfe
- KNH celebrated Eid Milan Party on January 21, 2006 in Balakot,
one of the severely earthquake hit area. The program was celebrated
for little kids of I-LAP-KNH Child Friendly Learning Spaces which
were located in Balakot and Garhi Habib-u-llah. The program
was aimed to share the happiness, joy, love and bring the life
back. About 250 learners attended the program. They sung songs,
made speeches, shared their sentiments and grief through performing
skits and tableaus. Representatives of different international
as well as national organizations came to promote the concept
of "life would smile once again" and appreciated the
excellent performance of toddlers. Parents of the little kids
were very pleased to see their little sweethearts smiling once
again, dancing, singing, and having fun.
Talking
to little kids, INGOs, NGOs and parents the Chairman
of I-LAP Mr. Sajid Ishaq thanked all children, representatives
of INGOs, NGOs and parents to come and become the part to utilize
the concept of the program. He also appreciated children and
parents for their bravery, hope to live again with high sprit
and facing this killer earthquake patiently. He told the participant
that I-LAP mission is to work irrespective of caste, color, creed
and language and promote interfaith harmony, religious tolerance,
peace and ethnic conflict resolution.
In the end of the program, Touseef Haider - Consultant I-LAP
hosted the program. Sajid Ishaq, touseef and Guests distributed
prizes among the winners and the participants of Child Friendly
Learning Spaces. They were given cups and gifts. Shields and
bouquets were awarded to the respected and honorable guests.
DETAILS
OF NEWLY IDENTIFIED AREAS FOR CFLS
Looking at the experience and appreciation of local people I-LAP
identified some other areas to establish other CFLS for little
children. Following is the detail of identified areas:
DAMGALA-BASIAN
-
Total
estimated population of the target area is 3000.
-
Total
estimated Household of the area is 300 other then migrant
people living in the area.
-
Site
Selection is done along with measurement of the specified
site for the child friendly learning space center.
-
Education
Committee has been established with 5 respectable members
from the community and they decided to solve all the relevant
problems related to the education affairs and other problems
such as water, electricity.
-
The
list of the children of the area has been taken from the community
along with other community members of the community.
-
Total
Populations of the area: 800
-
Total
Household of the area: 90 other then migrant.
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Site
Selection for the CFLS is under process.
-
Total
population of the area: 1500
-
Total
Household of the area: 150
-
The
site of the Pamaira village is to be visited on Friday 17,
2006.
-
The
local villagers approached I-LAP staff in Shohal Najaf Khan
and requested to start the school.
TENTAGE
VILLAGE
The
number of Internally Dispersed People - IDP was great who were
affected by this massive earthquake. Looking at the number and
conditions INGOs as well as NGOs decided to accommodate them
in tentage village and provide them the best environment and
basic needs for survival. In this connection I-LAP established
a tentage village in Shohal Najaf Khan - Balakot. All the people
targeted for the tent village were either the remote up hilly
areas or whose houses were completely destroyed and had no alternative
residency. IDPs who were accommodated in this tent village were
inhabitants of:
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Shohal
Najaf Khan
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Narran
-
Kahgan
-
Gunhoor
-
Soch
-
Derseri
DETAILS
OF TENTAGE VILLAGE
-
Total
Number of Tents: 44
-
Total
Number of Families: 44
-
Total
Number of Beneficiaries 231
-
CGI
Tin Sheets Boundary Wall
-
-
-
Water
Filter Tank (For three Hundred Families) 01
-
-
Play
land for children 01
Distribution
food and non food items after 10 days. Food items Include:
MEDICAL
CAMP
On February 16, 2006 I-LAP organized a one day medical camp
for the IDPs of I-LAP - KNH tent village in kind collaboration
with GAN - Global Aid Network. GAN team consisted 01 surgeon,
01 physiotherapist, 01 eye specialist, 03 physicians and 06
lab assistants. GAN medical team checked up the patients and
treated them. Medicines were also distributed among them.
SEWING
CENTERS
Due to this Killer Earthquake people have lost every thing,
which includes lives, infrastructure and livelihood. They
have not any means of production to generate income and live
life happily. Looking at the currant situation, inhabitants
of the community are strongly committed to relive and re back
their life once again. In this connection I-LAP has established
sewing centers in Shohal Najaf Khan - Balakot and Bating Garhi
Habib-u-llah to provide an opportunity to generate their income
and maintain their households in this time of need and crisis.
TARGETTED
AREAS FOR THE SEWING CENTERS
1. Shohal Najaf Khan
2. Batsing - Garhi Habib-u-llah
Shohal
Najaf Khan
As stated earlier there was a great need to provide an opportunity
to the local women to enhance their capacity and utilize their
skills to better earn and enhance their income. I-LAP installed
a big winterize and water proof tent and targeted 35 female
learners. I-LAP has identified a local female instructor who
is well experienced and teach them the skill of cutting and
sewing the cloth. Interest of the learners is very good and
they are also learning effectively.
Batsing
- Garhi Habib-u-llah
Same methodology has been used in the Batsing to identify
the need of sewing centers and interest of the females to
learn the skill. I-LAP identified 40 learners and 01 instructor
to train them about this skill. The learners of this center
are very interested to learn the sewing work. Instructor teach
them cutting, sewing and others techniques related to sewing
cloth.
FUTURE
PLANS
-
Establish
05 CFLS in DAMGALA-BASIAN, KHAWAS, PAMAIRA, KAWAI and AJK
-
Establish
02 Adult Education Centers in Shohal Najaf Khan - Balakot
and Batsing Garhi Habib-u-llah
-
Establish
02 Computer Centers equipped with latest technology in Shohal
Najaf Khan - Balakot and Batsing Garhi Habib-u-llah
-
Establish
Industrial Home In Najaf Khan - Balakot
-
Conduct
examination in CFLS
2.
SHELTER
Eye
witnesses of the earthquake are of the view that the life
scenario has been completely changed. They have no homes to
reside, no place to protect their luggage and cattle and no
school for children to give education. Every thing has been
either destroyed or damaged. Due to this huge devastation
they are facing lots of problems. The nature and kind of problem
varies from sex to sex and age to age.
I-LAP
staff along with its volunteer's team conducted a survey of
different villages of Balakot to asses the need of temporary
shelter. I-LAP staff met the resource persons of the respected
areas to collect the information regarding the temporary shelter.
I-LAP team organized the indigenous group meetings for survey
analysis with the resource persons and identified the names
of the villages. In every area focus group discussions were
conducted to collect huge information about the model, size
and way of the temporary shelter. During FGD, I-LAP discussed
the respective members of the community about the different
shelter models, showed them pictures, and shared them the expenditure
which would be used and the size of the tin sheet. Its was on
the agenda of the survey to locate those communities and people
who are far away from the city and have immediate need of temporary
shelter.
Three
teams of three members in each area were formed to conduct
the survey in an organized and systematic way. In every team
there was a group leader who was responsible in front of the
team leader. They went door to door, house to house and family
to family to observe the actual situation. The group leaders
filled questionnaires and after filling the questionnaire
group leader issued a coupon to the identified needy family.
The coupon means the family is conformed for temporary shelter.
After
identifying the families I-LAP selected some local literate
persons to work with I-LAP on the voluntarily basis. With their
help, different teams from with in the inhabitants were formed
to better manage and finish the project on the targeted date.
The teams were:
-
-
Identifying
skilled as well as unskilled labor team
-
This
method was, though, time taking and tiring but was appreciated
by the local people and other humanitarian organization because
this procedure provided the information and helped to identify
the neediest one
STATUS
OF TEMPORARY SHELTER
Targeted Areas:
3. CASH
FOR WORK
Economic activities in the affected areas were totally halt
due to the earthquake because the killer earthquake had destroyed
infrastructure, lives and all the source of income generation.
The entire livelihood activities were halted as none of the
income resources was in progress. People working in the different
offices were jobless as no single building was worth using.
Many of the people were working in other cities of Pakistan
and they had to rush back to their homes and due to the condition
after the earthquake they were unable to continue their jobs.
In agricultural prospect it was an up hill task to cultivate
the crops and vegetables due to deficiency of water and other
agricultural machinery. Looking at the said scenario I-LAP
determined to help people and provide them an Initiated "Cash
for Work" project in the earthquake affected areas. I-LAP
identified the areas and talked to people about this concept
and told them the advantages and profits of this concept if
it is utilized. So for I-LAP has targeted the following areas
and activities regarding Cash for Work Project:
Targeted
Areas
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Water
supply in Batrarah Completed
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Temporary
Shelter Structure installation in Khawas Completed
-
Debris
Cleaning in Upper Narrah in progress
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Debris
Cleaning in Rattar Completed
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Debris
Cleaning in Maidan Completed
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Debris
Cleaning in Garan in progress
-
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Total
Number of streets cleaned 30
-
Estimated
measurement of the street 1800 sft
-
Total
number of areas to be targeted 06
-
Total
Number of Households 1637
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Total
Number of Direct Beneficiaries 3967
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Total
Number of streets cleaned 30
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Number
of streets to be cleaned 60
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Total
number of labor employed (area wise) 60
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Open 05 more Child Friendly Learning Spaces in NWFP and
AJK
-
Establish
Industrial Home for women in Balakot where they could learn
live skills as well as earn their livelihood
-
Reconstruct
10 primary schools in different areas
-
Reconstruct
X number of houses depending on available funds
-
Continue
working in these areas on Rehabilitation such as:
a. Child Protection
b. Micro-Finance
c. Education
d. Peacebuilding
e. Infrastructure
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