Rehans Blog -
Day 2 & 3
I vaguely remember my Fajr alarm going off...don't remember getting up :-( Someone left their phone in my room, which started going mental at 7, breakfast at 8 and back on the road for 9AM!I went to Muslim Hands Head Quarters in Islamabad and approved yesterday’s footage and asked for it to be uploaded, put diesel worth 3500 Rupees in the 4x4 and we're back on the M1 to Pir Sabak, which is a heavily affected village. I will be carrying out analysis for the installation of 5 water hand pumps and distributing food packages to 500 families.
1PM, just got into Peer Sabak, I cannot believe what I'm seeing, I have NEVER seen this much destruction
2PM a quick break from distribution to pray Duhr. We then discover that there is a Quran recitation programme at the mosque, so we break further for lunch.
Today’s distribution is at the village mosque. I supplied food to 500 families, very difficult to co-ordinate so many desperate people, we had to evacuate twice and re-establish a point elsewhere. Many people approached me to thank me, but many others also to plead for help. I felt so bad for those that I couldn't help, I felt so powerless. Even found myself rather emotional several times, but as I said during an interview before I left, I'm a practical man, so will do what needs to be done, tears can wait!
Signs of flooding are evident throughout, the water mark is 6 foot above my head...I am told that the Kabul River would have risen over 100 ft to cause this level of destruction. I will walk through the village to the river after lunch.
A walk through the village
If I knew it was sooooo bad, I would’ve worked twice as hard when raising money, most of these homes have got the exterior walls up, but inside it looks like a washing machine, clothes, mud, toys, all whirled together in a muddy soup
A little girl washing her hair in the gutter water, 2 year olds walking around alone, half-clothed, homes being rebuilt by their owners, and they are also helping each other. Again people are asking me for help, these people are alone, they've got no-one helping them, aid getting in is very patchy, charities give enough to drip feed only and keep people dependant. I am so glad that Muslim Hands is giving me 100% of the money; these people need all the help they can get in order to rebuild their lives.
The Kabul River turns right and then runs past this village. When the surge came, instead of following its natural course, it swept straight across the flat plain, I am currently standing approximately 40ft above the river, behind me lie the flat planes of KP, and water damage is visible as far as the eye can see. The bridge across has collapsed, people have been using boats/helicopters to reach a multi-charity camp on the other side. Water level would have arisen over 60 ft to cause the water lines I can see above me on all the houses.
I visited several homes, but the house of the Imam of the village mosque especially sticks in my mind. Clearly an academic, he had laid his sons and his own books across a table to dry, mud occupied the room which was over a foot thick. If the damage to books was reversible, he clearly hoped to achieve the same result with his families clothing, the 'best' suits were the muddy ones hanging slightly higher than the rest.
630pm a bit more diesel, should be at the hotel within the hour. Daira Gazi Khan tomorrow, leave at 8am!
After seeing the ground realities here at Peshawar / Nowshera, we have discussed with Rehman about re-distributing a proportion of our funds. Please see revised expenditure details below:
£2,000 Cash - Available for hand-outs
£18,700 Food and water
£10,000 Medium and Long Term projects
£1,500 Blankets
£3,000 Medicine
£6,000 Tents
£3,846 - Installation of 20 hand pumps across the following 4 villages in the KP District:
Muhib Banda
Momin Ghari
Banda Sheikh
Pir Sabak
And a further 30 Hand pumps across Daira Gazi Khan.
The location of each of these 50 installations will be carefully selected to ensure maximum benefit to the local community.
Rehan
Day 1 -24 September
Left home at 830, the kids escorted me almost to the car! I bought the local newspaper for the long journey, which was kindly running an article about my campaign.
Having booked my ticket last night online, I arrived at Manchester airport rather early! I was not surprised therefore to be the first person to check-in! A personal milestone achieved!
After completing a very speedy check-in procedure at a rather empty looking airport, I decided to grab a quick coffee and cake (the campaign to lose a few pounds can wait). Having bought 2 Terry Pratchett books for the 7 hour flight to Islamabad, I feel semi-ready. Yet I'm beginning to feel a little nervous now; will I be able to distribute this aid to the most needy effectively? Should I have saved the personal costs of travelling out there and donated that money to a charity?? Will Haider be walking when I get back? (He's 10 months and taking his first steps!)
Quick phones call to the parents, sister and the wife, and am now on-board the flight, doors closing and a warning to turn off mobile phones! See you in Pakistan.
Rehan
