Salaams and greetings to everyone that visits this page and can make a donation- big or small- but preferably BIG!!!.

With the Grace of God, Sajid and I travelled to the flood affected areas in North-Western Pakistan on the 27th of August for one week to help with the relief effort on the ground with the Doctor's World Wide Team, Our team consisted of about eight British doctors from various backgrounds, including general practice, Infectious diseases, and orthopaedics, with local dispensers and doctors also helping with the effort. Any non medics were responsible as logistical volunteers, helping with inventory, and day to day stocktaking of medicines and dispensing as they were required.

We oversaw the running of two separate clinics where we were seeing an average of 200-400 patients a day, set up in disused governmental buildings. Seeing that there were two female doctors, one available at each of the clinic sites, (one in a village called Pir Sabaq, and one in a village called Ghanderi) was welcome relief to the local women- many of whom had gynae problems that they would never share with a male doctor due to their cultural background. News spread fast and we saw many women and children between us. 

 It was a drop in the ocean of help that was required for the ongoing devastation you could see on the news. We kept a video diary, and took plenty of pictures of the projects that were implemented via the money that you helped to raise- we're in the process of converting the video files to a format that is easily loadable on this page. Some of the  pictures of the work we are trying to do out there are already up, and we will continue to try to raise the plight of these people, and the catastrophic effect of the floods for you to see what is actually happening.

The NO 1 priority was to provide clean and safe drinking water- MSF were on the ground bringing water tanks daily, but a long term project that we supported with the money you all helped raise was to clean out the existing wells and to dig out new ones in the outlying villages so the local population could rely on their own continuous natural supply instead of waiting for water tanks to come by. This was directly linked to the benefit of the patients attending our clinics as a result of disease related to contaminated water supplies.

We saw patients with cholera, malaria, typhoid, and in rarer cases, suspected TB. There were many patients that were dehydrated secondary to diarrhoea and vomiting and many skin infections in young children as a result of exposure to the flood waters.

We also allocated a large proportion of the funds to food distribution programmes where we had a chance to 'give with our own hands' as you can see from some of the pictures. These were very rewarding programmes that were replicated in many of the surrounding villages and tent cities- hundreds of which we saw on either side of the Nowsherra highways. Hot food was to be provided up to the end of Ramadhan, and any remaining funds received after this would go towards packed food parcels- to provide families with the basic food stuffs to cook their own meals.

Part of the money went to help rebuild the local school that was destroyed in the floods, as we thought that education was also key to the ongoing development of the surrounding communities.   

 As the winter months approach, the residents of these tents cities would be exposed to the harsh cold of the North-West region. We allocated a proportion of the funds towards warm clothing and blankets for the neediest families. These were identified by the local aid workers that were familiar with the villages, in order for the poorest families to be recipients for these items.

This is an ongoing project and we are truly blessed to have had this humbling experience in order to bring relief to some very needy families. We were so touched by the sheer determination and resilience of these people- many of whom had been afflicted with hardship only a few years back during the earthquake. As you can see from the pictures, they still manage a smile for us, even though they have nothing.

We got back to with a new found determination and intention to continue to take part in aid work long term, and not forget these people whilst we all live in the comfort of our homes- which are palaces in comparison to the homes of these people.

We both want to thank everyone for your beautiful donations and words of kindness that you have written. We hope you will all continue to take part in our efforts and revisit this page from time to time to see where your money has been spent and the rewarding and lasting effects that that has had on the people of .

Love and Prayers,

Sajid and Shameela   

PS: We will keep you posted on events on the ground- for further updates, please visit the Doctors World Wide website at www.doctorsworldwide.org.

Please donate generously- remember that we sit in the comfort of our homes, with our families around us. These people are destitute, and are relying on international aid. Let us exceed all targets, God-willing, and try to bring some comfort to all those families sitting out in the elements with nothing to their names.

Love and prayers for all- Please remember us in your prayers!

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