Empowering Pakistan’s most vulnerable earthquake survivors

By Fayyaz Ali Khan

Poverty and lack of access to basic life amenities continue to add to the misery of earthquake-affected populations. Even after sixteen months, many families with widows and orphaned children are still haunted by their losses, and struggling to rebuild their devastated lives.

Photo by: IMC

Sidra, age 17, was dangerously depressed over her lack of schooling when IMC’s mental health team met her. She is now enrolled in IMC’s literacy and livelihood program and feeling hopeful about her prospects.

International Medical Corps began working with earthquake survivors almost immediately after the disaster and has helped thousands through its health, water and sanitation, and mental health initiatives. In the wake of the destruction, IMC is reaching out to a population that is considered particularly vulnerable: women whose male family members were killed or injured. Because men are typically responsible for earning a living for their family, while women take care of the house and children, losing a husband or brother-in-law left these women without any source of income. Moreover, the overwhelming majority of women in rural Pakistan are illiterate, so performing even the most basic tasks can be a challenge. Continuing its commitment to sustainable solutions, IMC launched a program in January that combines literacy and vocational training. Besides equipping them to earn a living, the program is designed to empower them to function better on a day-to-day basis.

Photo by: IMC

A literacy teacher leading a session on reading Urdu. Students in the program should be able to read a local newspaper within three months.

Today, 75 women are enrolled in IMC’s accelerated literacy and livelihood course, which will teach women reading, writing, and basic arithmetic, as well as equipping them with vocational skills in tailoring and embroidery. After just three and a half months, participants will be able to write letters, read the local newspaper, and do everyday math calculations, which will equip them with some of the skills they need to run their own small businesses. “What’s amazing about this program is that we are empowering these women both socially and economically, and in such a short period of time,” says Sadaf Anjum, program coordinator.

Seventeen-year-old Sidra has been attending classes for two months. Having lost her mother when she was five years old, Sidra was kept out of school so she could help care for her family. When the IMC mental health team met her, she was in a deep depression and confessed to having contemplated suicide. The mental health team helped get her enrolled in IMC’s literacy course, which has brightened her hopes for her future considerably.

“I always wanted to study but I feared I was too old to go to school,” says Sidra. “But now I realize it’s not too late. I can study no matter how old I am.”