Over six months after the 7.6 earthquake struck northern Pakistan in October 2005, staff from Ten Thousand Villages Ephrata (PA) are in Pakistan working to coordinate long-term relief for those in the affected areas.

Yousaf Chaman, Oriental rug consultant at Ten Thousand Villages, Ephrata, is working with Ten Thousand Villages artisan group Bunyaad in Pakistan to create the second phase of relief efforts for families in the affected areas. He is traveling in Balakot, Manserra and plans to continue onto Jareed later this month once the weather improves.

In conjunction with Mennonite Central Committee, Bunyaad has adopted twelve families in the village of Jareed. These families were chosen because of their great need and their limited access to other help. This second relief phase involves assessing each family’s need and arranging for assistance in these areas. This includes building long-term homes, helping in job creation and much more.

“In the weeks immediately following the earthquake, our artisan group collected truckloads of relief supplies including tents, blankets, powdered milk, bottled water, basic medicines and simple food supplies and drove them to the affected areas. We’ve helped to build more stable, corrugated tin temporary housing to adequately shelter families during the winter. Now we’re moving into the second phase—long term rebuilding,” said Chaman.

Bunyaad is partnering with Mennonite Central Committee to help these families rebuild their lives and begin again. Although starting with twelve families, the plan is to reach out to many more while still staying focused on rebuilding in a complete, sustainable manner.

“Bunyaad believes in long-term, sustainable support. This is the mission of Bunyaad in their rug making and it continues to be their focus in the midst of this tragedy,” he said.

Ten Thousand Villages works with over 850 families in over 100 villages throughout Pakistan. A large number of these villages are located near the Pakistani Kashmir border, both in northeast Pakistan as well as in the Northwest Frontier Province. These families knot the handknotted Oriental rugs marketed through Ten Thousand Villages.

“Due to the conflict between India and Pakistan, many businesses and industries do not set up business in this area but Bunyaad has been working in this region for many years,” said Chaman. “Our artisan group in Pakistan creates jobs to those who need them most. This keeps people in their communities, developing their homes, creating infrastructure from a grass-roots level and keeps the history of this region alive. The history of this region is knotted into each rug here at Ten Thousand Villages.”

For more information about Ten Thousand Villages work in Pakistan with artisans crafting handknotted Oriental rugs and the earthquake effects in this region, please contact the Oriental Rug Room at Ten Thousand Villages, Ephrata, at 717-721-8800, or via email at info@rugs.tenthousandvillages.com.