Many months after the 7.6 earthquake struck northern Pakistan on October 8, staff at Ten Thousand Villages Ephrata (PA) continue to work with their rug-making artisans in Pakistan to coordinate long-term relief and rebuilding efforts for those in the affected areas.

“In the weeks immediately following the earthquake, our artisan group Bunyaad in Pakistan gathered together relief supplies for immediate needs,” explained Yousaf Chaman, Oriental rug consultant at Ten Thousand Villages, Ephrata, PA. “Our artisan group collected three truckloads of relief supplies including tents, blankets, powdered milk, bottled water, basic medicines and simple food supplies and drove them to the affected areas.”

Today Bunyaad’s focus of relief is changing. Bunyaad has shifted their relief efforts from short-term needs to long-term rebuilding. “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,” said Chaman.

In keeping with requests from the Pakistan government, Bunyaad Pakistan has adopted four families from the village of Jareed, including 6 children of extended families who were orphaned. These initial four families, all of them woodworkers, will select an additional six families for Bunyaad to adopt. Before the quake, these four families totaled 89 people; now, there are only 44 remaining. These families lost everything in a matter of seconds. Survivors of these families recount the noise of the earthquake and the immediate collapse of their homes and workshops, trapping and killing many of their family members.

“I was at work and had just stepped out of my workshop to stand in the sun for a bit to warm up when the quake hit,” said Ghulam Mohammad. “In seconds, the building just collapsed killing my other co-workers and several family members.” The grandmother of one family recounted stepping outside in her home’s courtyard to get something moments before the quake hit. Seconds later, her home collapsed, trapping and killing her young granddaughter.

So many lives were lost because families were living and/or working in buildings that were not properly constructed and therefore collapsed very quickly, giving people little time to escape,” said Chaman. “Research is showing that if many of these families could have afforded to spend 2-3% more on housing materials, many of the buildings would have stood long enough for many more people to escape before collapsing.”

As part of the adoption, Bunyaad will support these ten families for as long as it takes to get them back on their feet. For now that means immediate distribution of four months worth of food (rice, flour, oil, pulses, tea, sugar, water, etc), medications, blankets, winter clothing, tools, and materials for building a small house. In time, Bunyaad will see to longer-term assistance including education and job training.

"Bunyaad is partnering with Mennonite Central Committee to help these families rebuild their lives and begin again," said Chaman. "We are starting with ten families, yet hope to reach out to include many more. The need is great so we are staying focused on helping as many families in a complete sustainable manner as possible."

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 home, 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.