Rug Program begins to Rebuild Homes in Earthquake-Stricken Pakistan

Staff from Ten Thousand Villages Ephrata (Pa.) are working with 12 families in Jared, Pakistan, to rebuild their lives after the October 2005 earthquake rocked their area, killing over 84,000 people.

Yousaf Chaman, Oriental rug consultant at Ten Thousand Villages, Ephrata, visited families in Jared, Pakistan, in April and outlined the needs of the rebuilding effort. This is a joint project of the Ten Thousand Villages artisan group Bunyaad and Mennonite Central Committee.

The village of Jared is located roughly 36 km away from Balakot, the town considered to be the epicenter of the earthquake in northern Pakistan. Here Chaman met with the families who are a part of this program.

“In working with a community leader in Jared, we were able to name 12 families who most needed help and who would be the least assisted by other agencies,” explained Chaman. “These families are the most needy in the community. They not only need homes rebuilt but also need assistance piecing their lives back together after the earthquake claimed their homes and many of their family members’ lives.”

These families include:

• Bewa Bibi Chan Saraj is a mother in her 40’s. Chan Saraj’s husband Misal, a carpenter, was killed in the earthquake. Without the sole wage earner, Chan Saraj is now raising their six children Saima (17), Asad Khan (15), Rustam (14), Naima (11), Adeeba (3) and Mohsan (1 ½) on her own. Their home was totally destroyed in the quake. They are currently living in a structure crafted from corrugated tin supplied to them by Bunyaad before winter. Chan Saraj and her daughter are skilled in embroidery, creating elaborately stitched pillow covers, holiday ornaments and other handicrafts for extra income. Bunyaad will first assist in rebuilding their home and then plans on working with them directly to establish a woman’s cooperative in the area and hopes to launch new products from this group in the coming year.

• Rustam Rehman is a young man of 19 whose parents both died when their house collapsed during the earthquake. Without parents, Rustam is now raising his six siblings Farhat (16), Gul (15), Ghazala (12), Mejeeb (10), Mehfooz (9) and Habib (7). Rustam had hoped that he could take over his father’s job (as many times is the custom in Pakistan for a child to be offered the job of the deceased father), but with only a middle school education, Rustam did not qualify for the job. Rustam and his siblings are living in a corrugated tin and tented housing structure next to their former home, located roughly 10,000 feet above sea level on a sharp incline. In addition to parenting five siblings all attending school, Rustam also cares for his brother, Mehfooz, a polio patient who struggles with many health issues. Bunyaad plans on first rebuilding Rustam’s home and then assisting him with finding a job.

• Fazal Rehman and his family. Fazal Rehman is 48 years old and formerly worked as a laborer in the area. He struggles with his health as kidney problems have plagued him for many years, leaving him unable to work in physically strenuous jobs. His wife, Phool Sitaar is 41 years old and works at home raising their family of six daughters: Hajaran (13), Asam (11), Nadia (10), Tayaba (7), Aamina Rani (6) and Haleem (3). Fazal’s two older single brothers Maqbool and Abdul also live with the family. They are in their 60’s, have no education and work as laborers as work is available. As the earthquake destroyed their family, they now all live in a corrugated tin and tented housing structure. Bunyaad will be working with Fazal and his family to rebuild their home and will assist in job creation for Fazal and his brothers. Throughout the winter and without any power tools or earth-moving vehicles, the family worked together to salvage what wood and stones they could gather from their former home to use in rebuilding.

These 12 families will work together with Bunyaad to rebuild their homes, helping each other and working together until all 12 homes are built.

Bunyaad Pakistan staff are heading back to Jared several times in the following weeks to outline each family’s raw material needs for each home. Rebuilding housing will begin as early as June and hopefully be completed by early fall, before the rains begin to come.

There is much uncertainty for people of Jared. With such close proximity to Balakot, a town now 90% destroyed, the citizens of Jared are uncertain about what the future will hold for their area. With so much of Balakot destroyed, the Pakistani government has decided that it is too risky to rebuild in the town’s existing location. The Pakistani government is looking to rebuild Balakot roughly 15 miles from its existing location. Jared is currently located only 36 km away from Balakot’s current location. If Balakot relocates during rebuilding, Jared will be located farther away from this larger town and its people will have less job opportunities.

“Jared is a town of strong, committed families dedicated to working together to make life work. It is a community with remarkable resilience and unshakeable dedication to their families and their community,” said Chaman.

“The Ten Thousand Villages artisan group Bunyaad believes in long-term, sustainable support. In conjunction with support from Mennonite Central Committee, this artisan group will help rebuild the lives of these 12 families and assist in the revitalization of this community,” 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.

For more information about Ten Thousand Villages work in Pakistan with artisans crafting handknotted 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.