CASE STUDY 1:
I am Jaan Muhammaed, living in the village of Murad Ali Gopang, UC Seerani District Badin. The flood of 2022 had a devastating impact on our village, destroying our fields and crops, and leaving us without any source of income or means to survive. It was a very difficult time for my family and me, as we struggled to find food to eat and to make ends meet.
However, thanks to the efforts of the Caritas Pakistan team, who came to our village and conducted a survey to assess the damage caused by the flood, we were able to receive much-needed assistance in the form of food rations. The team distributed food rations to our village as well as three other nearby villages, which was a tremendous help to us during our time of need.
I am incredibly grateful to Caritas Pakistan Hyderabad for their support and assistance during this difficult period. Their efforts helped us to get through a very challenging time, and I will always be thankful for their kindness and generosity.
CASE STUDY 2:
I am Lakhmi widow of Muhammad, who resides in the village of Muhammad Soomar Goth in UC Mir Khuda Bux 2, Taluka Jhuddho, District Mirpurkhas. She has four children, three daughters, and a son. The recent floods had a severe impact on her village, and her house was completely destroyed, forcing them to relocate to an open area due to flooding. Lakhmi and her family faced several problems such as food and water shortages, but the main issue was a lack of proper washrooms and latrines. This lack of privacy was particularly challenging for women, especially Lakhmi, who is a mother of three girls.
Fortunately, Caritas Pakistan came to their aid during this difficult time and provided them with a toilet kit and a tent. They were able to move back to their village and are currently living in the tent provided by Caritas Pakistan while using the emergency toilets provided. Lakhmi is extremely grateful to Caritas Pakistan for their help during their most challenging times.
CASE STUDY 3:
My name is Hakeema and I am married to Ameen. We have four children and we live in the village of Somaar Jutt, in UC Mir Khuda Bux 2, Taluka Jhuddho, in the district of Mirpurkhas. Before the floods of 2022, my husband used to work in the fields, which were our only source of livelihood. However, the recent floods have affected us in many ways. They destroyed our house, our source of income, and our livestock, and left us feeling hopeless.
Every day, I woke up worrying about how we were going to survive. After our house was destroyed, my family and I migrated to the open roads and created temporary shelters. However, this was not enough as we faced cold and other difficulties. We tried to seek help from different organizations, but unfortunately, no one came forward to assist us.
During this difficult time, Caritas Pakistan visited our village. They assessed our situation and helped us fill out registration forms for flood-affected beneficiaries. They provided us with tents that kept us safe and protected from the cold weather. I am so thankful to Caritas Pakistan for their timely support. Thanks to them, my husband, my children, and I feel safe now.
CASE STUDY 4:
I am Zahida, a 40-year-old mother of 7 children residing in Village Shaikh Soomar, UC: Ungar, District Thatta, Sindh. I work as a laborer in the fields, but due to the floods of 2022, our crops and fields were destroyed, resulting in a significant loss of our livelihood. The floodwater covered our entire village, including the main road, causing many diseases such as skin diseases, diarrhea, flu, fever, and cough among women, children, and men. Unfortunately, there are no health facilities available anywhere near our village, so we have to travel far to avail medical facilities.
However, thanks to Caritas Pakistan Hyderabad, a Free Medical Camp was arranged in our village, and a doctor checked us up, providing free medicines accordingly to our diseases. I am extremely grateful to Caritas Pakistan Hyderabad for helping and aiding us when no one came forward to help.
CASE STUDIES OF CIEP PROJECT
CASE STUDY 5:
Fari Farukh Gill is a student at Caritas Community School, Unit No. 10, Latifabad, Hyderabad, and she has a walking disability. Due to her disability, she had to leave her previous school as other students used to make fun of her, leaving her tormented and lacking in confidence. However, her mother, who is also a member of CMT, said that Caritas Pakistan has provided her daughter with another opportunity to continue her education in a safe and encouraging environment.
Fari’s friends at the school help her out when she comes from home and drop her back home after school, and her teacher appreciates her so much. These gestures have made her confident again, and now she is a regular student who is acquiring some great skills in art and drawing. Fari Farukh Gill and her mother are very grateful to Caritas for giving children like her another chance to study and make their country and people proud.
CASE STUDY 6:
Johnson Sultan is a student at Caritas Community School in Hyderabad and is considered one of the most regular and brilliant students. He enjoys studying at CCS because of the fun learning environment, which is very different from the private school he used to attend. The joyful learning methods and techniques are easy to understand and make him feel comfortable. At his previous school, he faced discrimination from other students, but at CCS, the environment is safe, friendly and feels like home.
The center is located within walking distance of his home, which is very beneficial for him. His father, Mr. Sultan, also appreciates the school and said that as they belong to a vulnerable and poor family, they do not have to spend money on transportation, books, stationery, school bags, uniform, notebooks, and monthly fees. Fortunately, they got an opportunity as Caritas opened the center and provided everything for free. Mr. Sultan sees a great change in Johnson, both academically and in his gratitude to Caritas Pakistan for providing such an opportunity for his son to study and make a better future for himself.
CASE STUDY 7:
I am Eva Akram, living in Christian Colony, Unit#10, Latifabad, Hyderabad, and a student of Caritas Community School. I used to study in a public school, but due to financial issues in my family, they could not afford my school fees, and I had to leave that school. As I belong to a vulnerable family, this was a significant challenge for me.
However, I am very grateful to Caritas Pakistan for providing me with the opportunity to continue my education at Caritas Community School. I appreciate the safe and friendly environment of this school, and the teachers teach all the students with different joyful activities and games that are beneficial for me.
Before coming to Caritas, I was not able to read a single word of English, but by studying here, I can read words, and sentences, and even write them. I am very thankful to Caritas Pakistan for giving me this chance to continue my education, which will help me create a better future for myself and my family.
CASE STUDIES OF the WASH PROJECT
CASE STUDY 8:
I am Indra, wife of Kanji and I belong to Arzi Khan Lashari village in Tehsil Shujabad, district Mirpurkhas. Thanks to the WASH session organized by Caritas Pakistan Hyderabad, I have learned a lot about personal hygiene, and hand washing is one of the key habits that has made our lives more secure from diseases. Before this session, I did not give much importance to hand washing, but now I ensure that I wash my hands before cooking, before eating, and after defecation. I am grateful to Caritas for helping me develop this good habit and protecting my family from diseases.
Caritas Pakistan Hyderabad initiated a WASH project in two different districts of Sindh province. During the implementation of project activities, I was found to be very active and supportive in village selection, door-to-door visitation, organizing meetings, and WASH sessions. I am also a member of the village WASH Committee. Caritas Pakistan Hyderabad organized sessions on WASH in our village to enhance awareness and improve our practices toward water sanitation and personal hygiene. They also formed a village WASH Committee for the sustainability of the project.
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CASE STUDY 9:
I am Shiva, daughter of Heerji, a member of the DMC Committee living in Village Manji Khan Lashari, MirpurKhas. Caritas Pakistan Hyderabad initiated a WASH project in my village and conducted several health and COVID-19 related awareness programs. Our WASH committee, including myself, shared the main problem of the lack of latrines and drinking water in our village. The entire community used to practice open defecation which is not safe, particularly for women and children.
In response to this problem, Caritas Pakistan Hyderabad constructed a communal latrine along with a hand pump. These facilities have helped the community a lot, especially women, as they no longer have to practice open defecation. We now feel safe and secure as we have proper space and privacy. The WASH Committee has ensured that they will look after the repair and maintenance of the latrine and hand pump in the future. We are grateful to Caritas for fulfilling our basic and much-needed requirements.
CASE STUDY 10:
I am Dayaram Bheel, a teacher at a community school in Jughto Bheel village, Tehsil Shujabad District Mirpurkhas. I am delighted to work with Caritas as a WASH Committee member voluntarily. This is because during the WASH sessions conducted by Caritas, I gained a lot of knowledge about health and hygiene, which I am now able to pass on to my students and other members of the community. Caritas also provided me with the opportunity to follow up on the knowledge I had gained in my village and assigned me the task of visiting nearby villages and conducting similar good practices, which I did. As a result, I can confidently say that most of the local people and school students are now following personal hygiene practices, and I thank the Caritas staff for building my technical capacity, which has enhanced my self-confidence and facilitation skills.
CASE STUDIES OF THE CBDRM PROJECT
CASE STUDY 11:
I am Jhemi from the village Haji Pandi Khan Zardai in Tehsil Shahdadpur district Sanghar. I am proud to say that I have learned a lot from the CBDRM project of Caritas Pakistan Hyderabad in our village. The organization provided a platform where I, along with the DRR committee, could contribute to the development of our village. Despite living in a male-dominated society and facing cultural limitations, I continued to engage with community development activities and learned techniques in different sectors including CBDRM activities and WASH. I also contributed by imparting the same knowledge and spirit to the community which I learned from the Caritas Pakistan Hyderabad team. I am confident that I played an active role in my DRR committee, and this committee is functional.
Last year, there was a flood in our village and the whole community was badly affected. Our DRR committee made coping mechanisms to drain out water, and we collected money and wheat from the community. We selected the six most vulnerable families and provided PKR. 6,000/- to two widows with dependent families and wheat to four families.
As the monsoon season is just about to start this year, I discussed with my DRR committee to sensitize the community regarding pre-monsoon safety precautions and ensure that all necessary measures are taken to reduce losses during the monsoon.
I am grateful to Caritas Pakistan Hyderabad, which gave me such a platform of a local committee where I gained confidence in a challenging society as a female. I performed my role individually and as a committee member, and the community of my village recognizes my services, which enhanced my dignity in the village. This ultimately inspired other women who remained active in village development work.
CASE STUDY 12:
I am Allam Anthony from Mariyam Nagar, Taluka Pithoro. Caritas Pakistan Hyderabad is working in our village on development and awareness-raising programs. One of the problems we had been facing for many years was the flooding of the main passage during heavy rain, which caused trouble for the community as people were unable to leave their homes. We shared this problem with the Caritas team, and they held a meeting with the community to find a solution. Caritas Pakistan Hyderabad took positive action and concluded that the problem could be solved through a participatory approach.
The earth-filling work was done with contributions from both Caritas and the community in terms of finance, human resources, and moral support. We are delighted that this major problem has been resolved, and flooding will no longer be an issue during heavy rains, which is hugely beneficial for our community. Our entire community is grateful to Caritas for their great help in our village in many ways.
CASE STUDIES OF PROJECT “TO IMPROVE LIVELIHOOD & FOOD SECURITY OF THE COMMUNITIES THROUGH SELF-HELP GROUP OF WOMEN IN SINDH
CASE STUDY 13:
I am Neelan, wife of Kaisru and a resident of Maryam Nagar Colony in Pithoro. Caritas Pakistan Hyderabad has been working in our village to promote food security and livelihood through Self-Help Groups with women. Caritas provided us with training on smokeless stoves, teaching us how to make them, and also provided us with frames to make our own smokeless stoves. This has made my life much easier, as now I can cook two dishes at once, saving me time. The chimney in the stove also ensures that the smoke flies away, so it no longer bothers us or harms my eyes. One of the great advantages I have experienced is that the smokeless stove uses less firewood. In hot weather, we used to travel almost 2km to collect firewood from open spaces, and the firewood would last for 2 days. However, since I have made a smokeless stove, it uses less firewood compared to a normal stove, and now the firewood lasts for 3 to 4 days, reducing my need to collect firewood. I am very thankful to Caritas and Missio for helping us and finding a solution to this problem.
CASE STUDY 14:
My name is Perveen, and I live in Maryam Nagar Colony, Pithoro. Caritas Pakistan Hyderabad is currently working in our village to improve food security and livelihoods through a Self-Help Group for Women. Through this program, Caritas provided us with poultry units consisting of four hens and one rooster.
Before receiving the poultry units, my family used to buy eggs from the market, which cost us PKR 25 per egg. This was very expensive, and we could only afford to eat eggs 6 to 7 times a month. As eggs are a good source of energy and nutrition, my family and I were missing out on this essential food.
Thanks to Caritas and Missio, the hens in our poultry units are now laying eggs, and we can save them to eat every second day. This has helped us save money on buying eggs from the market and has also provided us with a much-needed source of protein and energy.
My children are now getting a well-balanced diet, and we no longer have to go to the market to buy eggs. I am grateful to Caritas and Missio for providing us with the poultry units, which have made a significant difference in our lives.
CASE STUDY 15:
My name is Kastoori, and I live in Maryam Nagar Colony, Pithoro. Caritas Pakistan Hyderabad is currently working in our village to improve food security and livelihoods through a Self-Help Group for Women. As part of this program, Caritas conducted training on record keeping and bookkeeping for our group.
During the training, we learned how to maintain a record of the amount saved by our group. So far, we have collected 18,000/- and continue to save more each month. This has been very helpful to us as we are providing money to people who need it, we are helping them start small businesses that can support their livelihoods. This has had a positive impact on our community, and we are grateful to Caritas and Mission for their support.
I am thankful to Caritas Pakistan Hyderabad for providing us with the training and tools to manage our finances effectively. It has empowered us to take control of our financial futures and support each other in achieving our goal of self-help.