Village Journals
Resonate your identity with Naseeb journals. Express your opinions, share your thoughts, post your writings and connect with like minded people through the power of expression.
Resonate your identity with Naseeb journals. Express your opinions, share your thoughts, post your writings and connect with like minded people through the power of expression.
The day the earth moved.
I have a friend who is sstudying in Pakistan. She visited a hospital there and she wrote this article about her experience there and those of some of the people she met in hopes of raising more awareness of what is happening there in Pakistan after the quake. I pray Allah (swt) rewards her for her efforts and relieve the sufferrings of our brothers, sister and children in Pakistan and all over the world.
Peace
*********************************** ***********
THE DAY THE EARTH MOVED
October the 8th will surely be a day to be remembered for some more than others .At around 9am Saturday morning the world literally turned upside for the people in North Western Frontier Province and Azad Kashmir.
These may be names to locations for the rest of the world but to those of us living here and who are in constant fear for another recurrence these places are
realities that we can?t escape.
The quake affected Islamabad the capital which is where I live. Not more than 25 min from my residence a block of flats crashed to the ground in the ten seconds that the quake lasted. For me it was the most horrifying
ten seconds of my life so I cannot even begin imagine what those near the epi center of the quake felt.
The days after the quake has been blurry for many with most people just trying to save as many lives as possible by helping with relief supplies and digging people out of the rubble and trying to assess the magnitude of the damage left behind.
I visited the main hospital in Islamabad the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences.
And the scene was too much for me to bear. I spoke with some victims and the more I did this the clearer it become to me how much help this people need.
Many don?t have even the slightest idea where they will go .Here are some of their stories.
RAZIA GILANI?MUZZAFARBAD (50 YEARS)
This sweet lady with beautiful blue eyes that could tales that we wouldn?t even begin to imagine. She is the only survivor in her family. The rest all perished, 14 in total.
When I spoke to her she couldn?t contain her grief as she explained that she had no idea what would happen to her next. Having all those she held dear to her gone and all that she had ever worked for flattened in 10 seconds.
But what I found really amazing is that despite this tragedy befalling her spirit was still strong. She was keeping her fast or Roza as they call it here in Pakistan and her Faith in God was strong.
In tragedies to these degree human beings usually go two ways. Either to disbelief, blaming God for having forsaken them and having wrecked that kind of havoc and destruction on them. Many times wondering whether he really is Merciful and Kind.
Or for people like Razia all it does is increase their faith. They realize they have not been forsaken but maybe they have been reminded for being heedless in noticing Gods signs. Like so many of us.
After that I went further down to the Children?s ward. Here the pain and anguish in those children?s faces made me breathless. Every time they would scream in pain I would feel a piece of my heart shatter for their
grief. And my utter helplessness to ease it.
I met 4 year old Farout whose family came from Azad Kashmir Bagh district. He lost 12 members in his family. His uncle Munir Ahmed who was talking to us as little Farout slept away the effects of the anesthesia shot he
had been given during the operation held to fix his two broken legs. Munir explained that Farout was playing outside when a block fell from the roof of their house and broke his legs. After which the house itself was
flattened together with everything else.
Little Arusa (which means bride in Arabic) wouldn?t stop crying as the pain in her leg increased. She too had broken her leg. Her harried father trying to calm her would stare helplessly at her as he wouldn?t know what to do for his little baby girl. Little Arusa is in for further shock and grief as she is yet to be told that she had lost her mother and sister in the quake. That awaits her as her poor father wonders how he would break such news to his little daughter who has already been through so much for one so young.
Arusa?s father told us that the condition continues to worsen in his village as the winter sets in. And for anyone who as ever experienced winters in mountainous regions the winter is harsh. They too were from Bagh.
Further down there was cute little Arslan zia whose head was bandaged after the block that was a part of their roof fell and damaged a part of his skull.
Not many of us can imagine how it feels to lose a limb or its function. But, for many of these children this is a reality they may have to face.
Naila, a pretty 15 year old girl is one such girl. Both her legs and her pelvic bone too was crushed under rubble that she was buried under for nearly 5 days.The blank expression which she gives the world I believe masks
a heart that is grieving .And that is filled with more pain than it can bear. She lost her Mum her grandmother 1 brothers and a sister.
But despite all this when I asked her in Urdu how she felt she told me ?tikay? (which means okay) with such a sweet smile on her face that it really did fill my eyes up with tears. It is Amazing the courage these little children have.
Little Lubna is also quadriplegic and the only survivor in her class. All her classmates died on that fateful day. She comes from Bagh which is an affluent area but she like many has been reduced to relying on handouts
from people. Her pain is constant.
Dr. Rabia Shams a Pathologist t the hospital said most of these patients are in severe trauma which is understandable as many of us are still trying to get over the shakes which wrack our bodies which is an after effect from the quake and the impact on us was not to the magnitude that these people felt it at.
She said many were worried for family members whom they didn?t know their whereabouts. She said Balkot and Manserah where places that were in urgent need for spinal and rehab centers.
She said that long term planning for these families was needed as soon as possible As the memory of the quake begins to fade in people?s memories and the help that is so abundant would come to an end.
She said that these rehab centers had to be constructed in their own areas in order to gradually ease them back into some semblance of normalcy. If the rehab centers were to be built in the cities these would later on bring
social ills. Crime would be on the increase and the culture of begging that?s already so popular here would rise.
Conclusion
My heartfelt plea to you is to raise up and help in whatever capacity. If we all supported one family or helped finance some rehab centers not to mention
orphanages we would be bringing some good and joy to these kids lives
So please pass the word to your friends, families, acquaintance, and colleague?s people on your emailing list.
GOD BLESS
Anyone interested please contact me
Rahma Hersi
International Islamic University h10 Islamabad Pakistan.
Mobile number +923005265446
Email [email protected]
Peace
*********************************** ***********
THE DAY THE EARTH MOVED
October the 8th will surely be a day to be remembered for some more than others .At around 9am Saturday morning the world literally turned upside for the people in North Western Frontier Province and Azad Kashmir.
These may be names to locations for the rest of the world but to those of us living here and who are in constant fear for another recurrence these places are
realities that we can?t escape.
The quake affected Islamabad the capital which is where I live. Not more than 25 min from my residence a block of flats crashed to the ground in the ten seconds that the quake lasted. For me it was the most horrifying
ten seconds of my life so I cannot even begin imagine what those near the epi center of the quake felt.
The days after the quake has been blurry for many with most people just trying to save as many lives as possible by helping with relief supplies and digging people out of the rubble and trying to assess the magnitude of the damage left behind.
I visited the main hospital in Islamabad the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences.
And the scene was too much for me to bear. I spoke with some victims and the more I did this the clearer it become to me how much help this people need.
Many don?t have even the slightest idea where they will go .Here are some of their stories.
RAZIA GILANI?MUZZAFARBAD (50 YEARS)
This sweet lady with beautiful blue eyes that could tales that we wouldn?t even begin to imagine. She is the only survivor in her family. The rest all perished, 14 in total.
When I spoke to her she couldn?t contain her grief as she explained that she had no idea what would happen to her next. Having all those she held dear to her gone and all that she had ever worked for flattened in 10 seconds.
But what I found really amazing is that despite this tragedy befalling her spirit was still strong. She was keeping her fast or Roza as they call it here in Pakistan and her Faith in God was strong.
In tragedies to these degree human beings usually go two ways. Either to disbelief, blaming God for having forsaken them and having wrecked that kind of havoc and destruction on them. Many times wondering whether he really is Merciful and Kind.
Or for people like Razia all it does is increase their faith. They realize they have not been forsaken but maybe they have been reminded for being heedless in noticing Gods signs. Like so many of us.
After that I went further down to the Children?s ward. Here the pain and anguish in those children?s faces made me breathless. Every time they would scream in pain I would feel a piece of my heart shatter for their
grief. And my utter helplessness to ease it.
I met 4 year old Farout whose family came from Azad Kashmir Bagh district. He lost 12 members in his family. His uncle Munir Ahmed who was talking to us as little Farout slept away the effects of the anesthesia shot he
had been given during the operation held to fix his two broken legs. Munir explained that Farout was playing outside when a block fell from the roof of their house and broke his legs. After which the house itself was
flattened together with everything else.
Little Arusa (which means bride in Arabic) wouldn?t stop crying as the pain in her leg increased. She too had broken her leg. Her harried father trying to calm her would stare helplessly at her as he wouldn?t know what to do for his little baby girl. Little Arusa is in for further shock and grief as she is yet to be told that she had lost her mother and sister in the quake. That awaits her as her poor father wonders how he would break such news to his little daughter who has already been through so much for one so young.
Arusa?s father told us that the condition continues to worsen in his village as the winter sets in. And for anyone who as ever experienced winters in mountainous regions the winter is harsh. They too were from Bagh.
Further down there was cute little Arslan zia whose head was bandaged after the block that was a part of their roof fell and damaged a part of his skull.
Not many of us can imagine how it feels to lose a limb or its function. But, for many of these children this is a reality they may have to face.
Naila, a pretty 15 year old girl is one such girl. Both her legs and her pelvic bone too was crushed under rubble that she was buried under for nearly 5 days.The blank expression which she gives the world I believe masks
a heart that is grieving .And that is filled with more pain than it can bear. She lost her Mum her grandmother 1 brothers and a sister.
But despite all this when I asked her in Urdu how she felt she told me ?tikay? (which means okay) with such a sweet smile on her face that it really did fill my eyes up with tears. It is Amazing the courage these little children have.
Little Lubna is also quadriplegic and the only survivor in her class. All her classmates died on that fateful day. She comes from Bagh which is an affluent area but she like many has been reduced to relying on handouts
from people. Her pain is constant.
Dr. Rabia Shams a Pathologist t the hospital said most of these patients are in severe trauma which is understandable as many of us are still trying to get over the shakes which wrack our bodies which is an after effect from the quake and the impact on us was not to the magnitude that these people felt it at.
She said many were worried for family members whom they didn?t know their whereabouts. She said Balkot and Manserah where places that were in urgent need for spinal and rehab centers.
She said that long term planning for these families was needed as soon as possible As the memory of the quake begins to fade in people?s memories and the help that is so abundant would come to an end.
She said that these rehab centers had to be constructed in their own areas in order to gradually ease them back into some semblance of normalcy. If the rehab centers were to be built in the cities these would later on bring
social ills. Crime would be on the increase and the culture of begging that?s already so popular here would rise.
Conclusion
My heartfelt plea to you is to raise up and help in whatever capacity. If we all supported one family or helped finance some rehab centers not to mention
orphanages we would be bringing some good and joy to these kids lives
So please pass the word to your friends, families, acquaintance, and colleague?s people on your emailing list.
GOD BLESS
Anyone interested please contact me
Rahma Hersi
International Islamic University h10 Islamabad Pakistan.
Mobile number +923005265446
Email [email protected]