Dear Friends:
This is Sameena Nazir from Pakistan. I need your urgent attention to our latest update below. Please take a few minutes to read and help if you can. Please also pass on this message to others you know who may be able to help. Thanks.

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UPDATE: Monday, October 16, 2005
Our Pakistani NGO, PODA has sent two teams to the worst hit areas of the earthquake in Kashmir.   

VEHICLE:  Our NGO is currently providing humanitarian assistance to earthquake victims we are looking for a donated vehicle or a used car we can buy for a cost-effective price to increase access to communities far away.

Women's needs assessment
PODA's is organizing an assessment to leave for Muzzafarabad (Kashmir) later this week. This women led team of PODA staff will assess the gender-specific needs of women victims of the earthquake. Due to the reserved social and cultural situation in most of the hard hit areas and due to lack of female social workers in mountain areas, women's needs are not coming out clearly in the relief efforts. We have received reports through our contacts in the earthquake region that women are facing problems telling male doctors about their medical illnesses due to the fact that most of them do not feel comfortable being examined by male doctors and because most emergency doctors and nurses on these site are not equipped to handle women's health issues. In addition, most women are in dire needs of female sanitary items and undergarments. Pregnant women need special care and nutritious food but those left without any male family members are not able to fight their way through huge crowds of needy people that surround air supplies and other relief good caravans. PODA is making this an urgent priority to reach women surviviors and to deliver them their essential needs items and food and to help facilitate medical care for them. Most women are also not leaving to get urgent medical care for themselves because they have children and other family members that are injured and women do not want to leave them. Reports on any HR violations will also be looked into.

Artisans Needs Assessment:
As many of you may know, one of our projects for Women’s Economic Rights is to teach rural women about access to income generation skills. For the last three years, PODA has worked with Kashmiri artisans to teach rural women in our project areas how to recycle paper to make Kashmiri Papier-Mashie handicrafts. All our teachers came from Kashmir. PODA offices in Pakistan are working round the clock to locate and rescue Kashmiri artisans who have worked with PODA and any others who need urgent help.

Last week, PODA sent its first assessment team, led by our senior art teacher, Mr. Afzal Shah to make contact with his fellow Papier-Mashie artist teachers to assess their needs for help and to bring back as many of them who want to take refuge in PODA project villages in low land areas. Mr. Shah left for Muzzafarabad last week and reached the worst hit areas after four days of traveling (normally it takes seven hours). He will return by the end of this week. PODA will host all artisan teachers who may come with Mr. Shah along with their families. We are already identifying host families for them in our project villages.  Our top priority is to help them spend winter in safe areas and to rehabilitate and start their artwork and children's education.

 
MOST URGENT NEED: TENTS
 
The earthquake that hit South Asia on October 8, 2005  (scale 7.6) was the worst for this area in 100 years. The earthquake has devastated human beings and homes in hundreds of miles area. Over 50,000 people are reported dead in Pakistan and over 2 millions are homeless as of today. The worst hit areas are Pakistani side of Kashmir and Himalayan range mountains in Northern areas of Pakistan. These are very difficult areas and it will take some time before all injured people can be brought down to lower grounds. Right now, we need to get help to them wherever they are in the mountains. In 20 days, there will be snow all over these mountains. Those who have survived the earthquake may become victims of snow. The most urgent need right now is TENTS. Pakistan is completely out of tents and a shortage of tents is also being reported in India. We need your help to urgently send TENTS to trapped victims in Pakistani mountains who are living in open air right now. This includes thousands of children, women and elderly.
 

There are two ways you can help:
 
1. If you have a TENT (any size, any kind, used or new) please donate it. If you can afford to buy and donate one, please do.  

    Mail it to:
     
    Pakistan Earthquake Relief
    For PODA C/o Teachers Without Borders (TWB)
    2880 74th Avenue, S.E. - Mercer Island, WA 98040-2635
    Phone: (206) 230-8126

 

TWB, our USA based partner NGO is trying to get a donation of Container Shipment from DHL. The container will leave for Pakistan in a few week most probably by the first week of November to take essential supplies before winter.
 
Please send as many TENTS as you can. We also need blankets and medicines but if you can only send one thing, send a TENT. It is top priority.
 
2. You can make a cash, check or credit card donation to help PODA purchase and deliver essential and urgent items to earthquake victims. Donations are being accepted at
 

 

    www.teacherswithoutborders.org
     
    click on Earthquake Relief

TWB will send a tax-deductible donation receipt for each donation made in USA and will send you documentation for it.
 
Your donations of money will allow PODA to buy and deliver the following urgent items:
 
- Clean drinking water, painkillers, bandage, and disinfections medicines for injured
 
- Children’s medicines for fever, cough, sore throat, baby food items
 
- Women’s sanitary items, medicines for pain, cramps, energy bars, vitamins for pregnant women
 
- Blankets, warm clothes for winter
 
- Phone cards, renting of vehicles to help connect trapped families with relatives and friends in Pakistan and abroad
 
Thank you
Sameena Nazir