ASIA EDITION - May, 2013
PARTNERSHIP
Dedicated to alleviating the suffering of the world’s poorest people
Benefiting the most marginalised and at-risk communities
What’s Inside ... Editorial Promo ng gender equality in Afghanistan By Muhammad Haseeb Khalid haseeb.khalid@irp.org.pk
Responding to emergencies, strengthening disaster response systems, improving food security, empowering women, provision of clean water, healthcare, boos ng self‐esteem of orphans, making people self‐ sufficient, finding durable solu ons to benefit the less priviliged, mobilising the resources, knowledge management and leading the humanitarian aid actors are a few glimpses from Islamic Reliefs' Asia chapter. Over the years, Islamic Relief (IR) has been working in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka and responded to the immediate needs of the most deserving communi es. The frequent disasters, changes in climate pa ern and man‐made altera on of natural se ngs have contributed to horrendous situa ons and challenges are becoming more threatening day‐by‐day. These challenges are making poor communi es more marginalised than before. Islamic Relief has chalked out its plans and strategies not only to provide relief to the poor but we are more focused towards making the communi es resilient and working in partnership with the marginalised groups to make this world a be er place to live. Islamic Relief Asia Newsle er is an opportunity to capture our successes and voice the unheard of those to whom we serve. A few of our news items from the field are showcased here presen ng the opinion of IR right holders about its interven ons.
Photography: Islamic Relief Graphics: Haseeb Khalid & Hamid Hashmi Cover: Nasir and Sabarullah get relief items at a distribu on point in village Tachaap, Mashkel district of Pakistani Balochistan which was badly hit by the earthquake in April, 2013.
IR Afghanistan elected Co‐chair for FSAC
Clean water for Kabul Province
IR Bangladesh strengthening disaster response
Lessons learned workshop held
Enhancing livelihood opportuni es in Indonesia
Emergency relief a er Balochistan earthquake
Health screening benefits school‐going children in Sri Lanka Partnership ‐ Asia Edi on ‐ May, 2013
Promoting gender equality in Afghanistan
Islamic Relief is working with local and interna onal organisa ons through cluster groups to share and promote gender equality ini a ves, providing necessary support and working to empower the women in Afghanistan. Based on a project in central Bamyan which provided 900 women with basic literacy and numeracy, Islamic Relief has expanded its interven on to the remote and mountainous Waras district where 900 women are ge ng home‐based educa on. Over the next two years another 900 women will be enrolled each year bringing the total to 2,700. In addi on to being taught reading, wri ng and mathema cal skills, the par cipants learn about health and environmental issues, HIV preven on, substance abuse, hygiene and running a business. The project also raises awareness about women's rights and the dangers of child marriage. The women selected for this programme had no formal educa on and were illiterate. Islamic Relief has also established a women's community organisa on to offer long‐ term support for home‐based educa on.
Last year, Islamic Relief ran this project in the Bamyan province. Previous par cipants are now able to read, write and do basic calcula ons. These skills have a direct impact on their lives, enabling them to read bus signs (some women had ended up in the wrong village when travelling), read their child's medicine instruc ons, and count their change at the local market. One woman said that before this course when I went to the market I was like a blind person. One of the key successes of this project is realising the importance of educa on and right holders of the project are commi ed to ensure their children – boys and especially girls ‐‐ go to school. Last year, 40‐year‐old mother Momina took part in our home educa on project in Bamyan. She explained, this was the first chance women in my area have had the chance to receive an educa on. It will allow us to improve our lives, calculate our family income and expenses and help our children at school.
IRA elected Co-chair for FSAC On 28th April at the Food and Agriculture Organisa on (FAO) office, the NGOs and INGOs working in Afghanistan elected Islamic Relief as a co‐chair for the Na onal Food Security and Agriculture Cluster (FSAC). Based on its contribu ons and its ac ve par cipa on in the seasonal livelihood assessments, cash transfer mechanisms, gender issues, integrated food security phase classifica on (IPC) and its commitment to agriculture, IR was elected for this posi on. Islamic Relief has been working on food security and agriculture for over two decades and has helped farmers improve their livelihoods by impar ng various training, distribu on of seeds, construc ng irriga on channels and retaining walls to prevent flooding. Fadlullah Wilmot, Country Director IRA said as Co‐chair FSAC, Islamic Relief will contribute in effec ve humanitarian coordina on of food security and agriculture response in Afghanistan to benefit the vulnerable communi es and bridge the gap between the relief organisa ons
Partnership ‐ Asia Edi on ‐ May, 2013
Clean water for Kabul province
Fadlullah Wilmot, Country Director IRA. Photo IRP “IRA will contribute in effec ve humanitarian coordina on to benefit the vulnerable”
Islamic Relief has finished installa on of 58 tube wells in Kabul province, bringing clean water in one of the most densely‐ populated areas of Afghanistan. According to UNICEF, diarrheal diseases account for more than half of all child deaths in Afghanistan. Huge numbers of these diseases are reported every week, most of which are caused by contaminated water sources. Access to safe drinking water in Afghanistan is very poor, in both urban and rural areas. Around 68 per cent of people in Kabul province don't have access to drinking water, partly due to cyclical droughts that keep hi ng the country. Worst‐hit are rain‐dependent communi es, whose only source of water is rain. These communi es rely on rain to water their crops and collect it for drinking and domes c purposes. Most rural Afghani villages have never had access to a water network. The 58 wells and pumps which Islamic Relief constructed are benefi ng a total of 5,00 local families, who are trained how to use the hand pump correctly, in order to preserve the well, maintain the pump, keep it free of contamina on and to prevent water waste. “There was no well before Islamic Relief came here and we had no access to the clean water. We used to drink water from unsafe wells as there was no other water source available. Now Alhamdulillah by digging wells provided with hand pumps by Islamic Relief, we have access to safe drinking water. This is one of the biggest achievements for us and for this area, says Fazila‐ one of the right holders of IRA water projects in Kabul.
“We had no access to the clean water. IR has provided us with hand pump and now we have access to safe drinking water.“
Enhancing livelihood opportunities in Indonesia Islamic Relief is focusing on livelihood through WAQF dona ons and use the profit, suppor ng poor communi es and single parents to enable them become skilled and feed their families.
Islamic Relief Indonesia has trained farmers in West Sumatera to grow mushrooms sustainably, enabling them to con nue harves ng independently. In total, 175 people from the districts of Padang Pariaman and Pesisir Selatan par cipated in this project, including women. A ending field‐based schools and mushroom nurseries, par cipants were taught how to cul vate mushrooms, harvest mushroom seeds and make mushroom‐based products. They also received training on marke ng, branding and distribu ng their products. Islamic Relief Indonesia is also implemen ng fishery project and suppor ng fishing communi es through improving tradi onal fishing, training and introducing sustainable fishing. According to local government and other key beneficiaries, IR‐Indonesia project is the only successful fishery project in Simeulu and Singkil district. The project has resulted in the capacity building of fishing community and improvement of good prac ce of fishing ac vi es. These achievements gained through various approaches such as close consulta on and coordina on with local government, ac ve par cipa on of community, extensive and con nued technical assistances provided to community.
Story of Kasniawa
IR Bangladesh strengthening disaster response
Kasniawa was involved in all processes of the mushroom project‐ from cul va on, sow paren ng seeds, to selling the mushroom‐based products, such as chips. She is 40‐year‐old and the sole provider for three children. Kasniawa explained that this makes the project invaluable to her, “It was an opportunity for me to learn something, such as marke ng mushroom products such as chips, ice cream, and shredded mushrooms.
Eight‐story commercial building was collapsed in Dhaka on 24th April 2013. More than 2,838 people were rescued from the ruins of the collapsed building, and death toll went beyond 1,000. Islamic Relief Bangladesh (IRB) provided protec ve safety and excava on equipment to support the intensive search‐and‐ rescue opera on at the collapsed building. Besides taking part in rescue opera on, Islamic Relief stressed the need to strengthen the disaster response system as the country had seen a string of such accidents in the past few years. Meanwhile, Islamic Relief has provided technical support to the Department of Disaster Management for developing training module on Disaster Management Act 2012. The Department of Disaster Management will be provided training for strengthening their capacity and knowledge on newly enacted disaster management act.
Partnership ‐ Asia Edi on ‐ May, 2013
Lessons learned workshop held A three‐day workshop was conducted on 18‐20th February, 2013 by Programme Development Monitoring Evalua on and Research Department (PDMER) on Flood‐resistant Shelter and Sanita on for South‐West Region of Bangladesh (FRESH) project at Satkhira. The project staff and core team members of Islamic Relief Bangladesh par cipated in the workshop to accumulate the learning. The PDMER conducted final evalua on on Integrated Community Ac on Project (ICAP) to assess the overall achievements and impact of the project. The ICAP project was successfully completed, benefi ng the most vulnerable communi es.
“Seeing the public's high demand for our products, especially to the fresh mushrooms has given me this dream to have my own mushroom plot. Even if it is small, it will be enough to support my children's living cost and school fees.”
“The mushroom cul va on project is really useful and mo vates me to ensure my family's future. It is an opportunity for me to learn something new with other women in the farming group.”
Emergency relief after Balochistan earthquake IR relief consignment on its way to Mashkhel, Balochistan.
The earthquake of magnitude 7.8, which struck the south‐ eastern border in April 2013, severely affected the Mashkhel area of Washuk district, Balochistan ‐ Pakistan. Government authori es and relief agencies responded to the humanitarian needs of an es mated 30,000 people. According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), a total of 2,250 houses and shops were damaged. Of those 1,500 were completely destroyed. Islamic Relief (IR) provided immediate relief assistance to the affected people in Mashkhel area, District Washuk and benefi ed 530 families (more than 3200 individuals). An assessment group formed by Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Balochistan to iden fy a be er overview of support needs and also included Islamic Relief. The government authori es and IR took the lead in providing food, tents, blankets, hygiene kits, and other relief items in the affected areas, supported in their response by humanitarian partners locally. The response has been affected by the inaccessibility of the affected area due to the poor condi on of roads, a tough mountainous terrain and safety concerns in what is a difficult area to reach.
Partnership ‐ Asia Edi on ‐ May, 2013
In the worst affected areas of Mashkel, 85 per cent of families suffered from the quake, with half of these losing their homes. Muhammad Omer, a 70‐year‐old is blind person and a resident of East Zawag, Mashkel's two‐room mud house was ravaged in the earthquake and the family had no choice but to live in the open.
“In this me of trial, I am happy to receive household items and a tent in which to live” M Omer
He has six daughters and the family has no source of income. Islamic Relief emergency response team provided help within a few days following the disaster and Muhammad Omer received a family‐sized tent for shelter, kitchen kits and household items at a distribu on point in East Zawag. Muhammad Omer was not born blind, losing his vision 20 years ago. He said: “I was a mason and I could earn my living with respect and dignity. But now, I have no other source of income and I have to depend on the help of community, and my two daughters who work in the fields.” He added: “It is quite difficult to me build back my home especially when you have a small income. In this me of trial, I am very happy to have received essen al household items and a tent in which to live.”
Emergency Relief after Balochistan Earthquake Shazia (a girl in a red dress) stands at her ravaged house in village Dazzi, Mashkel. IRP provided emergency relief to 536 quake‐struck families. The children seen in the photo are right holder of IR emergency response in Balochistan. Photo IR Pakistan
536 quake-hit families get relief in Pakistan Sr #
Villages
Households Households Benefitted
No of beneficiaries get relief Tents
Kitchen Kits
Household Kits
1.
Dazi
39
37
37
37
37
2.
Rahi Hajiabad
27
17
17
17
17
3.
Baraki
12
03
03
03
03
4.
Dam Dam
20
12
12
12
12
5.
Mashriqi Zawag
1,000
313
298
313
313
6.
Techaap
120
80
0
80
80
7.
Chakkul
80
74
08
38
38
Health screening benefits school-going children in Sri Lanka Islamic Relief Sri Lanka is implemen ng a health screening project benefi ng 470 school‐going children. Under the healthcare interven ons, children in the targeted schools were screened. Eye, blood test, urine and general medical checkup were conducted by IR teams in various schools. 199 students were referred to special consulta ons and out of 199 children, 92 children were offered special treatment.
Alexander Dilani, a 15‐year‐old studies in Grade 10 at Sri Korakkar Tamil Mahavidyalayam in Sammanthurai, Eastern Sri Lanka. She lives with her grandmother who is her guardian as Dilani's mother went to a Middle‐Eastern country to work as a house maid. Dilani suffers for vision impairment since her childhood. The school principal and teachers informed the guardian and emphasised to provide be er care to Dilani and cure her eyesight problem however, the guardian was unable to take adequate care due to prevailed poverty condi on.
“I was provided a pair of spectacles by Islamic Relief which has given perfect sight back to me. Now I am able to see clearly. I can read books and write even at night me. I am confident that, I can study well. My sincere gra tude goes to Islamic Relief Waqf Programme. I thank them for providing me quality health treatment. Islamic Relief also helped my other fellows, Dilani added.
IR team visits Dilani during an assessment.
Partnership ‐ Asia Edi on ‐ May, 2013
Dilani says “I have been suffering from my young age. I never underwent any eye test. I experienced difficul es in my day‐to‐ day life. As a result, learning abili es and courage was reduced; I could not concentrate on reading books, wri ng and learning related ac vi es hence I have less opportunity to enjoy facili es available at the school due to impaired vision. My future was looking bleak and I couldn't concentrate on my studies. Islamic Relief team visited our school and I was comprehensively screened. IR recommended me to undergo a special test in a nearby hospital.
“Ge ng proper treatment was a great challenge and I am thankful to donors for their mely support”