A powerful earthquake struck Pakistan on October 8, 2005. With a magnitude of 7.6 on the Richter scale, it was the worst natural disaster to hit the region in decades. As a result of the quake, more than 75,000 people were killed, 80,000 injured, and over 2.5 million people were left homeless. Rotary Club Karachi Sunset Millennium (RCKSM) District 3270, immediately started an emergency relief programme. While still in the emergency phases of the disaster, RCKSM met and decided that we could do more than contributing in cash and kind to the relief effort and decided to launch a long-term recovery and restoration program to help local people restore both their livelihoods and communities through shelter construction, provision of educational facilities and health programme. Badala village is located near Kohala in Abbotabad District in NWFP. It is a four hour drive from the capital Islamabad. It is a beautiful village spread over hilly terrain overlooking the Jehlum River with Kashmir (Pakistan) on the other side. It has about 2000 residents. 110 homes were destroyed by the quake. The village was lucky that there were no fatalities.

Rotarian Kamran Noorani paid a visit to Badala on 8th November 2005. This was exactly a month after the earthquake hit this region. The broken houses presented a very disturbing sight. Most of the houses were made of stones plastered with mud and wooden beams supporting a mud roof. Some of more better off people had built concrete structure along side their mud dwellings. However, as the mud houses are very comfortable during hot summers and very cold winters these remain their main living areas. The concrete rooms built with stones and concrete blocks with corrugated tin roofs are more for visitors. Most of the mud houses were completely destroyed the concrete structures look alright from a distance but on closer inspection one can see a missing wall from one side or a collapsed inner walls and cracks in the outer walls. None of them were in a shape to allow one to confidently spend the night in.

A report was presented to the club and it was decided that RCKSM will adopt the village as a project. In the first phase the club decided to build 110 shelters, in the second phase a girl’s school and a clinic and in the third phase a community hall. It was the opinion of the club that the project be developed by the Institute of Architects (IAP). IAP asked its member Mr. Mujahid Sadiq, member of IAP, volunteered his services. A village committee was formed and a survey of the village undertaken. Sites for the school, clinic and community centre were identified and marked. Mr. Mujahid Sadiq collected all the masons of the village and explained the faults in the design and choice of material in the traditional homes. Blocks and iron rods were collected and an entire day was spent making a proper foundation and showing them how the build proper pillars and beams. The villagers agreed to the new scheme and realized the traditional home though very comfortable were not safe. Contribution of the Village to the project:

1. The village will provide the land for the school, clinic and Community centre
2. They will level and prepare the land at the sites selected.
3. They will buy a cement block making machine costing 125,000.00 from their own funds. They will also purchase a wood sawing machine.
4. They will provide all wood for the roof, doors and windows.
5. They will improve the roads/paths inside the village to help in transportation of building material.

The project was very ambitious. We realized that huge funds would be required. We received a substantial donation of $ 33,332.00 from the Rotary Club of Dubai. We also received a very good response from our sister club Rotary Club of Chnakyapuri, Delhi. They did a Matching Grant of $ 42,250.00 to equip the girls school, clinic and the community centre. An anonymous donor made a donation of 2 million rupees through our member Rtn Miftah Ismail. Another donation of $ 6500.00 was made for the construction of the girl’s school by The Citizens Foundation USA. Many more donations were received from various Rotary Clubs and friends. RCKSM has successfully completed the construction of all 110 shelters and work is on progress on the girl’s school and clinic. It is hoped that both the school and the clinic will be functional by May 2008. The entire village wears a transformed look and people from neighbouring village come to see the work and the design of the shelters. This project is also providing great publicity for Rotary. For more information please visit msnusers.com/BadalaVillage

Kamran Noorani
President Elect
Rotary Club of Karachi Sunset Millennium
District 3270

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