Islamic Relief has been working with communities in Pakistan-administered Kashmir for almost a decade. We have helped set up local groups, known as Community Organisations (COs) to bring people together, discuss their problems and find ways of solving them.
Our work has focused on empowering communities by showing them how they can use their own skills and resources to meet their needs. Before the earthquake, these local groups had managed to build roads, bring running water to their homes, improve their sanitation facilities and access to health care.
Earthquake
When the earthquake struck, we mobilised these community organisations and supported them in rising to the challenge of rebuilding their lives.
We provided skills training, essential resources and where necessary, financial support. From training people in how to construct temporary shelters to helping them restart their businesses, we worked through local COs to help many people get back on their feet after the disaster.
Arshad Bibi from Segaam village in Neelum Valley, said life in her community was transformed when the COs were set up.
“After the COs were established Islamic Relief organised a water scheme in our village. Now we have water at our doorstep, which is a great relief for us. We are now being trained in skills like first aid and agriculture. We also have an emergency medical centre in the middle of our village. Our lives have changed since Islamic Relief came.”