yasmeenlari

28. Flood Blog by Ar. Yasmeen Lari - Interim Recovery Strategy, Dosti (Friendship) Programme II

KARACHI

As we initiated the programme in Village Taj Mohammad who had done
extremely well in their earnings last month, it was surprising how enthusiastically
the entire programme was received. Thus almost immediately after my discussion
and the blog, Project Manager Naheem took up the matter with the village and
organized the teams for getting work started.
Since work on provision of handpump and solar lights has already been taken in
hand, and information regarding households etc. was already compiled, we were
able to get going fairly quickly.
In addition to the allocation for various essential items, another condition I have
imposed is that each sponsored village must immediately nominate three women
as village committee who will be responsible for providing information and
oversee implementation. If they begin to perform their duties well, they will be
provided with a cell phone in order to make reporting easier for them.
Additionally, joint accounts for all three should be opened with a local bank asap.
This would become important as they are made responsible for reporting and also
in case any funds need to be transferred for work in the village.

View the file

Zero Carbon School Rooms: Co-Built Classrooms for Immediate Use

INTRODUCTION:

Millions of people are without any cover after four and half
months of a major flood disaster in Pakistan. Although
much has been done with emergency supplies and provision of
tents but most remain in a state of desperation. Similarly school
children almost in Sindh are also bereft of any school buildings.
It is estimated that over 22,000 original school buildings in
Singh are partially or fully damaged and can no longer be used
for holding classes. Thus school going children in the provincce
have been without any learing possibilties for the last several
months. If the poor state of education because of COVID
closures and the usual ghost school sydrome is added to the
problem, it would seem that several million children have suffered
throughout this period and are today without a smattering
of learning. Do they have any chance of survival in the competitive
21st century?

View the file

27. Flood Blog by Ar. Yasmeen Lari - Interim Recovery Plan

KARACHI
Only a couple of weeks ago I had written about starting a parallel strategy for recovery with the aim to get the basic water arrangement with a handpump and water storage tank to be carried out in villages where the use of existing ponds for fish farming could also be started with a meagre allocation of Rs. 20,000 for a village of 50 households.
As we began working it became clear that the level of deprivation and poverty is so great and there needs to be greater effort if the Interim Recovery Strategy is to be successful.
To achieve every affected hosusehold’s minimum level of subsistence, it would be imporant to place emphasis on food prodction in addition to certain other needs. As we know this issue affects millions and it is well nigh impossible to secure enough esources to enable survival of these communities.
Village to Village Partnership – Gaon, Gaon Dosti
Since my attempt always is to provide assistance to communities at the least possible cost, it occurs to me that the Pono village cluster, with its spirit of generosity that exists in its communities, is now poised to help others. As the HF team worked out, with funding of only Rs. 100,000 per 50 families, it would be possible to provide many components which would get those still in need to be placed on the path of recovery.
T have deided to immediately take up 10 villages near Pono village cluster where work on installation of handpumps and fish breeding has already been taken in hand.

View the file

26. Flood Blog by Ar. Yasmeen Lari - Basic Learning Centres

KARACHI
This blog is in continuation of the earlier blog regarding first learnings and provides more detailed information regarding building of school rooms and the curriculum for basic learning that has been developed.
According to conservative estimates the number of schools fullly damaged and partially damagd runs into several thousands which means that in Sindh the schooll going children have been without any learing possibilties for the last several months. If the poor state of education because of COVID closures and the usual ghost school sydrome is added to the problem, it would seem that several million children have suffered throghout this period and without a smattering of learning, they have no chance of surivival in the competitive 21st century.
How can we leave generations in our country without dealing with this issue. The problem is extremely complex because of high cost of usual construction and non availability of funds to be able to provide even a basic teaching room, let alone provision of toilets and potable water. However, if we could accept it as a challenge and work out sustaiable solutions, it is my belief that we could use this opportunity to bring about the social change that is needed today.
The prototype for the propsal has been started in the successful pilot of 1,000 households to create sustaiable zero carbon communities where the first schol room has been built in early December. In the 1,000 households pilot, the basic needs and flood mitigation and environmental improvement components, along with barefoot enterprises in each village for income generation, has been accomplished within 10 weeks. The Pono Vilage cluster is ready to take up the next phase.
Health and some other aspects of further flood mitigation measures alsong with storage of grain/food and cattle feed and safety are being gradually take up. However, in view of the plight of school going age children, we felt that focus on missing school rooms was essential.
Some weeks ago, Chief Executive, The Hampton School, educationist and director Heritage Foundation has provided training to 4 local village teachers to begin the basic learing programme.
We have now begun building another school room along with two eco toilets in a village near Pono cluster which is being built as a protuype for interested organizations to examine it as a model of a sustainable school and whether it could be taken up by them to embark on the challenging task of provision of safe rooms for our children’s education.
Among important initiatives would be to encourage local universities and corporate sector to initiate a programme for joint school building with student volunteers and community on the same pattern as Heritage Foundation’s Climate Volunteers.

View the file

25. Flood Blog by Ar. Yasmeen Lari - Food Solar Drying II

KARACHI
It is good to know that Naheem Shah and his team have acted immediately, and the first prototype of spinach and banana chips drying has been started.
The methodology adopted is to make a bamboo frame fixed wth bamboo lattice made with waste bamboo pieces. The bamboo frame is lined with muslin first and then the items for deyhydration are spread on it.
This is the first time that we have been able to get it started in Pono village. If women are successful then the dehydration process should be spread as far and wide as possible.

View the file

24. Flood Blog by Ar. Yasmeen Lari - Food Dehydration Platforms

KARACHI
The more I think about the condition of millions now left to fend for themselves the greater I feel a sense of despondency. After a frenzy of fund raising and ration distribution there is a pall in all activities. I am told donor fatigue has set in.
I think it is also because everybody feels that they have done their bit for charity and the helpless millions are not their responsibility any way. The fact is that if you follow the usual path of charity, there is only so much anybody could do and eventually the state has to take on the responsibility.
Another fact however, is that all state organs seem to be absent from the depths of rural Sindh. In such a case, and it is not something that has not been clear for some time, that state institutions are not really engaged in welfare of the poor, would it not be appropriate for some of us who have an understanding of the vulnerable condition of the abandoned communities that we need to work on methodologies to see how we could help them survive.

View the file

23. Flood Blog by Ar. Yasmeen Lari - Basic learnings

KARACHI
Introduction
The first group of Climate Volunteers that arrived from Vienna Technical University, Vienna and University of Lahore, Lahore did a fremarkable job of interacting with the villagers in the Pono Villagee group of 13 villages that are on their way of full recovery after the floods.
While resising in the village in the first week of December, they have managed to co build a school room. They also made a gift of a monitor and a solar panel to faciliate learning in the school.
The school room has replaced a makeshift class room where some classes were being conducted. Educationist AFroza Bhamani, Director of Heritage Foundation and owner The Hampton School, has trained four young people from the village into teaching the basics to village children.

View the file

22. Flood Blog by Ar Yasmeen Lari - Scaling up Fish farming

KARACHI
I am picking up the flood thread again as I am back in Karachi during vacation. Much has happened where Heritage Foundation teams have worked hard to make 1,000 households as close to self-sufficiency as possible.
Based on the success of the Fish Farming village Kewal Goth which has been successful in making a success of fish farming in much neglected pond close to their village. The success is phenomenal. Beginning with literally nothing in the first week of October -- when they were provided some basic training due to the good office of Project Manager Naheem Shah by identifying a fish expert in the area. The process was begun with little hope of success, as hardly an attempt had been made in the past to use the much-neglected ponds in a fruitful manner.

View the file

21. Flood Blog by Ar. Yasmeen Lari - First Climate Volunteers - 15 December 2022

KARACHI

I am happy to report the visit of the first team of Climate Volunteers. On 30 November 10 students and 2 faculty members from Vienna Technical University and another 9 students and 3 faculty members from University of Lahore arrived  in Karachi.

They were taken to the Pono Hospitality village to spend 6 days in working with close collaboration with village communities.

Many activities happened during the eventful days in the midst of the flood  affected area.

Pono Hospitality village is part of the pilot consisting of 13 villages and 1,000 households that has been taken up by Heritage Foundation to demonstrate how application of BASA Barefoot Social Architecture holistic approach can transform lives of people within a short period of time and at an extraordinary low cost.

The two teams worked jointly on various aspects. While they conducted research on various aspects, they also built a school room in collaboration with the community, designed some interesting bamboo furniture for the guest cottages, and also participated in a festival that had been arranged to market barefoot goods to surrounding communities and indeed among the 13 villages themselves.

View the file

1 million Households - Building Sustainable Communities, Immediate Recovery/Rehabilitation

Click the following link to view the PowerPoint presentation:
One Million Shelters Presentation

View the file