Hoggit

Sindh Floods Rehabilitation

32. Flood Blog by Ar. Yasmeen Lari - Disaster response strategy 1

Karachi
STRATEGY 1
The following are the details of Strategy I
Zero Carbon Villages Holistic model @ Rs. 42,800 per household.
This model is based on my Adopt-a-Village programme requiring fund raising by partner organizations.
a. Rights based zero carbon provision of one safe room,1 shared eco toilets, shared hand water pumps, shared solar lighting, earthen Pakistan Chulah stove.
b. Flood mitigation measures using earthen walls, earthen platforms, community forests, and bamboo barriers. In addition, water absorption mechanisms consisting of aquifer wells and aquifer trenches, porous pavements and soft ground surfaces.
c. Livelihoods based on barefoot enterprises for fulfilling the unmet needs of communities e.g., wall matting, roof thatching, brick making, briquettes and organic soap, low-cost terracotta products along with food items e.g., fish farming, chicken and goat breeding, nursery and plantations.
d. Provision of social franchises based on micro loans of Rs. 5,000 and Rs. 10,000 for setting up commerce driven barefoot enterprises for accelerated marketing of local products and produce.
Many of these villages, who are now secure with rights-based development along with sufficient earnings from Barefoot Eco Enterprises, they have become food secure and self-sufficient.
They have now become sufficiently trained and have now embarked on sharing their knowledge and skills as Barefoot Eco Entrepreneurs on a small fee. The model is labelled Champa model, as she is the one who proved the BASA principle of how sharing expertise and teaching other disadvantaged persons, however poor they might be, are willing to pay small remunerations for the assistance they received. The small amount of Rs. 200 as fee has demonstrated how so many of the BEEs in our holistic model villages have begun to earn large amounts within a few months.
Just as Champa and her husband Kanji have become millionaires, there are many budding millionaires in the offing, if we can make a success of my programme for Building Sustainable Eco Communities by Rehabilitating 1 million Households at a Time.
Flood Blogs
Disaster Response Strategy 1
by Yasmeen Lari
27 March 2023

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Topics: Flood Blog

31. Flood Blog by Ar. Yasmeen Lari - Disaster response strategy

KARACHI
Floods in Pakistan have wrought havoc in all provinces, and only a well thought out programme can provide relief to the millions that are displaced today. Since the government institutions are not interested in following zero carbon economical building techniques the provision of housing will remain slow leaving a vast number not only shelter-less but also suffering from hunger, malnutrition and water related ailments.
In order to deal with the inactivity in the humanitarian field, I have devised the following strategies:
1. Holistic model @ Rs. 42,800 per household.
This model is based on my Adopt-a-Village programme requiring fund raising by partner organizations and based on my pilot of 1,000 households in Pono Village. Two more partners are committed to take this model forward each with at least 1,000 families each. These are Ms. Safeeyah Moosa of Spiritual Chords,South Africa and Mr. Faiz Kidwai representing Rotary International.
2. Basic Shelter mocdel @ Rs. 30,000 per household
This model is based upon my ‘Build a Shelter’ Programme and has been adopted by several partners.
a, Zero Carbon One room prefabricated bamboo cottage for each household and shared prefabricated bamboo eco toilets.
This provides dignity and safety and allows families to incrementally add other elements to fulfill their needs.
Several partners have built varying numbers of these units notable among them:
Bank of Punjab
Dr. Sarwat in Muzaffargarh
3. Food Secure Dosti Villages model @ Rs. 1,800/household to sponsors
This model is based on my ‘Adopt a Destitute Village’ programme into Food Secure Communities through help of Sponsoring Villages
This strategy builds upon the goodwill and generosity of villages that have become self-sufficient as a result of the holistic model. 13 of Yasmeen Lari’s Zero Carbon villages have adopted 130 destitute villages to run the programme. The only input from outside sponsors for the provision of a water handpump, a solar panel and bags of lime in order that platforms could be built with lime/earth brick.The entire training programme for destitute villages is being carried out by the sponsoring villages. So far 60 villages (4,000 families) are on their road in growing vegetables, breeding fish and chicken rearing.
4. Mutual Help Villages model @ Zero Cost to sponsors
This model is based on the mechanism of mutual help among communities relying on the destitute villages own meagre contributions in order to reduce hunger.
This model depends upon the community itself purchasing items and services from Barefoot Entrepreneurs. Only those villages are being taken up which are adjacent to agricultural streams/canals.
The programme has been initiated recently and judging from the response of downtrodden villages, there is great chance of them becoming food secure.
Flood Blogs
Disaster Response Strategies
by Yasmeen Lari
24 March 2023

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Topics: Flood Blogs

30. Flood Blog by Prof. Yasmeen Lari - Food Security

Cambridge
Having lost everything due to 2022 Flood, millions of families today need food supplies. Due to Government’s non action and slow action of NGOs they are likely to remain shelter-less for a long time. However, I believe with very little investment, we can enable families to begin growing food for their survival.
What is Food Security programme?
At a small charge to households, the various segments are implemented by Barefoot Entrepreneurs belonging to Sponsoring Villages who, at a small charge, provide guidance for making platforms, divide up the village land into areas in order to begin growing fruit trees, vegetables and bushes/grain, and provide training to make mud/lime bricks to make village boundary walls.
What are Sponsoring Villages?
These are Yasmeen Lari’s Zero Carbon villages that have become self sufficient who have agreed to sponsor destitute villages in their vicinity to provide guidance for food security.
What are Dosti Villages?
These are destitute villages who have received no help so far but have now been adopted by Sponsoring Villages to provide guidance and help.
How will Dosti Villages become Food Secure?
Only essential equipment and materials costing Rs. 110,000 are needed to enable 50-70 families in each village to begin growing food.
a. One raised handpump: Rs. 15,000
b. One solar panel: Rs. 40,000
c. 40 bags of lime: Rs. 20,000
d. Maa ka Dastarkhwan (Mothers dining) for 7 days providing cooked food for 90-100 persons to support collective building of village boundary walls: Rs. 35,000
Expert teams of Sponsoring Villages provide guidance and training at a small charge to each family.
How can Dosti Villages be sponsored?
For each village of 50-70 households funds can be sent to Mothers Committees, who will arrange for procurement and disbursement. Heritage Foundation of Pakistan will allocate villages, oversee installation and provide feedback. A link to Google map will be provided which will show progress in each village on a database of Dosti Villages.

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29. Flood Blog by Prof. Yasmeen Lari - Growing food

Cambridge
While at Cambridge, it has been difficult to continue with my blogs in a regular fashion. However, there has been much thought and a great deal of discussion with my team at home. And I am pleased to report that we are being supported fully by communities in moving on in many directions.
The most important development is the seriousness with which the communities have responded and are working hard to plant and grow food for consumption of their families first. But as the produce is growing in quantity, mechanism has to be put in place for collection and sales of these items.
Many steps have been taken in order to make the dry and ostensibly barren land into fertile, food growing area. The one thing that has been bothering me is that in Sindh, we find the landlords orchards flourishing; however, even though village may be in the midst of orchards, nothing would be cultivated there. Either the hari or the farm labour was not encouraged to grow, even though it is the same farm labour that toils to make profit for landlords. It occurred to me that either the villagers never had enough courage to build on what they think is the landlord’s land, or because of the hard crust, they assumed that the land was barren and will not bear any results if plantation was taken up.
As we began to work on the village, we found that in most places, water was available quite easily and the area was conducive to growing produce. On an experimental basis the hard crust was removed to 12”-18’, treated with water and organic compost and we found that indeed the soil below supported growing of vegetables, fruit etc.
Also, while making excavation for a low cost water storage tank at grade, it was found that water was available quite close to the ground surface and as the artisans dug, the water level kept on being maintained. And if we did not line the tank, it would be ideal for breeding small fish. So that is the beginning of small fish breeding by groups of families. And now that the fish are growing well, a process of fish drying has been started so that all surplus fish could be stored or sold.
The solar dehydration of vegetables and fruit, which has been taken up by communities enthusiastically, has shown good results. If organized properly this provides huge opportunities for ensuring food security along with income generation.
Now that the social franchise system is taking root, there would be possibility of extensive sales during off season time for various vegetables and fruit etc.

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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.

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Topics: Flood Blogs

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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