I wish there was some way, somehow, that all the humanitarian efforts and Haitian government and people could be pulled together in an attempt to work side-by-side under one group conscience in an attempt to be as cohesive as possible for the betterment of the Haitian people. As groups doing their own thing, seems and sounds very fractured and disjointed.

It is like being the body of Christ, we cannot separate ourselves and still be whole.

Earthquake in Haiti has brought back sad memories of the earthquake in Pakistan/Kashmir. Unfortunately the similarities are strikingly similar. Back in Oct when I visited the mountain sides around Muzaffarabad sometimes I could not see the magnitude of the devastation. Looking top down most of the roofs were intact. It was only when I got close I saw the magnitude of the deadly destruction Oct 8th earthquake unleashed.

On Oct 8th I was in the San Franciso Bay Area and saw on TV the news about the earthquake. The destruction caused to the people of NWFP (Pakistan) and Kashmir was so heart wrenching that I got involved with the relief effort. Working with a non profit organization Ehsaas I traveled to the affected areas. We together built a mobile operation theater in Lahore and then drove it to the affected area. With the grace of God this was the first operation theater in the area that provided basic facililties to treat people. Working with Ehsaas we setup a relief camp in Mera Tanolian. This camp provided help to 400 families. Obviously it all started at a very low level. But with the help of local volunteers and supporters it expanded. Ehsaas school was built (this school is still running).

To cut a long story short earthquake related work taought me a lesson - everyone can help and everything counts. Back then $20 could get a pair of crutches to a 9 year old boy who previously was hoping on one leg on the mountain side. A $5 dollar donation provided a family a meal. I am sure things in Haiti would not be very much different. Every dollar collected will make a difference. Every volunteer in Haiti is doing something that he or she will never forget. I believe every person being helped will also not forget the person who helped in this time of desperation and need.

I commend people like Todd and Ethan who are working tirelessly to help people they don’t know. It is the bond of humanity that binds us all together. Last summer I visited Ehsaas school and the adjoining areas. School in Ranjatta (where many girls of kindergarten age got buried alive under the rubble) has been rebuilt and the Ehsaas school is running. I saw people busy rebuilding their lives. I can well imagine that the people of Haiti albeit in dire conditions will pull out of this catastrophic situation. The question is how many of us will help them get back on their feet. May God give them courage and give us the will to help in every possible way we can Ameen.

Peace, Jafar

Yet, one thing that set Pakistanis apart from everybody else is the unbounded compassion, extreme generosity, and a great sense of charity despite of all the problems they face each day. Pakistanis are the most generous donors, per-capita, in the world, when it comes to charitable causes. Several Pakistanis charities, like Edhi, have done a splendid job during Tsunami in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, etc., earthquake hit areas of Iran, and war torn Lebanon and Palestine.

It is no wonder that Pakistan’s finest hour was in the face of its worst adversity - the Kashmir earthquake. Pakistanis put their heart and soles out to help out their brethren in Kashmir.

The tragedy in Haiti and the plight of its people in the aftermath has touched the hearts of Pakistanis all over the world. Many Pakistanis are volunteering time and money to help the people of Haiti. Pakistanis are grateful people - they have not forgotten how the world extended the hand to help out during Kashmir earthquake. They feel now it is their turn to step up and help our brothers and sisters in need in Haiti.

This post was mentioned on Twitter by ethancasey: Pls share Pakistan earthquake memories:

http://www.aliveandwellinpakistan.com/2010/02/memories-of-the-pakistan-earthquake/...