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February 26 Update on URI Pakistan Earthquake Relief |
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Written by James Channan
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Tuesday, 14 March 2006 |
Good news!--the January relief trip by MCC Pakistan, delayed by weather, was completed successfully in February.
URI members share news here of the second successful trip to deliver relief goods and support for the earthquake victims in
Muzaffarabad, Rawalpindi, Gohari and Mir Pur.
It was a four days trip. Some members had traveled 15 to 20 hours to reach Rawalpindi and Mascaraed to help the survivors of earthquake. The trip started on 21st of February as a group of 11 persons gathered at Christian Study Center, Rawalpindi. This group left early in the morning for Muzaffarabad in a Toyota Hiace Van which was hired for this purpose. We started our journey with a prayer next to the Peace Pole which was planted at Christian Study Center on 18th of January. Our truck loaded with the following items such as: quilts, bed sheets, mattresses, pillows, pillow cases, shawls, Jerseys, jackets, socks, sugar, wheat flour, cooking oil, washing powder, children' school bags, lunch boxes, colored pencils and pens, soap, match boxes, candles, cups and plates etc. We had made packages of all these items for 100 families.
We offered these packages to the following families:
10 Baha'i families in Rawalpindi and Muzaffarabad
30 Christian families in Muzaffarabad.
30 Muslim families in Gohari and Muzaffarabad
30 Muslim families in Mir Pur
All families were very grateful to this gesture of solidarity and good will with them. They send big thanks to all of you.
It was nice to meet most of these families personally and offer them these goods. These relief items were distributed by the members of the URI MCC Pakistan. We shared with the recipients that all of the relief that these items are donated by the generosity of the URI members in the United States of America, Pakistan and elsewhere. Part of the donation was given by the Dominican friars, friends and benefactors as well.
Our group visited and met several children, women and men in the tents of Media City. This city is set by the PRESS FOR PEACE CC, Muzaffarabad. In this city about 150 tents are provided to the victims. Food, clothing, education and consoling is provided in this city to the children, women and men to come out the trauma of earthquake. Free education and food is provided through the generosity of friends. We also visited the Christian families in a Muzaffarabad and it turned out to be a pastoral visit. I asked them to share their feelings and what happened on the day when this devastating earthquake. All of us shared a cup of tea and I led them in a Christian prayer and thus performed my priestly duties as well. It was so nice to meet them and impressed to see their faith which is like a rock.
We also planted a Peace Pole at Domail in Muzaffarabad. A friendship bus leaves from Sri Nagar,Kashmir in India from here. This Peace Pole is planted next to a big MISSILE. At the planting of the Peace Pole ceremony I told that participants that we love peace and we are not in favor of war and we want to promote peace and harmony at all around the world, in our hearts and in our home. A large number of national and international electronic and press was present to give coverage to this event of planting the Peace Pole.It was so good to see that our message May Peace Prevail on Earth reached millions of peace as this event was given coverage by the international television stations and radio as well.
On 23rd February we went to Mir Pur, Azad Kashmir. It is at the distance of about 6 and half hours drive from Muzaffarabad via Rawalpindi. This city is next to famous Mangla Dam of Pakistan. Several families had moved to this city. So we were able to help 30 families who have moved to Mir Pur for shelter.
On the whole our trip was very adventures and spiritually uplifiting. We thank God for we as members of the URI family were ablet to help them. We saw many signs of hope in Muzaffarabad and cities around it as well travelled. It looked like over 80% of people of in Muzaffarabad and cities around it live in tents. People have started lives from zero. Some shops were opened with fresh vegitables, fruit, medical stores, and utility stores, some restaurants and barber shops were open and we say people doing business. It was good to see that how a city which was almost totally destroyed people have begun life once again. I was reminded that this is how life begins once again and how people learn to come out of tragedies and destructions and catastrophies of life.
Last but not the least I thank each one of you for your continious support in providing relief to 100 families who have been so severly affected by the earthquake. On behalf of the URI MCC Pakistan I thanks each one of you for making this trip possible. God bless you all!
I am enclosing some photos of this trip.
May Peace Prevail on Earth!
May Peace Prevail in Pakistan!
May Peace Prevail in Kashmir!
fr James Channan OP
Regional Coordinator URI Pakistan
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 14 March 2006 )
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