Hope that takes root

Long-term solutions are needed to help people better protect themselves against future disasters. In the southern province of Sindh - one of the worst affected regions at the time - precisely such measures are being implemented: they not only enable families like Khairul* and Mahira* to recover from the flood, but also to actively shape their future.

For Khairul, financial insecurity and worries about how to provide his family with a balanced diet are now a thing of the past. Thanks to the support of humedica and the local partner organization Pak Mission Society, he was able to plant a kitchen garden for his family where he grows his own vegetables. These gardens expand the range of food and rely on climate-resistant seeds - robust vegetable varieties that thrive even in unfavorable weather conditions. In practical training sessions, participants learn modern, climate-adapted cultivation methods as well as how to optimally care for and water their vegetable plants. With simple but effective tools such as watering cans, rakes and fertilizers, they can successfully cultivate their own kitchen garden.

Today, a wide variety of vegetables grow in Khairul's garden depending on the season: okra, sweet potatoes, chili and cucumbers in summer, cabbage, spinach, radishes and beans in winter - a colorful range of organically grown vegetables that provide a balanced diet. Khairul is delighted with his diverse harvest all year round:

In the past, Khairul was forced to travel long distances to the market to buy fruit and vegetables for his family of eight - a time-consuming and costly undertaking. Today, he harvests fresh vegetables from his own garden every day. He sells the surplus and earns an additional 500 rupees on these days - that's around 1.74 euros. This change has not only improved his family's financial situation, but has also brought new hope and pride into their lives.

In addition to self-sufficiency through the kitchen gardens, which give families like Khairul's a new perspective, access to clean drinking water is also crucial to strengthen their livelihoods in the long term.

Mahira* and her community in the village of Radhu Kachi in Sindh province have long struggled with the lack of clean drinking water, which was exacerbated by the flood disaster. Every day, she had to walk for miles to fetch water from the nearest point - which was also contaminated and polluted. This was fatal for the health and overall living conditions of the village community.

Happily, that's history too: no more long walks to fetch water, as it's now available right on the doorstep. A grin spreads across the face of Mahira's daughter Rana* as she draws a cup of drinking water from the new filter. A simple but effective filter system ensures that the water is purified naturally using sand and stones - a sustainable solution that works even without technical expertise and can be operated over the long term.

Life has improved enormously for Mahira, her daughter Rana and the other villagers. Fewer illnesses, more time for their families and a significant improvement in quality of life - this small but crucial measure is having a huge impact.

Together with our local partner, humedica is helping people in Pakistan to secure their livelihoods and make them more resilient to future disasters. Your donations make it possible to strengthen communities so that they can better cope with and recover from disasters.