We hear the problem of poverty
in the country but many of us have not seen it by themselves as I did. It is a
different experience to see how poor our fellows are. One feels sorry for them
and also tries to help them because of their need.
I want to tell my recent experience about the poverty situation in the country.
I was part of a government survey team to make a report on the damages done by
the rain & floods. I live in city area as many of us living in; it was my first
experience to visit any backward area. I have seen houses made of mud but never
went in them.
We were asked to see how many houses are damaged .The damage was categorized as
partial and complete. If any room of the house was damaged completely it is in
partial category and if all rooms or most of them are destroyed it is in
complete category (destroyed means roof of the living should fallen to the
ground).I don’t know what damages the government will give to the partial or
complete category.
During the survey we saw many houses which were going to fell at any time but
they were standing at the time of survey. We were unable to register them as
they were standing at that time. The government wanted to register those only
which were fallen and the people tries to give support to them so that they have
not to leave them.
Once when we came out of a house which seems to be dangerous one, we heard a
bump and dust rose from the same house. Local people ran quickly in and we heard
cries of a woman whom we met a short while ago she was telling that there was a
child of seven years .The child came out of that rubble alive in a few minutes.
I felt sorry for them there one wall fell down she asked for help but we could
not do any thing for her. We were ordered not to count walls.
Now I want to tell you about the title Poverty, Education and Floods in
Pakistan. First of all I will tell you the poverty situation. There will be no
stats in this article because it is based on personnel experience not on
statistics.
Poverty: - We know that our country is a poor country many of Pakistanis are
living below poverty line. But we don’t know what poverty is actually, we see
beggar begging on the road and thinks that they are poor. Yes they are poor but
this is not only the scene. If you see their houses, their livings, their good
and bad times, then you will realize what is poverty? Why someone commits crime?
What will a person do? When knowing the fact that he is living in a dangerous
house, he continues living in it only because he has no money to reconstruct it,
repair it or to have a house on rent. He has to live in only one room with his
wife and three or more children. In other rooms of the house his brothers live
in the same condition. I think you can not imagine that the rooms are only 10 x
10 feet and their height is only eight feet. When at first I entered a room like
this I thought its roof is falling on my head. I hesitated in entering and then
I realized that it is ok.
We went to a person whose boundary wall was destroyed he wanted direct help from
us .I asked about the cost, just for information, to my surprised he said that
he only need two thousand rupees. I looked at general councilor who was part of
survey team he nodded his head in conformation. I asked him that why the person
himself or the other people around does not collect the sum and repair the
houses, he said that they don’t have any money to help themselves or other.
Education: - Pakistan has low literacy rate I have mentioned this in my previous
article “Problems of Education in Pakistan”. As an educationalist I thought I am
well aware of this problem but during the survey I came across many people who
can not read their CNIC number and even some people were not aware of their real
names written on CNIC. They even did not knew who is the owner of their house
i.e.; their house is on their name or on their fathers name. They try to confirm
it from Patwari.
Due to lack of education I found some people who do not have any CNIC. When I
asked them why they have no CNIC they said that they don’t need it .they said
that they are not going to apply for any job and their children are also
illiterate they are also not going to do any job. Thus they don’t need any CNIC
in near future. And believe me they all seem to be noble and literate they were
not beggars
In many houses when we went there in day time there were only old women present
.when I asked about other family members they told me that every one is on job
(women were working in houses for 16 hours daily as were some children and men
works for 12 to 14 hours daily as laborers and then they get something to
eat.).it I think is all because they don’t have education
Floods: - I met with some people who were not mentally stable because they lost
their homes of worth fifty lakhs and the government is going to give them twenty
thousands only. I met with a man who was sitting on the ground looking at the
water he told me that he was sleeping in his house when he heard noises out side
he came out to see, what the problem is in the mean time a part of their
building fell like it was made of sand. Other member of his family some how
managed to escape out and their building went in the flood waters like straws.
They don’t have any time to take their mobile phones laptops or documents.