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58

Parsan Kohli, a bright and articulate young woman from the village of Cheel Band, stands out for her clarity of thought and speech, particularly in Urdu—a language she proudly says she learned from her schoolteacher father. At twenty-five years old, she has already been married for a decade and is the mother of four children. In a community where having eight to ten children is the norm, her decision to limit the size of her family is notably uncommon.

Smiling, she shares that her husband, Moolchand, is one of fifteen siblings, while gesturing towards her mother-in-law who they live together with. “For all the hard work that woman has done, she looks wonderfully unscarred,” she remarks. With a large family to support, it is unsurprising that Moolchand never had the opportunity to pursue an education and now works as a bricklayer.

What sets Parsan apart is not just her decision to raise a smaller family, but the reasons behind it. As an active member of the Village Management Committee (VMC), established in 2022 under Community World Service Asia (CWSA) and Act for Peace’s(AfP) Health and Education project, Parsan has gained new perspectives on health, personal care, and family well-being. She reflects that, prior to her involvement with the VMC, she had limited understanding of basic hygiene and health issues. Like many others, she once believed that having more children was a way to secure the future. However, she now recognises that larger families often deepen the cycle of poverty. With this knowledge that she gained through the Health and Education Sessions held through the course of this project, she has become a vocal advocate for informed family planning within her village.

“But I had to begin with my own household,” she says. “I had to set an example before encouraging others to follow.” She recalls that it was once common in her village for women with infants as young as six or nine months to be pregnant again. Over the past two years, however, Parsan has played a key role in shifting this norm. She has supported nearly every woman in her para (neighbourhood) in adopting healthier spacing between children. The long-standing tradition of frequent, back-to-back pregnancies is now largely fading.

Her efforts particularly focus on newly married young women, to whom she gently explains the importance of waiting before expanding their families. Though she has not kept exact figures, Parsan believes at least thirty women have embraced her message, with ten of them committing to having smaller families. “They understand now that large families perpetuate poverty,” she says.

During her most recent pregnancy, Parsan experienced unusual discomfort. Remembering the health guidance sessions conducted by CWSA staff through the VMC, she visited the local Health Unit for a check-up. There, she discovered that her haemoglobin level had dropped to eight. She received treatment in time and went on to deliver a healthy baby. “Had I not attended those sessions, I would never have known. Who knows what could have happened,” she reflects.

Parsan sees her most significant achievement as her success in promoting girls’ education. Just two years ago, only twelve girls in her community were enrolled in school; today, that number has risen to thirty-five. Some of these girls are ten years old and only now entering grade one, underscoring how delayed school enrolment had become. She explains that girls’ education was often seen as unnecessary, with daughters expected to assist with domestic tasks. Even boys were sometimes kept home to fetch water while the older men idled. Going door to door, Parsan urged mothers to send their children to school, stressing that government schools do not charge tuition. “Your only expense is a few rupees for notebooks and pencils once every few months,” she told them.

Gradually, the number of enrolled children began to grow. With children now in school, Parsan notes that men have become responsible for fetching water, something that was once seen as children’s work.

The school in her neighbourhood, which serves approximately 200 households, now has four teachers. Two are funded by CWSA & AfP, one by the local community, and one by the government. Previously, families would often cite a lack of teachers as a reason not to send their children to school. That barrier, Parsan says with satisfaction, has now been removed.

Parsan is also deeply committed to preventing early marriage. “Fourteen is the usual age for marriage here, I myself was only fifteen,” she shares. Recently, she managed to delay the wedding of a sixteen-year-old girl through community engagement. The parents have now agreed to wait until their daughter turns eighteen. With so many accomplishments, what lies ahead for Parsan? She simply says she will continue. “Children are being born who need to be educated, and they must not marry until they are of legal age. I have to ensure that the right thing is done, that they stay in school and don’t marry before eighteen.”

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Married at the age of 17, Lakshmi assumed the weight of household responsibilities early in life. With her husband, Laalu, working as a labourer in the city to support the family, Lakshmi remained the steady anchor at home. Together, they raised four young children, three sons and a daughter, all between the ages of five and ten. Despite limited resources and daily challenges, Lakshmi nurtured a modest but fulfilling life, grounded in resilience and the warmth of her family.

Five years ago, Lakshmi’s world was turned upside down when her husband, Laalu, tragically passed away after a snake bite. Fate did not give her a chance to fully grieve the loss of her partner. Overnight, she became the sole caregiver and breadwinner for their young children, forced to navigate an uncertain and demanding future entirely on her own.

Now 32, Lakshmi continues to shoulder the full responsibility of raising her family. To survive, she and her children work together as labourers in fields of Village Lakho Kolhi, striving each day to meet their most basic needs.

In 2021, driven by quiet determination, Lakshmi took a bold step to improve her family’s future by breeding two goats, establishing a modest but stable source of income. It was a turning point that promised a path toward self-reliance. However, less than a year later, the catastrophic floods of 2022 swept across Pakistan, displacing thousands and claiming countless lives and livestock.

Lachmi’s village, Lakho Kolhi in Umerkot, was among the hardest hit. The deluge reduced homes to rubble and left the community submerged in devastation, erasing what little security they had built. Lakshmi and her family lost their most treasured possession, their home, and faced a heartbreaking reality. The destruction was so extensive that rebuilding was impossible. With no other option, they were forced to flee and start over, carrying with them only resilience and the will to endure.

With nowhere to go, Lachmi and her children found themselves in her brother-in-law’s house, who himself had relocated to village Anwar Pathan with his family in search of safer grounds. In a time when everyone around them was grappling with uncertainty and hardship, his support was both rare and deeply meaningful. Within that borrowed shelter, Lakshmi tried to rebuild a sense of home for her children, even as daily survival weighed heavily on her mind. The question of how to feed her family was a constant worry, one that echoed the broader struggle shared by countless families, especially single mothers, facing the aftermath of displacement.

Living in someone else’s home brought a host of challenges for Lachmi, from compromised dignity to concerns over safety and protection. She endured mistreatment and a lack of respect from the household members, all while carrying the weight of worry for her children’s well-being.

In the aftermath of the devastating floods, Community World Service Asia (CWSA), in partnership with Presbyterian World Service & Development (PWS&D) and the Canadian Food grains Bank (CFGB), launched a Cash for Food initiative aimed at restoring dignity and choice to families like Lakshmi’s. The program provided unconditional cash assistance of PKR 20,000 per month for three months, March, May, and June 2025, empowering flood-affected households to address their food security based on their specific needs. 

With the first installment, Lachmi prioritised her family’s stability. She spent PKR 10,000 (USD 35) to buy wheat flour, to ensure a reliable supply of food in the weeks ahead. Another PKR 6,000 (USD 21) went toward repaying a debt she had incurred just to feed her children, a financial weight she had long carried.  The remaining PKR 4,000 ( USD 14), was carefully allocated to purchasing sugar, rice, and vegetables, allowing her to provide balanced nutrition with renewed peace of mind. In a move that reflected both vision and resilience, Lakshmi used the second installment to purchase two young goats, an investment in future sustainability. As the goats grow, she plans to sell their milk locally, establishing a modest yet dependable source of income for her household..

With the third and final cash installment, Lakshmi embraced a moment of joy amidst hardship. She lovingly chose new clothes for her children, spending nearly PKR 5,000 ( USD 18) on new clothes for them to bring smiles and a sense of normalcy to their lives. The remaining PKR 15,000 (USD 53) was set aside to secure their food supply, a deliberate decision rooted in maternal foresight. “Even if we have nothing else,” Lakshmi shared, “we should have wheat in the cabinets, so we never go to bed hungry.”

Lachmi has courageously shared her journey with others, inspiring many through her resilience and determination. “Now we’re finding new ways to support our families,” she said. “Many women in our village have stepped up to help, especially after losing their livelihoods.”

Part of the funds also went toward purchasing medicine for her seven-year-old Gulji, who lives with epilepsy. Reflecting on how she used the assistance, Lachmi said, “The aid is temporary, and the money is meant to end someday. To truly benefit from it, I had to invest it with purpose.”

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Training Women in Livestock Management

Nestled in the sun-scorched plains of Thar, the modest home of Dhuri stands as a testament to resilience and familial devotion. Within its humble walls, Dhuri, her husband Mangal, and their three children weave a life rich with love and mutual support. Yet, the unforgiving climate casts a shadow over their days, bringing extreme environmental challenges that severely limit their opportunities for sustenance. With resources scarce, Dhuri and Mangal take turns toiling as daily wage crop farmers.

Dhuri was chosen as a participant in a transformative humanitarian initiative spearheaded by Community World Service Asia and Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe (DKH), where she received a comprehensive package
of support designed to uplift her family’s prospects. This assistance encompassed cash grants, a hydroponic kit, premium seeds for crop cultivation, nourishing animal fodder for her livestock, and most crucially, expert training to nurture and sustain these vital resources with confidence and skill.

Dhuri, along with a group of women selected under the project, learned a useful new skill through their training: crafting mineral blocks to nourish their cows.

These hand-shaped treats, made with a simple blend of water, salt, jaggery, cement, urea, and wheat chaff, quickly became a favourite among the cows, who eagerly lap them up without hesitation.

Since applying this knowledge, Dhuri has felt a remarkable difference in caring for her cattle. She lovingly
creates what she affectionately calls “Sheera blocks,” designed to boost her livestock’s gastrointestinal health.

Dhuri reflects that, before this experience, she had never encountered any training or practice that brought such valuable awareness. Yet, since applying these new insights, she has observed a noticeable and heartening change in her daily efforts. “The cattle used to have many gut problems before, but now we don’t see any of them”, Dhuri recalls. “There is actually substantial improvement. They produce more milk, and it’s much cleaner too”.

Dhuri feels happy about the minimal effort and cost it requires to make the mineral blocks. She says that, as beneficial as they are, they are extremely economical. As a dedicated sharecropper, Dhuriwas overjoyed to harvest PKR 70,000(246 USD) from her cultivated fields, a clear sign of the support’s meaningful impact.

Dhuri’s children are her world. Unlike many parents who pull their children, especially daughters, out of school to ease the family’s workload, Dhuri stands firm with a heartfelt promise. “We’ve decided not to weigh our children down with life’s tough duties just yet. This age is for going to school and we want them to focus on that alone. When the moment is right, they’ll step into their roles with confidence.”

Going forward, Dhuri stated that she did not take this assistance for granted. “We are grateful for all the resources and wisdom shared with us,” she said with heartfelt gratitude. “We’re committed to proving we’re putting it to good use and showing the world how well we have honoured this generous help.”

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Until late 2021, then thirty-years-old Bilquis was a homemaker raising three children in the village of Sohaib Saand. Her husband works as a guard for a private school, which is approximately 5 kilometres from their home. Although a college graduate, she had been so occupied with raising her family that she believed she would never have the chance to pursue her true aspiration — becoming a school teacher. She recalls her own struggles in gaining an education, as the Saand community she belongs to continues to begrudgingly permit education for girls.

“I had to attend a school in Kunri town, and when people did not see me for a few days, they would claim I had run away from home,” says Bilquis. Fortunately, her family supported her, and she eventually completed college. Because of the challenges she had faced, she was determined to become a teacher in a girls’ school.

The lower secondary school (up to grade eight) in Sohaib Saand village was established in 1994. At that time, it offered classes only up to grade five, and even then, attendance was irregular. The dozen or so enrolled girls were rarely seen in class. Bilquis explains that mothers preferred to keep their daughters at home to help with household chores, rather than spend their limited resources on items like copybooks, pencils, and erasers. Furthermore, many parents questioned the point of educating daughters who would eventually marry and leave the family.

In 2021, with support from Act for Peace (AFP), Community World Service Asia (CWSA) hired Bilquis as a teacher at the girls’ school. Even before her official appointment, she had been urging mothers in her community to send their daughters to school. Now, with formal support, she became even more assertive in her campaign. She went door to door, reassuring parents that, in addition to the three male teachers, she was present at the school to support and protect their daughters.

Despite her efforts, challenges remained. Some mothers were so irritated by her persistence that they even threatened to physically assault her. But Bilquis’s crusading spirit was undeterred, and she refused to back down.

The initiative in District Umerkot aims to enhance access to quality, inclusive, and child-friendly education for marginalised children. The project is being implemented in close coordination with the District Education Department, Umerkot.

CWSA and AFP are directly supporting 4,000 students enrolled in 25 remote government primary schools located across three Union Councils — Kaplore, Sekhor, and Faqeer Abdullah. The intervention focuses on improving learning outcomes and student retention by strengthening school environments, promoting community engagement, and enhancing teacher capacity. A total of 15 locally qualified teachers — including 3 women and 12 men — have been hired to implement this initiative.

And so, from just twelve girls on the school rolls who rarely attended, Bilquis successfully managed to enrol ninety girl pupils. Of these, she reports that no fewer than seventy-five now attend regularly. With no other educated woman in the village to share the responsibility, it fell upon Bilquis to teach at both the Sohaib Saand school and the one in the neighbouring village of Haji Mian Hasan Shah. She divides her time equally between the two, spending a fortnight at each school. She proudly reports that in the latter school too — from zero — she now has ninety enrolled girl students.

The total enrolment at the schools where Bilquis teaches has reached 220 students, comprising 100 girls and 120 boys.

Bilquis recounts the story of Qamarunisa, a girl from the village of Hasan Shah, whose family forced her to discontinue her education after completing Grade Five. Being from the Syed community, they claimed that their daughters should observe seclusion upon reaching puberty. But Qamarunisa was determined to finish college and eventually join the army, inspired by the many young women she knew who were proudly serving in uniform.

Moved by the girl’s passion, Bilquis intervened. She pleaded with the family, assuring them that she would personally supervise Qamarunisa throughout her education. Her advocacy bore fruit — not only was Qamarunisa allowed to continue, but her cousin Isra was also enrolled. As of 2025, both girls are in Grade Seven and remain steadfast in their ambition to join the military.

These may be just two examples, but there are many other girls who also aspire to join the armed forces. In addition, there are those who dream of becoming teachers, doctors, and lawyers.

As the CWSA project approached its conclusion, there was a real risk that Bilquis would lose her position. Anticipating this outcome, CWSA had already formed a five-member advocacy group to ensure continuity. Comprising two women and three men — all influential and resourceful individuals — the group serves as a liaison between the NGO and government departments. Independently, the group also raises the necessary funds to pay Bilquis’s honorarium, ensuring that both her role and the education of the girls remain secure.

Both schools are now in the process of being upgraded — a direct result of the efforts of the advocacy group, which organised official visits to both institutions. The decision to upgrade was made in view of the growing number of pupils enrolled. As a result, the under-construction section of the Sohaib Saand school will expand from three to nine classrooms, while the Hasan Shah school will have a total of sixteen classrooms. This development will lead to the recruitment of additional teachers and the creation of a more conducive learning environment.

To enhance the teaching capabilities of schoolteachers, training sessions were conducted on Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), Positive Learning Environment (PLE) strategies, and multi-grade teaching methodologies.

Bilquis shares that the training she received in ECCE, PLE, and multi-grade teaching has been immensely helpful. “My students no longer want to leave school when the day ends — and that is largely thanks to the kit (these kits include learning materials for students, such as flashcards, various alphabet puzzles, building blocks, charts, and stationery items) we received as part of the ECCE training. It makes learning so easy and enjoyable for the children,” she says.

When asked about her greatest success, Bilquis does not hesitate. Three years ago, her daughter — now in Grade Nine — had expressed a desire to transfer to a better school. However, Bilquis and her husband, who earns a modest income, simply could not afford the higher fees. Thanks to her own earnings from this programme — which provides participants with a monthly stipend of PKR 20,000 — they were finally able to make the switch.

But Bilquis considers something else even more significant: girls in the village, who previously dropped out after Grade Five, are now continuing their education.

The very mothers who once threatened to beat her now express their gratitude. They are glad they allowed their daughters to remain in school, as these girls can now read labels on products, check whether medicines are expired, and even navigate mobile phone screens — simple skills that have brought real change. Rather than making costly phone calls, mothers can now ask their daughters to send a text message, saving both time and money. These unlettered mothers feel empowered by the presence of educated daughters in their households.

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As part of our integrated DRR and WASH project in Umerkot, newly constructed water supply schemes were officially inaugurated and handed over to local communities in partnership with government line departments. This symbolic and practical milestone not only marks the successful completion of the project but also ensures community ownership, long-term sustainability, and strengthened collaboration with local authorities.

Building Resilience Restoring Lives:

In 2024, Community World Service Asia, with support from CWSA Japan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan, successfully implemented an integrated Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) project in the flood-affected villages of District Umerkot, Sindh.

This initiative empowered vulnerable farming communities to bounce back stronger from recurring floods by improving agricultural practices, restoring safe water access, and enhancing community preparedness. By combining climate-resilient farming techniques with essential WASH services, the project strengthened both livelihoods and long-term resilience across disaster-prone communities.

Empowering Communities Sustaining Futures

A major component of the initiative involved constructing over 6 kilometres of lined water channels, along with 12 strategically located water reservoirs. These infrastructure developments aim to optimise water conservation and management—crucial for sustaining agriculture in this arid and flood-prone region.

Harnessing Water, Harvesting Prosperity

As a result, more land is now under irrigation, increasing agricultural productivity by up to 60%, which contributes to boosting local food production and economic stability.

The project also supported the establishment of communal nurseries, which have been supplied with
agricultural inputs. The seedlings produced are distributed among community members to develop their own kitchen gardens, contributing to household-level food security and improved dietary diversity.

As a result, households are now more self-reliant in meeting their food needs while also improving their nutritional intake.

The ceremony underscored the community-driven nature of the project, with government representatives highlighting the importance of such initiatives in addressing critical regional challenges, including climate change and water scarcity.

Upon the successful completion of the project, the constructed schemes were officially handed over to the communities in the presence of relevant government departments, ensuring their sustainability and operational effectiveness.

Climate-Ready Communities

Community World Service Asia acknowledged the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders—including the government, its partners, and the community—and reaffirmed their shared commitment to fostering sustainable agriculture, climate resilience, and promoting community-led development.

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Mahli ji Bhit is a village situated approximately ten kilometres north of Kunri town in Umerkot district, predominantly inhabited by members of the Rind tribe of Baloch origin. Among the many families residing there are Babu and his wife, Lali, whose energy and eagerness to share their story are immediately evident. While their rapid manner of speaking may pose a challenge for those unfamiliar with the Sindhi language, their lived experiences tell a powerful story of resilience.

The couple has eight children—five sons and three daughters. Despite their economic challenges, Lali shares that having more sons is often viewed as a sign of wealth within their community.

Babu and Lali work as sharecroppers on five acres of land, along with two of their sons. In 2022, while much of Sindh was devastated by widespread flooding, the family’s crops—guar beans, millets, and mung—thrived in the Thar Desert. When the harvest was assessed in November, their share of the yield helped offset the recent loss of their only goat, which had died due to illness. The family was even able to purchase two goats to ensure a steady supply of milk.

This was rare prosperity, and having lifted a loan of PKR 45,000 (approx. USD 161) from their landlord, they wedded off their elder daughter in the hope that a good wheat harvest in March would help them repay. However, because of the landlord’s demand, they soon had to sell both newly-acquired goats to repay the debt. Babu and Lali recount that for a full year they were without a goat and had only black tea. Sometimes, if there were ten or twenty rupees to spare, they would purchase some milk for the luxury of milk tea. But that meagre amount paid for only a cup and a half of milk that could but slightly colour their tea.

If they were dreaming of having a goat in 2023, their hopes were dashed because they could not rent a tractor for ploughing in good time. Inevitably, late sowing made for a poorer harvest and they just about recovered their expense. They were fortunate to have one son working as a salesman in a store in Kunri who brought home PKR 12,000 (approx. USD 43) every month. This was, however, scarcely enough to feed ten people.

Once again anticipating a good harvest, Babu and Lali wedded their eldest son in the summer of 2024. Once again the wedding was on borrowed money and they were barely able to repay their landlord at harvest time. Their struggle persisted until they received the first instalment of CWSA’s Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA), amounting to PKR 17,000 (approx USD 61). This timely support offered much-needed relief, particularly as the forty kilograms of millets they had retained after repaying their loan to the landlord lasted only two weeks. The cash assistance formed part of the ongoing project titled “Strengthening the Livelihoods and Resilience of Vulnerable Agricultural Communities in Rural Sindh – Phase 2,” implemented in Umerkot District, specifically in the Union Councils of Faqeer Abdullah and Sekharo. Supported by Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe (DKH), the project aims to enhance the resilience of climate-affected rural farming communities by improving food security, livelihood opportunities, and community organisation in the face of natural calamities. A total of 460 households—216 men and 244 women—are being supported through five rounds of MPCA. The first and second tranches were disbursed in October and November 2024, with the remaining three planned for April, May, and June 2025, coinciding with the region’s lean agricultural periods.

A goat and the second round of the cash grant made life a little easier. It looked positively rosy when the goat bore a male kid. There was now half a litre of milk in the mornings for tea and an equal amount in the evenings that was used partly for tea and partly for the children. One wonders how many cups could ten persons have from half a litre of milk and yet be able to spare some for the children. But when one has spent a lifetime of such severity as this family, even a sip or two of milk is a luxury.

By the time these lines are read, Babu and Lali would have used up their third round of PKR 17,000 to purchase some food. As the cold weather fades into summer, they will hope they get the tractor in time for the ploughing and that the rains too keep a favourable schedule. If the harvest is good in November 2025, they will sell the kid they have in their courtyard, then hopefully, a healthy yearling. Altogether, they might be able to wed away another daughter without going under debt.

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Rahman, a young boy living in Ghulam Muhammad Bhambhro village of District Khairpur, Sindh, is a participant of a healthcare initiative led by Community World Service Asia (CWSA) and supported by the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD). His story highlights the impact of accessible and quality healthcare for marginalised families.

Seven-year-old Rahman is Punhal and Heer’s second child. The parents live hand-to-mouth on 1.5 acres of fertile land with their four children. Their modest income and lack of resources make it nearly impossible to meet the food security needs of the family, let alone address emergencies. Rehman resides in the desert region of Taluka Nara, an area severely impacted by climate change. In May, June, July, and August 2024, the region experienced intense heat waves that further exacerbated the challenges faced by its inhabitants.

The family’s lives were upended when Rahman suffered severe burns after accidentally falling into a fire. The severe burns along his back were quite worrisome for his parents. With no savings and limited options, they took him to a private dispensary thrice, spending a borrowed sum of PKR 5,000 (approximately USD 18), but Rahman’s condition did not improve.

Desperate and running out of options, the family learned about the Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (MNCH) Centre at Rural Health Centre (RHC) Nara Gate (in the same union council as their village). They met Khursheed, a staff nurse at the centre who carefully reviewed Rahman’s medical history and prescribed a new medication. For the first time, Rahman’s condition began to improve within a week. By the second visit, his parents were surprised by his swift recovery.

“We were worried about his health, but the free medication and quality care at Nara Gate helped him recover within just one week,” Rahman’s parents remarked. “We were struggling to afford treatment, but CWSA’s intervention saved us from financial ruin. Rahman’s recovery is a testament to their dedication and care.”

The family’s initial hesitation stemmed from their distrust of government healthcare facilities, often viewed as poorly equipped and understaffed. However, their experience at RHC Nara Gate changed these assumptions. The facility provided free treatment and delivered services with dignity and respect.
This positive experience inspired the family to advocate for the facility within their community. Rahman’s recovery encouraged others to trust and utilise the healthcare services at RHC Nara Gate.

Since CWSA revitalised RHC Nara Gate in March 2023, it has served as a lifeline for the community. The centre, operational five days a week from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM, offers essential services such as primary healthcare and MNCH programs. In partnership with the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD), CWSA has provided healthcare services and free medication to over 15,942 patients between August and October 2024, transforming lives in Taluka Nara.

Rahman has now recovered and is in good health. He has returned to school and enjoys playing with his siblings and friends in the village. His parents, once burdened with worry, now dream of a brighter future for their son.

“We want him to continue his education and build a better life for himself,” said his father with a hopeful smile.

Rahman’s story highlights the power of accessible, quality healthcare to save lives and restore faith in public systems. Owing to CWSA and its partners’ efforts, RHC Nara Gate has become a trusted resource for the community, embodying the promise of dignity, respect, and equity in healthcare. Families like Rahman’s now have hope that even in times of crisis, help is within reach.

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Under a shade, steel plates filled with warm, homemade meals wait for the children at around 11:00 AM on a hot summer day. Bananas and apples rest on the side, a rare treat for the students who eagerly gather for lunch. The aroma of freshly cooked roti (flat bread) and mixed vegetables drifts through the air as Soorma, one of the school cooks, ladles food onto each plate. Her daughter, Bhawna, watches eagerly—today’s meal, like every other, means more than just nourishment. It represents a new chapter in the village’s journey towards education and empowerment.

For years, Government Girls’ Primary School Ratnore lay abandoned, its doors closed in 2008, leaving most of the village’s girls without access to education. Ratnore is about 45 kilometres away from the main Umerkot city in Sindh. Cultural and economic barriers, coupled with the ever-present struggle against food insecurity, made it nearly impossible for families to send their daughters to school. However, that changed when Community World Service Asia (CWSA), with the support of Presbyterian World Service & Development (PWS&D), stepped in. By reopening the school and launching a school feeding programme, they not only filled empty stomachs but also rekindled a thirst for learning.

Inside the makeshift school kitchen, Soorma kneads dough, sweat trickling down her forehead in the midday heat. She and another village woman prepare fresh meals daily, a task she wholeheartedly embraces, knowing her daughter and many others will eat well.

“My daughter Bhawna always wanted to study, but there was no school for girls here,” Soorma says, rolling out a roti before tossing it onto the hot griddle. “When the school finally opened, the lunch programme made it easier for us to send her. Now, she is happy, learning English, and dreams of becoming a doctor.”

Bhawna, a bright-eyed eight-year-old, echoes her mother’s pride. “I love coming to school! The food is always delicious, and I want to keep studying,” she says.

The school feeding programme also includes fresh goat milk every afternoon before lunch. Meena, a local goat owner, arrives early to deliver the milk, a task she has taken upon herself with unwavering commitment. She is among the 30 women from different households of the village who have received goats to support the school. In the evening, the owners use the milk for their families.

“I bring milk for the children every day because I want my daughter and all the other girls to grow up strong and educated,” she says. “Even if my goat’s milk runs out, I borrow some from my neighbours—this is my responsibility.”

For Meena, education is a family mission. Her eldest son is studying to become a doctor, while her younger children are also pursuing school. “We couldn’t study because of poverty,” she says, “but I will do everything I can to give my children a better future.”

Before the school feeding programme, many children had one meal a day or relied on simple meals at home—if lucky. Rabia, a student, recalls a time before school became part of her daily routine.

“When we didn’t attend school, we only had cow’s milk and a few vegetables like guar and chibhar,” she says. “Now, we eat a proper meal every day, and I enjoy studying.”

For her classmates Sapna and Raksha, the change is life-altering. “We come to school happily now, knowing we’ll get a good meal. Our health has improved, and more girls in our village are joining school,” they explain. “And we love biryani which is cooked once a week here and is very tasty!”

The impact extends beyond individual students. From January to December 2024, the project implemented in the Union Councils of Kaplore, Sekhro, and Faqeer Abdullah ensured that 450 students across three schools in Umerkot received nutritious meals. Parents who were once hesitant about sending their daughters to school now feel reassured.

“People in our village didn’t prioritise girls’ education before,” says a Village Management Committee member (VMC) member. “But when CWSA involved us, we offered two community halls to host the school. Now, 1201 girls are enrolled.”

The initiative has also created economic opportunities for local women. Besides Soorma, another village woman Dheli has been employed as a school helper, responsible for serving food and cleaning. The women are incentivised by being paid PKR 25,000 each. Even the government has collaborated—after the school reopened, the District Education Officer (DEO) provided an additional teacher from the village.

For too long, hunger and gender inequality kept girls out of classrooms. But through this programme, education and nutrition have become intertwined, breaking long-standing barriers. The meals provide more than sustenance—they offer a reason to attend school, a chance to dream, and a path toward independence.

As Bhawna finishes her lunch and wipes her hands clean, she runs off to join her friends, ready for the next lesson. In a village where education was once an afterthought for girls, the clang of steel plates and students’ laughter are sounds of change—proof that something as simple as a meal can redefine futures.

  1. On average, 95 to 100 girls attend the school. However, attendance tends to be lower during the seasonal crop harvesting period. ↩︎

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In a remote village in Umerkot District, Sindh, 45-year-old Zulikhan fights every day to provide for her eight children— aged between 17 and 5 years. With agriculture as their only livelihood, her family depends on a small four-acre plot of land. But as harsh climatic conditions worsen and resources remain scarce, the struggle to survive grows more daunting with each passing season.

The agricultural land that Zulikhan and her family cultivate generates an annual income of PKR 120,000 (approx. USD 428) from seasonal crops such as millet, cluster beans, and moth beans—planted once each year. However, this modest income falls far short of covering the family’s monthly expenses, which amount to PKR 25,000 (approx. USD 90). To bridge the gap, Zulikhan’s husband, Sohbdar, takes on additional work selling wood, earning between PKR 12,000 to 15,000 (approx. USD 42 to 53) per month. Yet, despite his extra efforts, the family continues to struggle to meet even their most basic needs. Their monthly expenses add up to a minimum of 20,000 (approx. USD 72) for food and PKR 5,000 (approx. USD 18) for necessities such as water, healthcare, and hygiene maintenance. And the expenses are usually more than this.

To support vulnerable communities affected by severe climate change impact and subsequent poverty and food insecurity, Community World Service Asia (CWSA), with the support of Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe (DKH), launched an initiative titled, “Strengthening the Livelihoods and Resilience of Vulnerable Agricultural Communities in Rural Sindh, Pakistan” in June 2024. Lasting up until August 2025, the interventions under this project aim to enhance the resilience of these affected communities by improving agricultural and livelihood opportunities in the area.

A total of 460 community members from 15 villages across Union Councils Sekhro and Faqeer Abdullah were carefully selected for assistance based on strict criteria, prioritising large, agriculture-dependent families living below the poverty line. Among them was Zulikhan’s family, chosen to receive a goat to support long-term livelihood sustainability, along with PKR 17,000 (approx. USD 61) in cash assistance for food security, provided in October and November. To ease the burden of water collection, the family was also given water rollers, while kitchen gardening kits and high-quality seeds were provided to promote home-based food production.

As part of the initiative, Zulikhan and her family participated in comprehensive training sessions on agriculture, livestock management, and disaster risk reduction (DRR) to strengthen their resilience and improve productivity. Additionally, livestock vaccinations and deworming services were provided to ensure the health and productivity of their animals.

The kitchen gardening kit included essential tools such as a hand sprinkler, hand hoe, garden trowel, nets, and 50 grams each of seven different vegetable seeds, equipping Zulikhan and other families with the resources to grow fresh, nutritious food at home, enhancing both food security and self-sufficiency.

The cash assistance provided by CWSA has been a lifeline for Zulikhan and her family, helping ease their financial struggles. With the first installment, she prioritised purchasing essential groceries like oil, tea leaves, and sugar, ensuring her family had enough food to sustain them. Upon receiving the second installment, she saw an opportunity to create a more stable source of income by starting a small business selling goods, allowing her to cover her household’s daily expenses and work toward greater financial independence.

From the second instalment of PKR 17,000 (approx. USD 61), Zulikhan decided to invest in purchasing confectionery items at wholesale rates. Given that the village had only one shop, which often lacked essential goods, she recognised an unmet demand within the community. Seeing this as an opportunity, she made a strategic decision to start a small-scale business from her home, selling these items to her neighbours. Setting up a small shop just within her house, she was able to generate additional income while providing villagers with easier access to everyday necessities. This initiative turned out to be a strategic and rewarding choice, enabling her to set aside small savings while actively contributing to her family’s financial stability.

Meanwhile, Zulikhan continues to run her small home-based shop, earning between PKR 200 to 300 (approx. USD 0.70 to 1.70) per day. On average, she generates an additional PKR 8,000 (approx. USD 28) per month from this business. Despite her efforts and the support from the project, the total household income barely covers their essential expenses, but at least they are not in debt now.

However, with the support of Community World Service Asia (CWSA) and Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe (DKH), Zulikhan’s family has seen a significant improvement in their monthly income and livelihood. The combination of cash assistance, agricultural training, and resource distribution has provided them with the means to strengthen their food security and economic stability.

Driven by her unwavering determination to secure a better future for her family, Zulikhan is committed to growing her small business, ensuring they no longer struggle with daily household expenses. But beyond financial relief, this initiative has fostered a sense of empowerment, resilience, and independence within her household. It has given them not just the means to survive, but the confidence to build a more self-reliant and secure future—one where they can thrive with dignity and hope.

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Imamzadi and her husband Irshad Ali of village Bakshan Metlo, about 17 kilometres west of Khairpur city, own one acre of land and work another acre for a landlord. The harvest of the latter is shared on a fifty-fifty basis between them and the owner. However, the system is inequitable because if a calamity occurs and the crops are lost, the landlord does not share the loss. That is what happened in the great deluge of 2022.

They have only two children, a son and a daughter. In a milieu where a dozen or more children are taken as security for old age, Imamzadi says they had two because they thought it would be easier to feed and educate them. She recognises the reality that more working hands also mean a greater number of mouths to feed and it squares out in the end. Also, when they grow up, sons and daughters are of no help because they have their own families to feed and the same poverty to struggle against. “Two children are better,” she says.

In December 2024, she was a happy woman, because for the first time in her life, she was only under a loan of about PKR 20,000 (approx. USD 70.75), and her fresh young wheat and vegetable patch were looking good. She could not say ‘CWSA’ but used the word idaro (organisation) and it is because of this idaro that she was burdened only so lightly.

She explains that every sowing season, they hire a tractor to plough and obtain seeds on loan on the understanding that the creditor will be repaid after the harvest. In between if they ever need insecticides, those too are on credit. They never used fertiliser only because they could not afford it even if doing without it meant harvesting just about 600 kilograms of wheat per acre.

Back in 2022, after she and Irshad had harvested their wheat and paid off their loan, they prepared their land for sorghum and things looked good when it began to sprout. As the first rains began in July that year, the couple rejoiced, for the timing was perfect. But it rained and rained and rained endlessly and soon their young sorghum was under a metre of water. Four weeks of non stop rain wiped out everything they had on their meagre two acres. Without a harvest, Imamzadi and Irshad Ali fell into a debt of PKR 50,000 (approx. USD 176.87).

For a whole year, the couple kept body and soul together working as labourers where needed. In fact, Irshad Ali spent most of his time in nearby towns and even in Khairpur city where he worked on construction sites where he used to earn a daily wage of PKR 500 (approx. USD 1.8) . If they had lost their crops in the floods, others were deprived of the roofs above their heads and there was frantic rebuilding activity where Irshad was able to lend a hand for a few hundred rupees a day.

“If he got work in the city, Irshad would return with some flour and vegetables and a little cash. Then we would eat, but even so, that was not like before. There was very little food for a whole year,” says Imamzadi. As for herself, she earned around PKR 250 (approx. USD 0.9) by cutting 40kg of grass and selling it for fodder. If rainwater had killed off crops, at least it produced this abundance of grasses.

There was no wheat sowing in November 2022 because of waterlogging. The sorghum harvest in the summer of 2023 provided the family just about enough to sell for cash and keep some for food. But later that year, a project supported by Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) and Community World Service Asia (CWSA), brought its first round of farming input for Imamzadi’s family, among others affected by the floods of 2022. There was cash to pay for the tractor to plough and ample seed for the two-acre spread together with fertiliser. The wheat harvest in April 2024 yielded some 1,200 kilograms of wheat per acre.

Imamzadi says this was the first time they had used fertiliser which gave them the bumper crop. After settling with the landlord and selling some of their harvests for cash, they had enough grain to last them through the year. Very judiciously, the couple had also kept aside enough grain to be used as seed for the sowing in November 2024.

With an equanimity that comes from a life of hardship, Imamzadi recounts the only setback of 2024. The family owns 12 date palms, the fruit of which they sometimes process to make chhuvara, the cooked version of date. This past summer the couple had planned not to sell their standing crop for a lower price but to process and sell for better profit. As it was, the harvest had been stunted because of the past year’s waterlogging and just when the prepared fruit was drying in the sun, a short spell of rain damaged it. They could sell it only for half the usual price, about PKR 1,200 (approx. USD 4.24) per 40 kilogram.

When quizzed on how she looks at this loss, Imamzadi says, “What is life without its ups and downs?” And it is not as bad as it might seem for they did not have to invest any money in their date trees and they nevertheless made a profit on the chhuvara. “Next year perhaps there will be a better harvest,” she adds thoughtfully.

However, with the sprouted wheat looking good, Imamzadi had a whole acre of vegetables from seed provided under the project. “This is the first time we have no loan to clear when we harvest our vegetables and wheat. And with our own vegetables doing so well, our food is so much better than ever before,” says a very satisfied Imamzadi.

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