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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.

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.

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.

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. ↩︎

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.

Last year, we traveled to the Thar region of Umerkot to document the transformative impact of the Humanitarian Assistance, Early Recovery, and Development (HERD) Project, supported by Canadian Foodgrain Bank (CFGB) and Presbytarian World Service and Development. (PWS&D). Through our lens, we captured stories of resilience, hope, and progress. Six months later, we returned to the village to share the documentary with the very people whose lives it portrayed. The entire community came together to witness their own stories unfold on screen—a moment of reflection, empowerment, and collective strength.

Vicholo Par in Umerkot district is a very peculiar village. Of its 120 households, no fewer than 30 have children or adults with disabilities. Sometimes, a single household has two or three differently abled persons. Here, one can observe limbs that appear shortened, hands and feet with irregular shapes, or fingers that are absent. Strangely, despite it being a Hindu village, there is absolutely no inbreeding which is endemic among Muslims.

Although there is a school in the village, several differently abled children have been kept out of it. Bhoj Raj who does not know his age but seems to be about eight, suffers from a considerably shorter right leg with a poorly formed knee joint. He does not wear shoes and reaches school in about 20 minutes[1] by hopping on his good leg. When the hot sand burns his foot, he goes by cartwheels. Until he joined in Grade 1 recently, he remained home helping his mother with housework and feeding the family’s livestock while his five healthy siblings all attended school.

He says he never thought he could be in school until his playmates told him of the new equipment the school[2] had received. There were swings and a seesaw in the grounds and in class they had colourful cards and charts with pictures and names of birds, animals, fruit, and Sindhi, English and Urdu alphabets. 

Government Boys Primary School (GBPS) Vicholo Par is supported by Act for Peace through the “Improving Health and Education Services in Migration-Prone Union Councils of District Umerkot” project. Schools selected for this initiative must meet specific criteria, including being fully functional government schools with at least two classrooms and teachers. Community World Service Asia (CWSA) prioritises the enrollment of girls and the inclusion of vulnerable groups, such as persons with disabilities (PWDs). The project has enhanced this school by providing a multigrade teaching kit for educators, play-based kits for children to promote joyful learning, and teacher training under a positive learning program. Furthermore, the project has installed a swing to promote play-based education and supplied quarterly school materials to ensure a conducive learning environment.

As well as that, they were given materials to paint and draw. Learning had become so much fun since August 2024, they all told Bhoj Raj, that they did not want to leave school when time was up. Just months after he joined, the child wants to be a school teacher when he grows up. “I want to be a teacher so that after my duty in school, I go to every house with disabled children and give lessons free of charge,” he said.

Pato Bai, aged nine, is another student at the same school. She is the only disabled child among her four other siblings. Both her feet are shaped in a way that she walks on the outer sides rather than on the soles. As a child, walking had always been very difficult, but as she grew up, she learned to keep her balance with what nature had given her.

Pato’s mother says that though they live only 10 minutes’ walk away, she did not send her daughter to school because of her difficulty in walking. Also, the government teacher was rarely ever present[3] in school and children simply wasted their time. In her view, Pato was better off helping with chores around the house. She says that the new teacher, Raheem Das[4], being from the same village has been regular in attendance since he joined in March 2021 and the input from the idaro (organisation meaning CWSA) changed her mind. Seeing her daughter doing better than her other siblings, she is happy she changed her mind.

In August 2024, CWSA trained teacher Raheem Das deployed the Early Childhood Care and Education kit to make the classroom a fun place that Pato enrolled in. Her interest in learning is so great that even at home she had asked her siblings to tutor her and consequently was taken in Grade 3. She dreams of studying medicine so that she can prevent children being born with deformities like hers. And if there are any, her pledge to herself is that she will treat them free of charge.

When she does finish her degree, Pato will make a very artistic doctor because of her talent in painting and drawing. The school has several sheets of her artwork on display produced during a recent art competition in which Pato topped. Ever more commendable is the fact that the two students who topped in the games competition are both differently abled – Pato and Bhoj Raj[5].


[1] While other children cover the distance in five to 10 minutes.

[2] The total number of students enrolled is 95, consisting of 65 boys and 30 girls.

[3] The teacher was appointed from a distant village, faced health issues that hindered his regular attendance.

[4] The teacher has passed the government teaching test and has been teaching for four years. He is originally from the village itself.

[5] The teachers promote inclusive education by creating opportunities for all children, including girls, boys, and children with disabilities (PWDs). In remote areas lacking specialised institutions, the teacher works to support the inclusion of PWDs in school admissions and activities. Their efforts ensure equal participation for PWDs in sports, poster competitions, and other events, fostering a sense of belonging and enabling them to continue their education.

Latifan, a 20-year-old woman from Ramo Vehro, UC Faqeer Abdullah in Umerkot, lives with her husband, Yaseen Muhammad, and their three-year-old son, Umer. The household also includes her brother-in-law, his wife, and their three children, making it a family of eight living under one roof. Yaseen works as a daily wage labourer, earning PKR 500 (approximately USD 1.8) per day, though there are occasional opportunities where he earns up to PKR 1000  (approximately USD 7.2) for a day’s work. The family’s monthly expenses amount to around PKR 8,000  (approximately USD 28.7), covering essential grocery items such as wheat, sugar, tea leaves, and rice.

In 2021, a severe drought devastated Latifan’s village, destroying agricultural lands and decimating livestock. The family farmed on four acres of shared land, cultivating cluster beans and millet. However, the drought rendered their crops useless, leaving them in a dire economic state. The family faced a very challenging time but they have persevered and remained resilient.

Community World Service Asia (CWSA), with support from Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe (DKH), initiated a Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance programme in the drought-affected regions of Umerkot. The initiative provided PKR 17,000 ( (approximately USD 61) per household every month for three months—September, October, and November—benefitting 460 households, including Latifan’s family. Their inclusion in the programme was due to their large household size, low income, and farming background. Upon receiving the first tranche of PKR 17,000, Latifan prioritised purchasing wheat for PKR 10,000  (approximately USD 36), with PKR 1,000  (approximately USD 3.6) allocated to land preparation expenses. The remaining PKR 6,000  (approximately USD 22) was spent on groceries such as lentils, rice, and tea leaves, leaving her with PKR 1,000  (approximately USD 3.6)  in savings.

Latifan’s aspirations for the remaining instalments include repairing their home and purchasing a mobile phone to facilitate better communication. Her leadership skills are evident through her active participation in the community as a member of the Village Management Committee led by CWSA. As deputy president, she not only takes training sessions from CWSA’s women mobilisers but also shares her knowledge on cultivation and harvesting techniques with other women farmers in the community. Her confidence and proactive nature have made her a key contact for NGOs organising community visits.

The cash assistance programme has significantly improved the family’s living conditions, enabling them to afford three meals a day. Previously, they managed only one or two meals daily. The family’s meals now consist of a good breakfast, potato curry for lunch, and chapati (flatbread) with curry for dinner. They live in a modest two-room house shared between Latifan’s family and her brother-in-law’s household. Their combined livestock of seven goats—four belonging to the brother-in-law and three to Latifan—provides milk for household consumption, with additional milk sold by her brother-in-law, who earns PKR 200 to  300  (approximately USD 1) as a shepherd.

Despite these improvements, Latifan’s family continues to face hardships. The lingering threat of drought hampers agricultural recovery, and Yaseen’s fluctuating income barely meets their needs. A mounting debt of PKR 200,000 (approximately USD 720) weighs heavily on the family, accrued primarily from food purchases and medical expenses, including PKR 40,000 (approximately USD 144) for Latifan’s cesarean operation when her son was born. Health remains a top concern, particularly with her son being susceptible to common childhood illnesses like flu, fever, and cough, which could hinder his healthy growth. Additionally, her nephew’s sleep disturbances pose a further health worry. However, through hard work and payments made to the landlord, they have managed to repay PKR 100,000  (approximately USD 360) of the debt.

Latifan’s determination remains unwavering. Her family plans to use the forthcoming assistance to improve their land conditions, resume crop cultivation, and allocate PKR 10,000  (approximately USD 36) towards further debt repayment. With a vision for a more stable future, Latifan continues to lead her household and community with resilience, striving for financial independence and a sustainable livelihood amidst ongoing challenges.

Quality and Accountability in humanitarian work are essential to ensure that aid effectively supports and empowers the communities it is intended to help. Community World Service Asia (CWSA) provides technical support and guidance to local humanitarian agencies in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and across the Asia-Pacific region to enhance quality and accountability by applying the Sphere Minimum Standards.

In partnership with Concern Worldwide, CWSA conducted a three-day workshop from 21 to 23 February 2024, in Umerkot, Sindh, titled “Integrating Sphere Technical Standards in Project Cycle Management”. Eighteen participants enrolled in the workshop, including 12 men and six women. The training focused on enhancing participants’ understanding and skills in applying the Sphere Minimum Standards throughout different Project Cycle Management (PCM) stages. It aimed to explain the philosophy and approach of Sphere and guide participants in navigating the Sphere handbook to help them integrate the standards into the humanitarian project cycle more effectively.

Local and national humanitarian practitioners were equipped with the technical, management, and programmatic skills required to enhance the quality of their internal operations and improve their effectiveness in disaster preparedness and response through the three days. Participants gained a thorough understanding of Sphere’s core principles and learned how to apply the standards across key themes such as water and sanitation, health, shelter, and nutrition. They also worked towards developing skills in needs assessment, response planning, and program implementation following Sphere guidelines.

“As humanitarian workers and development practitioners, we are all familiar with the various stages of project management. However, this training was especially valuable for understanding the practical application of Sphere standards during the project design and implementation stages,” said Harris Najeeb[1], Manager of Networking and Partnerships at ARTS Foundation, who participated in the training.

ARTS Foundation is a non-profit, indigenous civil society organisation based in Sindh. It focuses on capacity development, action research, policy advocacy, and humanitarian response. The foundation’s current projects are centered on flood recovery and response, particularly on Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH).

“The Sphere technical standards of WASH & Hygiene, have been particularly informative for me. After the training, I conducted a session on WASH technical standards, for my team of community mobilisers & hygiene promoters. We are now referring to the Water Supply Standard 2.1 (Access and Water Quantity), Excreta Management Standard 3.2 (Access to and use of toilets) and Hygiene Promotion Standard 1.2 (Identification, access to and use of hygiene items). Our teams are using these indicators while designing toilets for communities.”

Harris has also helped his team update the organisation’s Safe Programming Matrix document, incorporating protection principles, gender sensitivity, operational context, and environmental impact, all in line with Sphere guidelines.

Although ARTS Foundation has not yet initiated the Sphere or Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS) accreditation process, they are keen to build their staff’s capacity on Sphere standards and integrate the Sphere approach into their grassroots community work.

Furthermore, participants acquired an understanding of accountability mechanisms, such as feedback and complaint systems, to promote transparency and community involvement. They also learned strategies to enhance coordination and collaboration with other humanitarian actors, thereby improving the overall effectiveness of emergency response efforts.

CWSA remains committed to supporting local NGOs and civil society in strengthening their knowledge and capacity on Sphere, to enhance the overall effectiveness of humanitarian and development responses.


[1] Interviewee: Engineer Haris Najeeb, Advocacy, Research, Training and Services (ARTS) Foundation, Sindh, artsf.haris@gmail,com, (03343317352)

Life has taken a harsh turn for Lachhman, a 26-year-old father of two in a small village in Union Council Faqeer Abdullah of District Umerkot, Sindh. His family of five—two young daughters aged eight and seven, his wife, and his mother—depend entirely on agriculture as their primary source of income. On their five acres of rain-fed land, they once grew crops such as cluster beans, moth beans, and millet, which thrived in good rainfall seasons. This brought a yearly income of around PKR 70,000 to 80,000 (approximately 288 USD).

However, for the past five years, irregular and increasingly unreliable rainfall has made this a once-stable source of income precarious. The crop yield from their land has fallen by 50%, and rising inflation has made survival incredibly difficult for the family. Their total household expenditure, almost PKR 10,000 to 12,000 (approximately 44 USD), has become nearly impossible to meet for the couple. As a result,  the children cannot attend school—not just due to financial constraints but also because there is no school available in their village.

Recognising the challenges faced by agricultural communities like Lachhman’s, Community World Service Asia (CWSA) initiated a humanitarian project titled “Strengthening the Livelihoods and Resilience of Vulnerable Agricultural Communities in Rural Sindh, Pakistan”, supported by Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe (DKH). This initiative is specifically designed to support families whose livelihoods depend heavily on agriculture and have been severely impacted by unpredictable weather patterns and climate change impact, in terms of a significant drop in their income. The project aims to enable these families to adapt and survive in these challenging and evolving conditions.

Lachhman’s family was selected to receive assistance under this project, as their livelihood was 75% reliant on agriculture, and their income had drastically decreased due to poor crop yields. Lachhman received Multipurpose Cash Assistance (MPCA), distributed through mobile cash transfers (Telenor mobile wallet accounts). On October 8, 2024, he received his first installment of PKR 17,000 (approximately 62 USD). A total of five installments of the same amount will be provided, totaling PKR 85,000 (approximately 306 USD), during the project.

This first installment was a lifeline for Lachhman and his family. With the money, he bought new clothes for his children and met other essential needs, such as groceries. The timing of this assistance was important, as his crops were not yet ready for harvesting[1], and the family had no other source of income. Without this support, Lachhman might have had to borrow money, causing further financial difficulties.

For the future, Lachhman is already planning to invest the next installment in a small tuck shop. He requires PKR 15,000 to 20,000 (approx. USD 54 to 72) to fulfill this dream. He hopes this new business will provide his family with a steady daily income of PKR 200 to 300 (approx. USD 1 to 2), while also benefiting other villages, as there is currently only one shop in the area. In the meantime, Lachhman has also started cultivating his land again, planting cluster beans on two acres, moth beans on one acre, and millet on the remaining two acres. He managed to buy the seeds even before he received the financial assistance.

“I am very thankful to the whole team at CWSA for this immense support. If I had to borrow from someone, it would have caused a lot of difficulties going forward,” Lachhman said gratefully.

The selection of participating families in the project began in late August 2024, and CWSA had started providing much-needed financial assistance to those most in need by October. Through these efforts, families can survive the economic hardships brought on by climate change and maintain their livelihoods in the face of unpredictable weather conditions.

This initiative not only addresses immediate financial needs but also helps these vulnerable communities build resilience for the future. It helps reduce their suffering and survive challenging times with dignity. With support like this, families like Lachhman’s have hope for a more stable and prosperous future, despite the continuing challenges they face due to climate change and subsequent economic hardships.


[1] August is typically the harvest time for cluster beans and millet, but these had been severely affected