The Prem Rawat Foundation gave a grant in August 2009 for food aid to families displaced by the internal conflict in the North West Frontier Province in Pakistan, one of the poorest areas in the country. The grant of US$30,000 provided food for one month to over 2,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who were forced to find a way to survive outside the overcrowded refugee camps.

Most of these were being hosted by strangers who had generously offered to take them in, but did so at the expense of their own family’s wellbeing. Soon both the IDPs and their host families had become vulnerable to the competition for severely limited resources. TPRF’s grant provided food packages containing rice, three kinds of legumes, tea, oil, and flour to over 700 families. TPRF’s partner, the Shirkat Gah Women’s Resource Centre handled need assessments, food purchases, and distribution, giving particular care to respect the dignity and special requirements of the recipients, most of whom were women and children.

Expressions of gratitude and relief from these recipients show how much this aid meant to them. The following are a few examples:

“If we didn’t smile, we would be dead from crying,” said Arif Saba, a widow and mother of eight, living with a host family at Khazano Dheri village, district Mardan. She explained that as a woman, she was not allowed to go out of the house to get food or to register for the aid that was offered. Then a representative of the Shirkat Gah team came to help her register for the food provided by TPRF. A few days before, her youngest daughter had begged for paratha (fried bread) until she finally yelled at her because they had no oil. “That night,” she said, “I felt so helpless. I cried so much that literally I was left with no tears in my eyes.” Then the food arrived. “Today is just like an Eid for us (like Christmas),” she said. “I will make lots of parathas for my daughter, and I will also share these food items with my host family. Most importantly, today I feel independent because I am able to cook whatever I like. I am so thankful to those people who have shared their love and support in the form of food items.”

Zigar, father of three sons and two daughters, had also been living with a host family in Khazano Dheri village. He said, “Before the food distribution, the IDPs in the village were talking about the food packages, and we expected that it would be an ordinary food package like the ones we had experienced before. On the day of food distribution, I was shocked when I checked and saw that the food items were of high quality. This food means a lot to me because I do not have a job and it is not easy to feed my family. Now I won’t have to worry about that for several weeks.”

One young man, Bahadur Khan, 18 years old and totally dependent on his host family in Mardan, said, “I do not have the proper words to express my feelings. Although this food package will finish sooner or later, the way you have shown your love, respect, and support, my family and I will remember your kindness forever.”

The grant will also provide food supplements, medicines, and the services of a female Health Visitor for three specialized medical camps set up for women. These women will also be offered health education classes to help them avoid preventable illnesses.

Dr. Saman, Regional Director of Shirkat Gah, said, “The assistance we received from TPRF was a real godsend to the many IDPs living in a very difficult situation in the Khazano Dheri village.”

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