Dear all,
Here I am, honouring my promise to NUS - A blog about my study exchange experiences in Hong Kong.
This is The University of Hong Kong's (HKU) Main Building. Does the design of this building not remind you of some ancient building? Well, let me give you some history of HKU.
The University is founded in 1910 - the birth of Hong Kong's first tertiary institution. In December 1916, the University held its first congregation, with just 23 graduates.
It was ten years after the founding of HKU that women students were admitted for the first time. In 1937, Queen Mary Hospital opened and has served as the University's teaching hospital since that time.
Up to today, it is now Hong Kong's largest tertiary-level institution for continuing education with cumulative enrolment totalling more than one million students.
Therefore, I am pretty sure I will be able to gain some quality education over here, together with some cultural exchange and interaction with the local students. I will definitely enjoy my semester here! So dear friends, enjoy along with me! =)
Friday, November 18, 2005
Ali's Pakistan TripAli finally came back from Pakistan after 3 weeks. He joined Hussaini Relief, an NGO that is there to help the affected areas and families by providing rations and shelters. He was there to witness it all.. Please check out this powerpoint slides - a product by Ali Manek..
http://www.hussainirelief.org/ali/ali2.ppsIf you are interested, this is his story...
November 5, 2005
What am I suppose to say? How can I describe what has happened? It's impossible! I'm here and I can't understand what is going on, so how can I be expected to make you understand? How could something likethis happen? How are these people still smiling? How do they not see what I see? In reality, it is me who can't see what they see life and a second chance at it for most of the people I have met.
I've had to walk away from people with tears in my eyes at just the thought that in 35 seconds, they lost everything they had. What would I do if I woke up in the morning and my two sisters were dead? If I had to watch my father run into my house to save my mother only to have the roof cave in on the two of them claiming both their lives? What would I do if I was an orphan today?
I can't explain to you the devastation that I have witnessed. How spiritually motivating this mission has been as I've seen families who despite losing everything they had, still giving thanks to God at every opportunity. And having nothing, they still offer me something to drink, something to eat, and a place to stay.
My flight was 9 hours from Hong Kong.. Before leaving I got a phonecall from someone at the Consulate General's office in HK letting me know that I would have to pay for any overweight baggage or send it free of charge to the President Relief Fund. I decided to pay so that I knew where everything was being distributed. Believe me it's paid off.
I had some trouble getting into Pakistan. I was held at the Pakistan Immigration office for 4 hours and they wouldn't let me make a phonecall. I was being picked up by someone named Coronal Naqvi who has been working with a relief group. But I had no idea who he was orwhat group. Anyways, it wound up that "Coronal" means that he's inthe army so finally when I was allowed to make a phone call, he quickly sent a soldier that was already on duty in the Airport to getme. It took all of 5 minutes for the 4 hours of waiting to be cleared up. (Note: It's very important to know someone in the Army in Pakistan!)
I spent my first few days in Islamabad. Working in refugee camps where the mood is quite pleasant believe it or not. Despite overcrowed tents and lack of washrooms, the people were very nice. Theorganization that I have joined is called Hussaini Relief. I met all the organizers in the morning that I arrived. They made me feel very comfortable and started asking about what I want to do and where Iwant to go. I was thrilled that they were more interested in making sure that I was in control of everything I am going to do here and they are most interested in helping me achieve my goals.
I visited Mansara first and some of the villages in the mountains nearby. It was unbelievable to see how families were living. All the members of the family (11) were sleeping with cardboard over their head, in two beds. I was quick to offer them one of the tents I had with me and they were very happy.
I better tell you about Hussaini Relief. Basically, they are providing ration to a number of families in rural areas. Islamabad is the headquarters and they have sub-offices in Mansara, Muzaffarabad, and Bagh. Each of these offices has distribution centers along theroutes in their respected areas. Basically, all donations and supplies come to the University Campus in Islamabad where volunteers organize everything and store them into the unused classrooms. Then when requests are made by the sub-offices, Islamabad sends out truckloads of supplies. Also, in Islamabad and Muzaffarabad, HussainiRelief has set up tent villages to house people for the winter months. They are also working on economic development in the affected areas so that when people can go back after winter, they will have a job again. And they are focusing on the reopening of schools and orphanages in affected areas and the opening of new schools in the tent villages. They have all been very open with me, showing me the account info, allowing me to help with the website, etc. I have beenworking on slideshows using the 500 photos I've already taken. Theyare really specific to make sure that the money donated is used the right way. So no money is used for volunteer's expenses. Money has to be donated for that specific area for volunteers to use it. Since that doesn't happen all that much, we eat very sparsely. Islamabad has it the best since we have this University office that has beendonated to us for relief efforts. They have a washroom, electricity,running water, and it's not too cold. All the other places don't have these kinds of luxuries. But mind you, we have to take cold bucketshowers. Yesterday the electricity went out while I was in the showerstall. Can you imagine taking a cold bucket shower in pitch black darkness?
So I just got back from Muzaffarabad where I spent my last 5 days. I traveled in Jhelum Valley stopping over at a number of different villages and cities: Ghuri Dupatta, Hatian Bala, Kucha Syeden, and we walked to Chinari and Chakothi where the roads are still closed because of landslides. After 20KM of walking, we were about 12KM awayfrom the Line of Control. I'm going to go there next week and try tocross into India. Always wanted to go to India. Now that I have a Pakistani stamp in my passport, I'll never get an Indian visa, so I'm going to have to try to sneak myself in (I'm kidding!)
I came to Muzaffarabad on a shipment truck and had to sit on the roof of the truck as we drove. Although it was cold, I enjoyed it. Oh and I've been drinking bottled water, but today I found out that theworkers here are just refilling them with tap water. And I lost my journal somewhere (they think the police stole it from me to see whatI had been writing). I got quite sick so I went to a chemist and got him to give me some pills. I didn't know you don't need a prescription for anything here. I wound up taking these anti-biotic's(that I thought were vitamins) on an empty stomach and throwing up for two days straight! I'm not taking anymore pills anymore.
Anyways, Muzaffarabad was horrific. I couldn't believe was I was seeing. There's nothing left here. If it hasn't fallen down, it's been damaged far too much to be used again. Everything is destroyed. Shopkeepers have started reopening their stores on the streets outside of where their store used to be. The Hussaini Relief office is in a half-destroyed collage that is the size of a small 2-story house (even though it used to be 4-stories three weeks ago.) with no electricity or running water.
For the rest of the time I was moving along the Valley staying in Tent Villages with the locals and helping out wherever I could. I really don't know what to say. It's so hard to try to make myself understand what is going on here. It looks like a bomb blasted and destroyed everything. Except everywhere you look, no matter how far you try togo, you see complete destruction. No bomb could have done this.
The people speak in such a kind, gentle voice. But when you look into their eyes, you know that they are preparing for their own death in the coming months. Some have even admitted this to me. With the winter months so bitterly cold with so much snow, these shelter-less communities will not survive. Some have migrated to Islamabad and other warmer cities. But with 3 million people in the same situation, these tent villages in other cities will not suffice. So many people are stuck and completely helpless. Some injured people, especially women, in the high mountain villages can't leave because of their injuries usually fractures, etc. But the injuries are not serious enough for the UN or Red Cross to fly them to a hospital. So they are left in the mountains to die.
Some families have received tents from the government and army. I slept in them and they are just fabric. Not at all waterproof. And freezing cold at night. I've got quite sick after only 5 days in the Valley and it's not even winter. The villagers main concern is the children as it's likely that they won't make it through the winter months.
Other families have started building their own sheds from materials from their homes. They are equally as cold as it's just made from tin, but more waterproof. But water, especially when it rains, does come pouring in.
Food stocks are very limited. Hussaini Relief is doing as much as they can to get everything to these areas as quickly as possible however, there's not much left in Islamabad to send. The big problem is that in one or two weeks, heavy rain season will start in the Jhelum Valley which will cause more landslides, and routes that are open right now, will soon be closed again.
The government is moving slowly. President Musharaff said that thousands of tones of supplies had been sent to Pakistan and is being distributed. We see American Army trucks and soldiers driving around everywhere. But people are not getting help. Where are the supplies?And what are are the American's doing driving around? So much of thearmy is concerned with clearing up the road to the Line of Control[Indian Border] for security, military purposes that so many people are being ignored. I got a report from a about a military Coronal in Islamabad who sent one full helicopter of goods to ONE house! (hisbrother) The rest of the village has nothing. In some of the IndianRefugee camps in Kashmir established in 1990, the Army has given each family one blanket. Each family - One blanket. Not a single tent for over 500 Refugees in a mountain village that was 100% destroyed.
Today is Eid. I spent my day at the Hussaini Relief Refugee Camp in Islamabad. We have a small area in the Camp with about 200 tents and 600 families. I was working and taking photos of the kids all day. What a crappy Eid it must have been for them. No one had any gifts, toys, sweets. Nothing. Barely even an Eid breakfast, lunch, or dinner.Money is the biggest problem so some things have to be sacrificeduntil donations start coming in. I decided to go and buy my own toysfor the kids and headed out with a truck to the shopping area. But it's Eid in a Muslim country so to no one's surprise, I came back empty handed as everything was closed. I'm going to go tomorrow instead. There is also an Orphanage that Hussaini Relief is supporting so I'm taking some toys there as well. I've ordered about $500-600 dollars worth of toys and sports equipment. So please keep trying to raise money for me here.
I've realized that there is little that I can do now other then to learn, help out as much as I can, and spread the message to you. Maybe you can give a little bit more? I mean, $20 dollars gets a lot in Pakistan. It's a developing country after all. They just need a little bit of help. That's it.
I want to share some of my photos with you¡K Please take a look at the slideshow that I have made for Hussaini Relief
http://www.hussainirelief.org/ali/ali2.pps
Peace be on you,
Ali-Asgar son of Jaffer Manek
You can send money in a number of ways. You can donate via credit card on http://www.paypal.com. My email address is: amanek@uwo.ca to send money.
You can send money directly to my house in Canada, and my parents will deposit it into my account:
Ali Manek
66 Carl Cres
Scarborough, ON
M1W 3R2
Or an online email transfer which is likely the easiest. Or visit http://www.hussainirelief.org to deposit straight into their accounts.
6:03 PM , Reminisced
