Caritas starts home-building project

(August 06, 2911) Caritas Pakistan announced Friday in a statement, that it has started the construction of 500 houses for flood victims in a southern province. “This is our aid gift for you; we are pleased to share your grief. Educating your children will further help in upbringing your lives” said Shamas Shamaun, executive secretary of Caritas Pakistan Hyderabad, after laying the foundation stone earlier for construction of houses in Haji Jano Machi village in Sindh province. The beneficiaries, presented ajraks (cultural shawls) to Caritas workers at the ceremony. Caritas plans to underwrite construction of 2,500 shelters in the two districts worst hit by devastating floods last year, of which these will be the first 500. “We are only providing construction materials for semi-permanent houses; this will avert other issues relating land ownership”, said Shamaun, adding that many are still living in damaged thatched sheds a year after the floods. A cement base will protect the houses in the ongoing moonsoon season, said Shamaun. Caritas Pakistan supported 44,670 families, including 2950 belonging to minority communities, during the relief phase which concluded earlier this year. Meanwhile villagers have slowly started sowing crops on the lands once covered in flood water. “Soil texture has changed after the disaster; the fertility has increased in some parts while land was destroyed in others”, said Kaiser Heru, a village chief.