B.C. youth build shelters in quake-torn Pakistan
DURING the Christmas break, four young men from the Lower Mainland were given the opportunity to serve in the aftermath of Pakistan's devastating earthquake. Within days of finding out about a relief effort mobilized by The Evangelical Alliance Mission (TEAM), Morgan and Jerram Ritchie, Jim Boraas and Andrew Hawkes had raised funds, booked flights and were on their way to Jabori in the North West Frontier Province.
Morgan
Since the initial death toll of 35,000 people, another 50,000 have died from exposure and injuries. The threat is especially great in the mountains during the winter, and another wave of deaths has been predicted. Last year at this time, the villages we worked in had between six and 14 feet of snow. We used our short break from school to set up insulated shelters before the weather conditions deteriorated, in the hope that people would survive the winter with both their lives and livelihoods. Equipped with enough materials for 500 shelters, we had two main goals: to construct as many shelters as possible, and to ensure that the locals knew how to continue building them after we left.
With the help of willing men from different villages, approximately 150 shelters were erected in a period of 10 days, 115 of which we were actively involved with.
While we gave our time and energy, TEAM provided more tangible gifts of shelter and provisions. In these practical ways, we could demonstrate the love of God to the Pakistani people - even in remote, devastated circumstances. It was clear that these small acts of compassion and charity caused some people to drastically alter their image of Christian culture.
Our last day in the mountains was Christmas. We had just finished the last structure we were going to build, when a 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck. It caused rifts in the earth, turned rivers muddy and triggered many landslides. We watched large rocks bounce down the mountain towards us, which were only stopped 30 metres away by a terrace.
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| Jerram (left) and Morgan Ritchie |
Although tremors occurred regularly, and I'd seen the destroyed villages and families, it was this event that made the situation personal. Children near us were hysterical, because it was so similar to the initial earthquake which claimed the lives of many people they knew.Sadly, just days after we left, the snow began, making recent relief efforts far more difficult and often delayed.
While it was at times a sobering experience, it was rewarding to work side by side with these men to help rebuild their lives. Their gratitude extended far beyond us to the people and country that we represented.
Jerram
Everywhere, we saw collapsed houses and the graves of those killed in the quake. The plight of the people was compounded by the fact that, during our visit, many long-term aid workers were on holiday. The members of our base camp included about 18 people; seven were North Americans, and the rest Pakistani.
The shelters, with their tube shape, corrugated iron roofing and tarps for doors, were not exactly pretty; but their purpose was to give people a suitably warm and stable shelter that neither their wrecked homes nor the majority of the tents provided. Having spent subzero degree nights in shelters we had built during the day, we are confident they will provide the needed warmth.
Despite everything they had gone through, the people were incredibly hospitable. Everywhere we went, we could be sure to be plied with chai tea, hearty lunches and cookies (straight from Japan).
In a region not much visited by Westerners, and not far from areas completely restricted to Westerners, the most heartening thing was the appreciation the people showed for Canada's willingness to send help.
