Careem x SAF: Rebuilding Homes in Pakistan
The floods came at night when we were sleeping. It rained for 4 days continuously, we had nowhere to go as our houses were destroyed – we couldn’t even save our belongings. We had to use tubes to pull our family members out of our flooded home. That was a really difficult time for us, we couldn’t go anywhere and we didn’t have any means of earning money as we had lost our crop and cattle.
Veeram, student & resident of Mir Jawad Afsar Hussain Talpur Village
In 2022, one-third of Pakistan’s land was underwater. 33 million people were affected by the floods – 8 million of whom were displaced, and over 1,700 people died. The long-term impact of these floods was a massive loss of cattle and crops – the only source of income for most families. The overall damages in Pakistan exceeded $14.9 billion.
In the Mir Jawad Afsar Hussain Talpur village in Sindh, the floods were particularly bad. In Sindh alone, 799 people were killed, 338 of whom were children. Approximately 57,496 houses were completely ruined, with 1.5 million acres of farmland swept away. But even without the danger of a natural disaster of this scale, Sindh is prone to flash floods and has been for years. Damaged houses every year were a reality for so many families. The mud houses would easily get waterlogged, with the roofs and walls, constantly threatening to give in.
Rebuilding for a resilient future
Moved by the need for urgent and meaningful support, Careem joined forces with the Shahid Afridi Foundation (SAF) to rebuild more climate-resistant homes for the families in Sindh that had lost so much. SAF rebuilt houses for the community, fortifying them with cement and red bricks. All the houses have washrooms and kitchens built in, which was not the case in their previous homes. The new houses were also rebuilt four feet above the ground with a sturdy base. This elevation will not only prevent future floodwater from entering the homes but also provide a stable foundation to avoid the houses being swept away.
To make them climate-resistant, the homes were painted with light-colored weather sheets to maintain temperature – families are shielded from the heat in the harsh summer months, and from the cold during winter nights. These weather sheets were also treated with waterproofing agents to protect against moisture during heavy rains, enhancing the durability and longevity of the homes. The choice of color for the paint alleviates heat absorption and maintains the cooler indoor temperature. The houses were also designed to keep cross-ventilation in mind and have windows and courtyards to facilitate the movement of air throughout the living spaces. SAF also added solar power for light fittings and fans as a more sustainable and reliable way of providing electricity.
Having a well-built house has brought us a lot of peace. Our whole life would have been spent trying to rebuild our homes from scratch. Now, we can focusing on earning our daily wages and resuming our studies as we are no longer burdened with the worry of dealing with the damage caused to our homes.
Azam, student & resident of Mir Jawad Afsar Hussain Talpur Village
You can join those who have given over USD225,000 this year on our Right Click platform on the app, by supporting similar causes. To donate through Right Click download the latest version of the Careem app from Apple App Store, Google Play, or via direct Android download.
