Millennium Teams Respond to the Needs of Flood Victims
3 September, 2010

The worst monsoon rains in 80 years have poured misery onto the people of Pakistan.  We have received word from three separate teams about the work they are undertaking to help those impacted by the rains and subsequent floods.  In disasters of this magnitude it is hard to know where and how to begin.  So you just start where you are, doing what you can do.  What follows is a brief report from each team.  We will have more details as the work progresses and the teams are able to report back.

Our partners in the area have just completed assessing the needs in the region of the Himalayan Mountains where they live and work.  In three valleys they found seven villages heavily affected by the destruction of homes, infrastructure and the land itself. There are also three villages completely submerged by flood waters. Our partners estimate there are 25,000 people affected, both directly and indirectly, who will benefit from their work.  They will distribute food, medicine and hold medical clinics.  Working with local and international volunteers, they will also provide up to 500 insulated winter shelters.

Millennium worked with these teams in the initial use of the shelters five years ago, after the 2005 earthquake that rocked northern Pakistan.  At that time 6,000 shelters were set up to provide safe, temporary housing for 36,000 people.  And as in that disaster, the shelters must be in place before bitter winter storms sweep through the mountains. 

In southern Pakistan, one of our workers from Karachi is part of an impromptu team of five people representing different agencies.  They have combined their skills in medicine, community health and administration to care for people who have been evacuated from the flooded areas. Loading up a truck (read mobile clinic) they headed out to camps in the nearby countryside.  This team is moving about, setting up in areas not yet served by any medical teams.  Some camps are official; others are just open areas where groups of people have gathered together in an effort to survive.  Both places lack running water and electricity, and food is scarce.

A Clear Vision for Lyari
January 2010

The vision of the Millennium team in Lyari, Pakistan is monumental. Like all visions, it takes hard work and determination to see it through.  This Millennium team has the ability to work hard as well as the determination to keep working when problems appear insurmountable.  They know that vision becomes reality step by step, day by day, and person by person.

Karachi, Pakistan is a huge, bustling city of 16 million. Lyari, one of Karachi’s oldest migrant communities, is home to 1.5 million people - all within a six square mile area.  A majority of Lyari’s residents are originally from Baluchistan.

As the Lyari community grew the infrastructure could not keep pace.  It is at best substandard. Actually, the drinking water and sanitation systems are old and crumbling, perhaps the worst in Karachi.  As in many underserved neighborhoods, the residents of Lyari struggle with rampant unemployment, drugs and crime.  They lack quality health services, primary education, and adequate housing.

The Millennium vision encompasses not just the development of community but also training and equipping of members of the community.  The hope is to help the people of Lyari work together to identify their needs, create sustainable communities and have an influence in the decisions which affect their lives. 

We look for programs that will improve the quality of life
in people's homes, in their communities
in the wider society where they live, work and play.

Current projects include:
English Language Classes
Football Coaches Training Program
Economic Development
Health Camps
Ladies Development Center

Faces of Lyari