Homelessness is a foundational problem that affects millions of lives in Pakistan. The term homelessness is not only limited to only those without a roof over their heads, however, needs to be expanded to include those that live in homes that were never meant to be homes. These are people who live in fear that their roof will collapse during the next rain shower. These are people who worry that their children will not be protected from the impending cold because of feeble walls. These are people whose floors are often filled with pollution through no fault of their own. The reality is that the brunt of the burden often falls upon women, children, and those from minority communities, who are often forgotten and marginalized.

Paani started as an organization dedicated to providing clean water to those who desperately needed it in rural parts of Sindh. Yet, through our work, we realized that our work is inherently intersectional. Those dying of thirst were often the same individuals that struggled to find stable homes for their families. One of our co-founders, Omar, visited the region and shared with us that there were some homes where multiple families shared one room. He highlighted one specific village, where the family attached a donkey to a contraption and made it walk in circles all night. Through the donkey circling, it circulated wind for the families so they could sleep. We noticed that specifically many widowed recipients lived in devastating situations. We realized that our work could not stop at solely providing water, but we needed to do more.

We are blessed to have the Paani community, who makes our projects possible. With your love and support, we built our first home in Sindh for a widowed woman and her children. Her family was struggling with her previous home with a damaged roof that was open to the elements and lacked privacy. Her primary source of income had vanished, and her family continued to struggle against continued burdens like water scarcity. However, her new home, funded by our Paani community, is constructed with high-quality material. We equipped her home with electricity through solar energy, a solar battery, a kitchen, a washroom, a water well to access clean water, two ceiling fans, and six lightbulbs.

Paani Project believes in helping these struggling and disadvantaged families build a safe place for their children. A home that provides these families with concrete walls and a strong roof over their heads. We currently have over eighty applications for families that need homes, with the demand exponentially growing. Our team in Sindh is assisting us to help find the families most in need of our assistance. They ensure that the building process is done transparently, and honestly and that the highest quality material is consistently being utilized.

Our work does not stop there. With your assistance, we have already built over 7000 wells and distributed over 2.5 million meals. As we embark on this new project, we need you and your support even more so that we can continue to serve the most disenfranchised in Pakistan. We hope to serve these eighty families, and with your service and in-kind contributions, empower them even more, Inshallah.

“Surely the men who give sadaqah and the women who give sadaqah and have advanced a good loan to Allah SWT; for them, it will be multiplied, and for them, there is a noble reward.”
– The Holy Qur’an (57:18)