Samali and Beshirchawk camps in Quetta, Pakistan
on Tue, 11/03/2003 - 13:42 English | Human Rights | Needs Assesment | Pakistan | Peace Building | Refugees | Reports | Women Rights
As part of AWEC's peacebuilding education project, I went to Quetta on 6-10 March. With the help of Shuhada, a women's organization which has been active running programs in Quetta for many years, we were able to identify suitable camps in which to run our workshops. We chose to work in the camps of Samali and Beshirchawk. In these camps, many people are living in poor conditions with no water supply, no literacy courses for women, no health clinics especially in the area of maternal and child health, including children's vaccination except for the services of Shuhada, and two primary schools for girls and boys. Peacebuilding workshop were run for three days in both camps. During these workshops, women were able to express themselves in a safe environment and discussed family problems as well as regional problems. The workshops covered issues such as fighting, how fighting starts, how to solve problem, trauma, peace, benefits of peace, human rights as well as women's rights. Participants said that they found the workshops very interesting and informative. They said now they have new methods to use to solve their problems. They want to raise their children in the peaceful environment and take a part in the development of our country. During the workshops, I had the chance to talk to women about their lives. Most of them were working on weaving kilims or breaking pistachios, for which they earned 2 rupees for 1Kg. I asked them what kind programs they would find useful and they listed:
The majority of the women in these camps were widowed and were the breadwinners of their family, yet they did not have any opportunity to earn money. They wished to have training in in order to support themselves and their children and take a part in the program of developing and rebuilding of Afghanistan.
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