On Sept. 24, a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck district Awaran and Kech in Baluchistan. It left many dead, destroyed houses and cut communications. Survivors faced acute shortages of food and drinking water, especially children.
Alumni from the Pakistan-U.S. Alumni Network (PUAN) Chapter in Baluchistan knew they could help.
In collaboration with the Organization for the Development of Youth (ODY) and Chanan Development Association (CDA), Chapter President Jawad Khan and General Secretary Jahangir Khan Bazai initiated an aid project called the “One Coin” campaign to collect donations and supplies for earthquake survivors.
The 10 day campaign aimed to collect a single coin from every person to give assistance to the survivors, and donations such as dry food items, utensils, water coolers, medicine, blankets, and books. Volunteers across every province went door to door, performed flash mobs and organized donation drives in local markets.
“Volunteers distributed the donated items to several hundred families during the Eid holidays, and people were delighted with Eid gifts and food packs which will be enough to sustain them for another month,” said Jawad Khan, PUAN Baluchistan Chapter President.
Key partner organizations for the aid campaign included the Pace to Life Organization, School of Leadership, Youth Parliament of Pakistan, University of Punjab, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, and Sameen Panjgur.
