May 28, 2009

With children making up more than half of the people displaced by fighting between the Pakistan military and Taliban insurgents, the emotional effects of the mass displacement should be seen through their eyes. Here is a young girl's account of her experiences as a displaced person and the future, as told to Church World Service Pakistan/Afghanistan.

With children making up more than half of the people displaced by fighting between the Pakistan military and Taliban insurgents, the emotional effects of the mass displacement should be seen through their eyes. They have lost important aspects of their lives, such as homes, schools, and friends. The harsh, physical aspects of living life as a displaced person only represent a fragment of what these children experience. Here is a young girl's account of her experiences as a displaced person and the future, as told to Church World Service Pakistan/Afghanistan.

"My name is Kainat. I am ten years old. I used to live in Dir District and was studying in class four at the Government Primary School, Kala Daka.

"In May, the fighting started between the Taliban and our Pakistan army. I and my four siblings had to run with our parents. we walked miles and miles on foot and got very exhausted as we had no food for days. It was a never ending journey of three days in day and nighttime. I felt so scared running in the nighttime in the mountains.

"Thanks to Allah, at Malakand, we were able to get a car so all of us came to Mardan, and now, we are living with a host family here. It is so different from my home, as so many of us ran from our homes. now, we are twenty-six people living in two rooms. It is so congested, and I feel I will faint with no fresh air.

"I am so angry. Taliban opened fire, and they threw a bomb in our neighbors' home. My father panicked, and in the hurry I left my school bag behind with all my books and copies. I did not even complete my homework. Also, I miss my close school friends, Shumaila and Najma.

"After coming to Mardan, I tried to look for them, but still I could not find them. Allah knows what happened, I hope they were able to bring their books and copies with them.

"My mother and other uncles do not let us go out at all. I feel so paralyzed, at night when I try to sleep, I cannot even move as the room is full of people and there is a non-stop load shedding and so many mosquitoes in Mardan. My homeland was not so hot and there were hardly these big mosquitoes. Now, they bite us all night, and I cannot sleep properly.

"Also, I am still searching for my school friends every day. I'm so frustrated that my regular school days are gone. It seems we are living in a strange world now. For every small move we make, all elders are scolding us and taking extra care that we don't go out especially after sunset.

"I never knew Pakistan was such a hot country. My homeland had green mountains, fresh air, and cool water springs. Here our uncle brings water from a nearby water point, and sometimes, when the water runs out, to quench my thirst I have to wait till he returns, and yesterday, I waited two hours for one glass of water.

"This is not my home. I am very worried now. My father, mother, and other elders are always serious, and they don't smile and laugh much so I am thinking something worse will happen to us now.

"Leaving my home and school, I feel very sad, but I want the government and Pakistan army to teach a good lesson to Taliban and the bad people. They should finish them all so we can return home as soon as possible and live our normal lives.

"First thing they (government) should do is to get rid of all bad people from my homeland and also stop this load shedding (electrical power cuts) in Mardan because mosquitoes bite us all night and the heat makes me dizzy.

"I want to go to my watan (homeland). My Urdu teacher at Kala Daka, Saulat, taught us that one should always be a good person, study hard to become good citizen, and serve watan. I am worried that my plan will fail if I am not able to go home."

How to help Church World Service is helping to provide food, shelter and medical care for the displaced children and families. Contributions to support Church World Service emergency response and recovery efforts may be made online, by phone (800.297.1516), or sent to Church World Service, P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN 46515.

Media Contacts: Lesley Crosson, 212-870-2676 lcrosson@churchworldservice.org Jan Dragin, 24/7, 781-925-1526 jdragin@gis.net