Hope After the Flood: My Volunteer Journey Empowering Women in Bishoni

Greetings 👋

Let's go with me to Buner district's small village Bishoni (KPK province).

In 2025 floods this village was completely destroyed.

Only few families survived, mostly men of these families waved away, left the widows and orphans behind.

Everyone there has a sad, terrifying story of that day, which will make you cry.

I came to know, from some link that a social worker name Zain Mustafa is working in this area to design and build a Hobbit house for them, if God forbid in future flood comes, hobbit house will save them and their cattle.

Zain asked for volunteers to work on women mental health and teach them skills from which they can earn money.

So I contacted Zain and joined his team, to teach arts and crafts. We helped them learn how to grow kitchen, and garden.

I talked to the women, I listened as they told their stories and what they had gone through. Some borne deep scars from the flood and its aftermath. I attempted to lend a sympathetic ear, offer consolation and relieve some of the burden of the pain they were carrying but without mentioning it. Many were a little timid to answer but slowly they began to reveal their struggles.

Most of the women were not okay with their faces in photos, they wanted to protect themselves by being anonymous. And more than anything they blew me away with their extraordinary talent and grit. They all had taken up skills as embroidery, crochet and knitting not to mention sewing.They had endured so much but yet they were making beautiful handmade work and wanted to use their skills to support their families and make a better life.

I am sharing some of their work.

Buner comes in malakand division, district headquarter is Daggar.

Buner is famous for its large marble reserves.

Pashto is the language of Buner.

After flood many communities and NGO's worked in the affected areas, but still they are facing some issues.

• massive disruption to infrastructure
• agriculture lands washed away
• drinking water

But the most disturbing for me is losing your loved ones, which can't be replaced. Each and every family is facing the list of minimum 3-4 human loses.

I asked one of the women how they survived such a deadly flood.

Then she paused and told me an unforgettable story. There was a man in their town who saw the water coming down from the mountains flooding. When he saw how serious the incident became, though, he shouted out to everyone running for safety from it. His voice warned the villagers, and as people bolted for higher ground on the other side of the mountain.

Unfortunately, while he was looking ahead as the floodwaters left him to help save others, another deluge came behind. He lost his life.

She explained that most of the men were working in fields at the time and therefore excluded any chance to alert them. Many never returned home.

To my left and right, I noticed so many families are headed by widows now; almost half the children without parents. They had the look of life in their eyes but also showed signs of pain and adversity.