My Trip To Pakistan

Oct 24, 2006

On 23 Oct I left the UK after visiting for two months and collecting Pink Kit interviews from Pink Kit moms, dads and grandparents … yes it’s the mothers and fathers of the mothers and fathers who are so pleased their children discovered the PK and wished they had had the information when they gave birth.

My trip to Pakistan is co-organized by our Trust in New Zealand, Common Knowledge and The Resource Centre for Development Alternatives headed by Hidayatullah and Nazli of Mansehra, Pakistan.

A number of years ago they requested a donated copy of the original Pink Kit. They maintain an extensive library of resources. Since we are both charitable organizations, it’s a pleasure to share.

Our relationship grew and we decided that I should come to Pakistan to share The Pink Kit with women in Pakistan. They were certain the women in Pakistan would very much like the skills and see the benefits.

Pakistan has large urban centers such as Karachi, Hyderabad, Lahore and Islamabad. However even these urban cities are also the home of shantytowns and villages occupied with illiterate (no formal education) and extremely poor families. For those who have been to India, Pakistan is a great deal like that but far drier with even less access to fresh produce or clean water.

So I arrived in Karachi in the afternoon and was met by Naeem, a forty-something man who has been developing educational opportunities in one of the poorest rural villages (Jogi Moor) just outside of Karachi, a city of 12 million. Naeem like Hidayat and Nazli are Baha’i.

Baha’i (www.bahai.org)is a religion based on tenants of Peace, the oneness of Humanity, equality of women and men and service to others. It was in Jogi Moor the next morning that the first PK workshop was held. The Jogi are a tribal group who originally migrated from India. I was told they were originally of the snake charmer caste but now were beggars or raised and sold chickens. They follow the Hindu Religion.

visit:
visit www.commonknowledgetrust.com to learn about The Gathering of Traditional Midwives
Visit BirthingBetter.com for a positive childbirth experience.
http://www.thepinkkit.com