Home | Work | Faces of Change | Zarina Bibi

faces of change

Zarina Bibi

A woman rebuilds her life after the devastating South Asia earthquake

Zarina Bibi lived well in Kathai village in Pakistan. Though the area was mountainous, remote and poor, Zarina’s family eked out a living through small scale farming and the income from her husband’s job. That all changed in October 2005 with the devastating South Asia earthquake. The quake killed over 73,000 people – including Zarina’s husband – and left 3 million survivors without a home.

Zarina became a widow with three children to feed. She had no job, no livestock, and only a small piece of land on which she could grow crops. She was forced to not only cope with the loss of her husband but also to struggle with the responsibility to provide for her family.

In the wake of the disaster, the Aga Khan Development Network began the Multi-input Earthquake Reconstruction Program (AKDN-MERP) to help people like Zarina.  After collaborating with the Kathai Village Organization, AKDN gave Zarina a goat. The goat gave birth soon after it was given to her and now provides one liter of milk every day. With that liter of milk, Zarina can provide nutrition for her young children and has enough left over for her morning and afternoon tea. The goats will provide short-term and long-term sustenance. They provide nutrition now, and after months of breeding, the family will have more goats to use for food or income. This small investment is helping Zarina build a brighter future for herself and her children.