An idea, properly implemented, can make history. Small moments of inspiration can lead to immense success. In much the same way, a single idea prompted the founding of the Dewar-e-Ehsas organization. Here is that idea: Donations by generous patrons would be placed in front of a wall (dewar in Urdu), and people in need would be able to take what they required therewith. This concept grew into something bigger: a project that targets not only poverty, but also education, women’s rights, and mental health. It became a drive to solve the problems faced by the society we live in.
In the words of project head Fatima Asghar, “Dewar-e-Ehsas started from a physical wall but it has grown into a wall of empathy, sympathy, awareness and humanity.”
Dewar-e-Ehsas has a strong track record in terms of conducted projects, which span ration drives, donation drives, and various seminars conducted to spread awareness and help those in need. Their goal is to help remind humankind of what humanity really is and to guide society back into an empathetic and caring form, where decadence and destitution are forgotten concepts. It is an ambitious initiative meant to heal the members of a society that is falling into disharmony and chaos. The organization is a necessity in itself.
In a previous charity drive, Dewar-e-Ehsas has provided more than 300 registers, pencils erasers and sharpeners chairs pouches, bags, and more for needy students
The organization recently carried out a ration drive to help a community of 17 families. A donation drive was conducted beforehand to raise the necessary funds, and those 17 families were provided with their essential needs, namely food items such as rice, lentils, flour, salt, sugar, and tea. This community was torn apart by the ongoing pandemic. They ran out of the bare necessities, and it was Dewar-e-Ehsas who came through as their aid, not the government or any band of rich students. This was a volunteer-based ration drive, run by a team of coordinators that divided the ration into equal parts for donation.
Additionally, since local communities often have different cultural preferences for the people they are willing to interact with, a point to be highlighted and appreciated is the fact that both male and female volunteers were enrolled. This allowed the coordinators to assign participants to interact with each family based on that family’s preferences. There was a little trouble in managing the crowds, but the team dealt with it beautifully. The ration was donated and there was a small photo session to record what had happened. The team interacted with the local people to build connections and relationships which helped them throughout the process.
Leading members of Dewar-e-Ehsas stand in front of a dewar (wall)
To gauge the effectiveness of Dewar-e-Ehsas’s efforts, some feedback from the ration drive volunteers was taken. They offered their thoughts about Dewar-e-Ehsas as well. Volunteer Azzam Pervaiz feels that Dewar-e-Ehsas brings about real change by doing these small drives. He adds that since these are his people and his community, it is his duty to help them grow out of poverty. The target community felt relief and stability.
“People usually believe small things like this don’t make a difference, but it’s these little donations and drives that collectively bring about real change,” Azzam Pervaiz says.
This is the spirit of Dewar-e-Ehsas.
Another testimonial was provided by Laiba Taimur, a long-term volunteer at Dewar-e-Ehsas. She feels Dewar-e-Ehsas is about coming together as a team and becoming functional members of society. To lead by example and become a tool for the betterment of people, all under the umbrella of Dewar-e-Ehsas. She feels the ration drive is meant ‘to provide the needy with basic necessities,’ and that through such drives, people are saved from life on the streets. This is an efficient way of providing for the homeless, and a means for them to build themselves up. She feels proud to be a volunteer and believes that this organization will be able to restructure society.
Dewar-e-Ehsas aims for a sustainable future for Pakistan, a future it intends to shape as an organization. It aims to make the country a much more livable and harmonious nation state and seeks to be the backbone of the change that will bring that vision about. The original idea has evolved and grown into something altogether more profound. Dewar-e-Ehsas has become a symbol of hope, a symbol to aspire to. A symbol that inspires pride."
From Afsana: We are pleased to announce our upcoming partnership with Dewar-e-Ehsas, a project led by the youth of Pakistan committed to bringing empathy and humanity through their service in various initiatives. Please support them on their platform here and stay tuned for ways to support their organization.
Written by Salman Tariq of Afsana
Edited by Adil Rahim Hyder of Afsana
Comments