MBA Class of 2023 students Sara Asad, Salaar Shaikh, and Saad Jumani share what inspires them and their hopes for recent outreach and relief efforts to their home country, Pakistan. This summer’s floods left more than 30 million people displaced, more than 1500 dead, and unprecedented economic damage.
In your outreach efforts on behalf of Pakistan, what are you most inspired and hopeful about? We are most inspired by the dozens of doctors, students, professionals, and others who have volunteered their time to support flood relief efforts in rural areas. Their work, along with that of nonprofit organizations collecting funds, is critical to provide relief in these communities that have been ravaged by the floods. We are also grateful to all those who have donated to flood relief efforts from around the world, even if they are not directly connected to Pakistan. They understand the devastating impact climate change can have, especially in such cases where Pakistan is disproportionately affected despite being responsible for only 0.5% of historic global carbon emissions. Finally, we appreciate the leadership shown by the HBS Student Association Senate for their statement about the floods and what students and community members can do to help.
What made you choose to support any particular organization? We have supported a number of international and local organizations in their efforts to raise funds and provide relief to flood affectees. Notable international organizations like UNICEF, the UN World Food Programme, and UNHCR have been raising funds across their global donor bases. Local organizations understand the country context well and can quickly deploy resources on the ground. Among them, we have supported The Citizens Foundation (Pakistan’s largest education-focused nonprofit providing relief to families in rural areas while keeping their 1800+ schools active) as well as The Edhi Foundation (Pakistan’s largest social welfare organization that runs the world’s largest volunteer ambulance service) among others.
What’s your biggest dream about the potential impact your efforts and these organizations may have on the people of Pakistan? Ultimately, our small efforts are a drop in the ocean – as over 30 million Pakistanis have been displaced by the floods. These people have lost their homes, their sources of livelihood, and in many cases friends and family members. The country has suffered an estimated $20 billion in damages, and faces a macroeconomic crisis at the same time. Our hope is for these efforts to make some small contribution to alleviate the immense burden they are facing. We want to continue raising awareness about this crisis, so that more people can contribute and prove that the people of Pakistan are not forgotten in their hour of need.
If others want to get involved in supporting Pakistan, what can they do to help? Please donate - no amount is too small! We encourage you to donate to the organizations at the links above, as well as to continue sharing information about the crisis amongst your networks and on social media.
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