Walking through the remains of Balakot city, located 136 miles north of the capital of Islamabad in Pakistan, one is constantly reminded of what happened here nearly a year ago. A 7.6 magnitude earthquake ripped through this once prosperous city and neighbouring Kashmir.

The Habitat Resource Center in Balakot, Pakistan, has been providing transitional shelters to the survivors of the 8 October 2005 earthquake. The shelters consist of four curved iron pipes, seven corrugated metal sheets and metal straps, with foam padding inside to provide insulation against the harsh winter months.

On 8 October 2005, the unthinkable occurred with no warning: houses on hillsides within the city literally crumbled and slid down the hill, one on top of the other, while remote villages in the mountains suffered heavy losses. Houses made of stone and mud with timber roofs collapsed from the weight, and entire families were buried. According to government estimates, over 70,000 people died and more than 3.5 million in the region were left homeless. Piles of broken concrete and buildings that were once restaurants, businesses and homes are reminders of that fateful day. Structural shells stand as a testament that this was once a thriving city and home to over 300,000 people.

Ten months later, life went on amid the rubble. People walked through the ruins on their way to work or to the market. Children in clean, pressed uniforms went in groups to tent schools, which were set up by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and other local organizations. Life indeed goes on for these distressed people, but the challenges are great, as lack of work, inadequate shelter and a doubtful future place a great burden on survivors.

Habitat for Humanity (HFH) Pakistan has been assisting the needy with transitional shelters to replace the tents, which were inadequate and unable to withstand the harsh weather conditions. Since starting the project in mid-February 2006, the Habitat Resource Center (HRC) assembled over 400 shelters, made of four iron pipes with seven corrugated steel sheets. Each shelter is insulated with foam sheeting that provides warmth against the cold and wind.

The need for permanent housing is evident everywhere, from the lowland areas of Balakot to the remote hilltop villages high above the city. As I walked through the community with three HFH field coordinators immediately following a heavy rainstorm, people began to emerge from their tents, their clothes wet from the soggy shelters damaged by the harsh weather conditions. A small child came out carrying a metal bucket filled with brackish water, dumped it at the side, and then went back inside the tent. HRC staff coordinator Shoaib Malik stopped to speak to a group of men, explaining that HFH would provide them shelter if they needed one or if their tents were in poor condition. Within a matter of minutes, he was surrounded by more than 15 men, who said their tents were no longer safe for their families and then handed their identification cards to Shoaib.

We walked through the area, looking inside the tents and assessing the needs; nearly all were in dire need of replacement. As we began to leave, a tall teenage boy approached Shoaib, speaking softly to him: "Sir, could you please come to where my family lives? My name is Zakir (see photo above) and I have five brothers and three sisters. Our family is in great need of a new shelter. If you feel that we really need one, then please help us. If you don't agree with me, then it is okay". Shoaib nodded and we followed the boy.

A two-year-old girl carrying a bowl of beans stood in the pathway as we approached. When she spotted us, she ran over to where her mother was sitting and hid, poking her head out curiously. A young boy in a green long-sleeved shirt came up to me as I took some photos, moving his face so close to my lens that I had to step back. He touched my hand, silently watching, and as I looked at his shirt I saw one sleeve hanging by his side-he had no arm. He did not speak, but only stared, until one of his brothers took hold of his shoulder from behind and pulled him away. Looking around the two tents where this family lived, I could not help but realize that they needed more than just a shelter.

The boy's mother, Arshun-nisa, took her young daughter and placed her on her lap and began to speak to Shoaib: "We lived in a small village called Khnaia, about 60 kilometres from Balakot in the mountains. When the earthquake happened, I was inside the house with my son Ilyas and my daughter. The ground began to shake, then the walls of the house began to crumble and the roof fell on us. It happened so fast we had no time to run out of the house. When we were pulled out of the rubble, I could see Ilyas was badly hurt. His arm was badly injured and he had bitten off most of his tongue." Because of blocked roads coming down the mountain, it took five days before they were able to reach a hospital. By then Ilyas' arm had become infected and had to be amputated; he spent nearly three months undergoing treatment. "Ilyas suffered very much after", Arshun-nisa said. "He cannot speak and he has problems thinking clearly. We cannot afford any other medical treatment for him, so I pray he will one day be better. It will take time."



To make ends meet, Arshun-nisa's husband Aliasghar, who was not there when we met the family, works any daily labour job he can find, earning up to 4,000 rupees ($66) per month. "It is enough for us to survive for now", she continued. "We were lucky we did not suffer anymore than we did. We lost everything we had in our village and cannot return there as it is unsafe. We hope one day we can rebuild here but we have no idea of the future now." Shoaib said he would build two shelters for this extended family over the next few days. Zakir stood off to the side listening and smiled. "We thank you for your help", he said. "My family has been through a lot, so we are thankful for your offer to help us."

As months passed, the reality of the situation for earthquake survivors is one of waiting. No formal decision to begin reconstruction has yet been made. Balakot lies along an unstable fault-line, where landslides are a common occurrence and the possibility of future earthquakes is hauntingly real. For the moment survivors play a waiting game. Lack of employment is prevalent, with no new permanent construction allowed within the city limits. As winter approaches, concern is evident in the eyes of determined survivors. "We wait for now", says 55-year-old Hamceduwah, who recently received a shelter from Habitat. "If I had a way to earn an income it would not be so hard to survive. We are willing and strong. This is our home. We do not wish to leave this area", he said. "We trust in God and he will help us find a way."

Rebuilding Lives The sight of a Habitat for Humanity (HFH) tractor pulling a timber-cutting saw, mounted on a two-wheel iron platform, was a rare sight for the villagers. Men working in the fields stood and stared, while children ran alongside the tractor. It was making its way up the steep mountain, high above the city of Balakot in northern Pakistan, kicking up dust as it moved on the rough rocky dirt road during the two-hour journey to Serian village. As we pulled into the outskirts of the village, the driver parked the tractor in an open area. He was greeted by a group of men and a throng of children who had run over, touching the tractor and the odd-looking green metal saw. The remote villages that lay scattered throughout the mountain ranges were nearly all destroyed by the October 2005 earthquake that killed over 70,000 people and left 3.5 million homeless. One major reason for the high death toll was the poorly constructed houses, which had no structural support and used heavy timber logs, often over 12 feet in length, for the roof. When the 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck, the timber and stone walls collapsed. The Habitat Saw Mill Project offered free service for families to cut timber logs into smaller boards to be used in rebuilding more safely designed houses. Funded through a joint project by HFH Japan and HFH Pakistan, two tractors were purchased, while two timber saws were provided by Japan Platform, a non-profit organization that pools private and government funds in Japan. From 1 June through 30 August 2006, phase one of the project benefited over 1,000 families. "Over 1,900 persons have so far benefited from these two mobile saw mills, and with phase two beginning in September, we will even reach more people and more villages", said Shoaib Malik, a Habitat Resource Center staff member. Off in the distance I spotted a man with a 12-foot-long timber pole slung over his shoulder as he walked to the saw mill using a wooden cane for balance. As he reached the location, he let the timber log roll off his shoulder on to the ground and walked off to retrieve more from his house. I followed him through thick brush shrubs and large boulders to where he lived a short distance away. As he reached a pile of neatly stacked timber logs, he picked one up, balancing it against a nearby wall, and let it rest on his shoulder. As he began to walk the 200-metre distance back to the saw mill, he turned and smiled. Mahboob Ur-Rehman, 65 years old, has lived in these mountains all his life. "I have never seen a saw like this before. Never before has anyone ever provided us with the chance to cut our timber. In the past, we used these heavy logs for roof support, but when the quake destroyed all our homes we now know it is not safe to use this timber", he said. "I plan to rebuild my house, but with a safer design using a stone wall less than three feet high, with corrugated metal. This wood will be used for framing the walls and roof, with a metal sheet roof." Mahboob has 11 family members who will benefit from this project. "Last month Habitat provided my family with a shelter, so we are very grateful for the help you have given us here." Each family is allowed 25 sheets of cut wood. In Mahboob's house, there will be two families, so he will get 50 pieces. "If they had to pay for this type of service, it would cost at least 3,000 rupees ($50) for 25 sheets to be cut", said Shoaib. As the day progressed, more villagers carried timber from their houses to the saw mill, and within a few hours more than 20 timber logs were cut into small boards. Mohammad Yousaf, 60 years old, has eight family members. They lost their house during the earthquake, but no one suffered any injuries. "All of us here are very happy to see this project come to our village. After the quake destroyed our homes and took many lives, we now understand the danger of using the heavy timber", he said. "We will use galvanized metal sheets for the walls instead of stones, and wood will be used for the wall and roof support. This is a safer design in the event there is ever another earthquake here. We are very grateful to Habitat. No other agency has come to our village to offer us assistance. We felt that no one cared for us up here because we are so far from the city." For over four months the HFH Saw Mill Project has provided this timber-cutting service in remote mountain villages. The Project will provide even more support with the purchase of an additional saw and a mobile generator that can be left in a remote site for up to two weeks, depending on the need of the community.