It was last year when Karachi was hit by heatwave that claimed thousands of lives that Karachiites realized how oblivious they were to this reality that was standing right in front of them. It was then a group of young individuals started Elaj Trust, a social welfare organization, that provides disaster relief to victims of heatwave, flood, drought and earthquake all over Pakistan.
Currently, Elaj Trust is running a city wide heatwave awareness and relief campaign to facilitate the citizens of Karachi by setting up camps in different parts of the city to help people stay hydrated and safe. Ever since the meteorological department released a forecast of extremely hot May and June, Elaj Trust geared up for the activities to facilitate the people on streets who care less about the climate change and its implications and worry more about earning a decent meal for their families. What they don’t realize is that the weather can be fatal and in order to be able to keep providing for their families and continue their routines, they need to focus on their health and well-being.
Elaj Trust has set up around 30 camps from Saddar Empress Market to Korangi Road, from Sea View to Lyari General Hospital and from Kharadar to Neelam Colony; identifying key areas where it is needed the most. They provide water and ORS to the visitors and shelter to rest for a while on their day excursions and inform them about ways to stay cool and hydrated in the extreme weather.
The organization also stresses the general public to come forward and join them in the campaign as we cannot just keep expecting our government for help. They are taking steps to keep the citizens safe but we need to contribute our share as well for the welfare of our society.***