In the rural village of Misri in Sindh, Pakistan, approximately fifteen Christian and Hindu families are facing acute hardship due to the absence of clean, safe drinking water. With no reliable source available, they are compelled to rely on muddy irrigation channels for survival, exposing themselves to serious health risks and life-threatening conditions. Their plight has recently come to the attention of the British Asian Christian Association (BACA) following an urgent appeal submitted through one of its volunteers.
A Daily Struggle for Water and Dignity
The crisis came to light when Evangelist Daniyal, a volunteer working with BACA, was contacted by Nadeem Masih after hearing about the organisation’s previous efforts in installing water pumps for similarly vulnerable communities in rural Sindh.
According to Daniyal, the families in Misri village live in extreme poverty. Most survive as agricultural labourers, working long hours on land owned by local landlords for minimal daily wages. Men typically work in the fields, while women shoulder the burden of household responsibilities—including the exhausting and risky task of collecting water.
Every day, women and young girls must walk a long and lonely track through agricultural fields to reach a mango orchard, where they draw water from an irrigation channel. This journey, repeated at least three times a day, is physically draining and emotionally distressing.
During periods when canal flow is reduced or stopped, the situation worsens dramatically. Stagnant water collects in shallow pools along the channel, often contaminated and infested with mosquito larvae, exposing families to serious health risks including waterborne diseases and infections.
“We Have No Choice But to Risk Our Safety”
Residents describe both fear and exhaustion as part of their daily reality.
Sana Bibi, a resident of the village, explained:
“We face scarcity of water in the village. We have to travel an unsafe track to collect water from the mango orchard. We feel scared of walking through the lonely track in the fields but we have no option. We, therefore, request the BACA to install a water pump and build a washroom for us.”
Another resident, Aruna, echoed the same concerns and highlighted the lack of sanitation facilities:
“We have no water pump or washroom in Misri village. Our women are forced to walk long distances through the fields just to collect water or find a place for basic needs, often feeling unsafe and humiliated. We struggle every day and urgently appeal for a water pump and a washroom. God bless you.”
These testimonies reflect not only a lack of infrastructure but also the daily erosion of dignity faced by women and girls in the community.
An Urgent Humanitarian Need
The absence of a nearby water source forces families into a cycle of physical hardship, health risks, and insecurity. Women, in particular, bear the greatest burden—walking unsafe routes, carrying heavy water containers, and relying on contaminated sources when canal water becomes stagnant.
This situation highlights an urgent humanitarian need: access to clean water and basic sanitation.
BACA’s Response and Planned Action
The British Asian Christian Association has responded positively to the appeal and aims to act swiftly. Plans are underway to install a water pump in the village, ideally by the end of the month, to provide immediate relief and ensure access to clean drinking water at the doorstep of these families.
In the second phase of support, BACA also intends to construct a basic washroom facility for the community—an essential step toward improving hygiene, safety, and dignity, particularly for women and girls.
Restoring Dignity Through Clean Water
While the installation of a water pump may seem like a small intervention, for the families of Misri village it represents a life-changing improvement. It will reduce the daily physical burden, eliminate dangerous journeys through isolated fields, and significantly lower health risks caused by contaminated water.
Above all, it will restore a sense of dignity to families who have long been deprived of one of the most basic human necessities: safe access to clean water.
As BACA moves forward with this project, it stands as a reminder that even modest interventions can bring profound and lasting change to vulnerable communities.
“Access to clean water is a basic human right, not a privilege. In Misri village, families are living without safe drinking water or sanitation, and women are forced to walk long distances through unsafe fields every day just to meet essential needs. It is deeply concerning that such conditions still exist in today’s world.
Even modest disposable income—when directed towards simple, effective interventions like a water pump—can transform entire communities. A relatively small investment can deliver lasting impact in health, dignity, and safety for generations.
As a Trustee of the British Asian Christian Association, I strongly believe that ensuring access to clean water and basic sanitation must be a global priority. We urgently appeal for support to install a water pump and washroom facilities for the families of Misri village, restoring dignity and improving lives in a very practical way.”
— Juliet Chowdhry, Trustee, British Asian Christian Association
