Notice: Articles before August 2021 may be missing images and links will not work, we're sorry for this inconvenience which is a result of a change of webhost after Adobe Business Catalyst terminated their company.
In July 2025, heavy monsoon rains caused the collapse of 65-year-old Shabir Masih’s mud home in Punjab, leaving him homeless and sheltering in a nearby school.
Shabir, already grieving the 2021 murder of his wife and only son, now faces the threat of having nowhere to live once the school reopens.
We previously shared his story in an appeal, but as we have not yet raised the £3000 needed to rebuild his home, we are sharing it again in the hope of reaching more hearts. Read more (here).
BACA has long supported his medical and daily needs, and with your help, we can provide him with a safe, weatherproof shelter and restore security to his remaining years.
This year’s monsoon rains have wreaked havoc across Punjab, Pakistan. Villages and towns have been flooded, thousands of families displaced, and countless homes — especially those made of mud and wood — have been destroyed.
For 65-year-old Shabir Masih, the rains from 20th to 25th July 2025 brought not just flooding, but complete devastation. On the night of 24th July, as rain poured through his reed-and-wood roof, he took refuge in a nearby school. Hours later, the roof of his home collapsed under the weight of the water, narrowly missing him.
“The roof of my house has collapsed. The walls are also weak and may fall any moment,” Shabir told BACA in a trembling voice. “I have no place to live now.”
Shabir surveys the wreckage of his home, destroyed by relentless rain
A Home Filled with Memories – Now in Ruins
Shabir built his small mud home years ago with his late wife, Yasmeen Bibi (55). It was the place they raised their only son Usman (26) and created a lifetime of memories. That home is now uninhabitable — its cracked walls and collapsed roof a stark reminder of his growing vulnerability.
Shabir borrowed a charpai from his brother and has been sleeping in a classroom inside the school next door. But schools in Punjab will reopen on 31st August, and when they do, he will be forced back into homelessness.
Shabir shows the damage where heavy rains tore through his roof
He cannot rent accommodation; his only income is the small monthly financial support provided by BACA, which covers basic food and medicine.
A Life Marked by Loss
This is not the first tragedy Shabir has endured. On 9th September 2021, a Muslim neighbour murdered Yasmeen and Usman in broad daylight over a petty dispute about wastewater flowing past a shrine.
Since that day, BACA has been a lifeline for Shabir and his surviving family — his daughter-in-law Mariyam Bibi (26) and two granddaughters, Gul Janat (6) and Asma (5). Mariyam now lives with her parents in Gujrat, while Shabir remains in his native village. He visits his granddaughters when he can, finding comfort in the only family he has left.
Before the tragedy, Shabir worked as a school sweeper and lived a peaceful life. Now older and weakened by grief and age, he can no longer work.
A Year of Hardship
When BACA staff visited on 3rd August, they saw the full extent of the damage — two sets of charpai and kitchen utensils destroyed, deep cracks in the walls, and debris everywhere. Shabir was limping, a bandage on his left foot.
“A snake bit me at the tubewell where I was bathing,” he explained. “The pain is still unbearable, though I’m taking herbal medicine from a local practitioner.”
BACA has not only provided Shabir with food and basic needs but also addressed urgent health issues. Earlier this year, BACA funded surgery for his inguinal hernia, which had been causing him severe pain.
What Shabir Needs Now
Shabir’s situation is urgent. Without a secure shelter before the end of August, he will be exposed to rain, cold, disease, and danger.
The cost to rebuild his home with durable materials that can withstand future monsoons is £3000. This includes replacing the roof, repairing cracked walls, and ensuring a safe living space for his final years.
Juliet Chowdhry, Trustee of the British Asian Christian Association, says: “Shabir has faced heartbreak and hardship beyond what most of us can imagine. He lost his wife and son in a brutal attack, and now the home they built together has collapsed in the rains. At his age, starting over alone is overwhelming — but together, we can give him back safety, dignity, and a place to call home. This is a chance to show that compassion can rebuild what tragedy has taken away.”
