To celebrate the 54th Caritas Pakistan Day, the Catholic charity gave farmers in Gadap, one of the poorest areas in the country, 50 kilograms of wheat seeds each. For Caritas’s executive director, “Hunger does not only weigh heavily on the individual, but also imposes a crushing economic burden on the developing world.”
Karachi (AsiaNews) – Caritas Pakistan donated wheat seeds to a group of farmers in a poor area in Karachi to celebrate 54 years of activity.
The Catholic charity gave 50 kilograms of wheat seeds to farmers in Gadap, one of the poorest areas in Karachi, to mark Caritas Pakistan Day.
“These people face continuous challenges,” Mansha Noor, executive director of the local Caritas branch, told AsiaNews. For them, “the risk of hunger is always around the corner. Add to this the lack of adequate rainfall as it has not rained for three years as it should have.”
The Gadap area covers about 1,100 square kilometres, but is one of the most neglected in the country. It lacks electricity, gas or telephone services as well as vegetation with rain fall averaging below what coastal areas get.
"With the gift of seeds, we hope to raise awareness among the farmers,” said Caritas director Fr Saleh Diego. “By growing wheat, they will be able to feed their families.”
Hunger "doesn't just mean empty stomach,” explained Mansha Noor. “Those who do not eat adequately risk organic deficiencies that can lead to serious illnesses, as well as impaired physical and mental development,” which can “reduce their productivity”.
"Hunger,” he added, “does not only weigh heavily on the individual, but also imposes a crushing economic burden on the developing world.”