Pakistan Flood Awareness Rally at UCLA
By Pakiza Hira Chatha
Pictures by YKKB, Faiz Ahmed and Kiran Lodhie
Pictures above: Glimpses of the Pakistan Flood Awareness Rally at the UCLA
“Yes We Can, Yes We Can, Donate to Pakistan!”
Those were the exact words of the participants at the Pakistan Flood Awareness Rally held on Sunday, August 29 th at UCLA. It was organized by a group of friends motivated to raise awareness about the devastation caused by floods in Pakistan. The group comprised Americans for Flood Relief and UCLA PSA. The success of this rally was evident from the media coverage highlighting its solemn purpose. FOX 11 News, ABC 7 Eyewitness News, United Press International Story (UPI), Los Angeles Times (LA times), Daily Titan, Help Pakistan Now and Express TV were all present at the Rally on the occasion of the 5 th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and the devastating flood catastrophe in Pakistan.
“In 2005, we united in our efforts for our fellow Americans during Hurricane Katrina. Now, on the five-year anniversary of that tragic natural disaster, we are coming together to pray for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, and the flood disaster in Pakistan,” said Essam-ul-Haq and Haroon Mustaq.
Americans for Flood Relief organized the event for the solemn purpose of educating the public about the severity of the recent floods in Pakistan. The organization teamed up with the UCLA PSA to host this event at the UCLA campus and a march from Westwood Blvd to Wilshire Blvd and back.
Several speakers who spoke at the UCLA campus before the commencement of the march included Mr. Adnan Khan (President COPAA), Dr. Salman Naqvi (Shine Humanity), Mr. Najeeb Ghouri (NetSol Technologies, Inc.), and representatives of Islamic Relief and American Red Cross. The American and Pakistani media was urged to help convey the message of the rally which was to raise awareness of the Pakistan floods as a humanitarian crisis that we must all face together.
As many people are not aware of the scale of devastation caused by the floods and do not know how they can help, the mission for Americans for Flood Relief and the Peace Rally was to furnish them precisely this information.
Five years ago we were struck by Katrina that affected thousands of our fellow Americans. Five years later we see Pakistan being hit by a similar disaster which is much larger in magnitude with over 1/5th of the country under water. But the catastrophe receives a fraction of the attention.
If we choose, we have the capacity and ability to do all the things that we think only money can buy. The question is not how much you give, it's that you give! Give whatever you can afford. A little donation does go a long way. See the pain and suffering around you, and help those in need. Start saving those pennies and help make a change in someone’s life.
Unite together to support this cause not because you are a Pakistani, but because you are a human being and you care for people without homes, without water, without food, and some without any loved ones. To reach out and support the flood victims please visit: www.floodrelief.us
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
