As this BBC article states, the next challenge, after the rescue and relief operation, will be providing a means of earning for survivors of the earthquake. Most of the area is mountainous and unable to support large scale agriculture or industry and the political situation in Kashmir and its surroundings hasn’t quite helped tourism.
It is small orchards, poultry farms etc. that are the main source of income for most villages and many of these have disappeared as a result of landslides or collapses. Another hurdle is that a large number of women who have lost the males of the family, would be reluctant to go out to find work.
Short of evacuating everyone in the whole region, a Herculean task in itself and one which will require creation of hundreds of thousands if not millions of jobs in the rest of the country, we have to come up with long-term solutions. One idea we discussed was setting up micro-industries in the people’s homes (or what’s left of them) that can at least help feed the household. Supplying sewing machines and raw material to the women for example. More ideas welcome.
One thought on “Livelihoods of quake survivors”
Well I guess the women can be trained to grow home food (vegetables like tomatoes, potatoes, mint, onions, chili etc) for the daily consumption in the small gardens they have within the residence premises.
Besides I guess these people need to be told that it’s not the end of everything and that the disaster has ended. They need psychological / emotional push up exercises. Motivational speeches i.e. to individual families by wise psychologists (planned) to enhance their spirits to go on with the ruminants of life and grow them further would be required in addition to financial support. Non profit organizations who had already been working to improve living standards of the people in these areas can be contacted to get the job done.
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