A Struggle for Dreams
 Witness resilience and compassion in the face of adversity
The worst flooding in 50 years struck, causing another setback for Falak and his family
It was the second time calamity ruined his dreams. As the flood waters came, he immediately remembered the first time one of his dreams was dashed.
Growing up in Pakistan, Falak Sher’s dream was to graduate high school and join the Army. Naturally athletic, Falak was a kabaddi (a contact type of tag) player at a young age. He excelled at it and thought it would help him in combat. Never in his wildest dreams would he have thought the sport would result in the complete opposite. But a freak accident during one of the games would cause him to be bedridden for over five years. After his injury, Falak’s childhood dreams of being in the army were crushed.
Forced to find a new career, Falak decided to become a master weaver of the charpoy, a wooden bedstead. Within a year, Falak was trained and became a well-known weaver in his region. Things were looking good for Falak and his family. He switched his dream of being in the army to becoming the best weaver in his town.
‘Life was getting along alright, and I would get three to four charpoys daily,’ he said. That was enough work to keep him busy through the day and collect a sustainable income for his family.
But another massive setback would happen.
In 2022 Pakistan experienced the worst flooding in 50 years. Over one-third of the country was underwater. Millions of people lost their farms, homes, business, and lives were torn away from them in hours. Despite losing his home, Falak found solace in his weaving career, hoping to support himself and help others. However, to his dismay, he soon discovered that most people couldn’t afford to have their bedsteads fixed, and many were struggling to meet even their basic needs, such as having enough money for food.
Thankfully, with collaboration from donors like you and Tearfund’s partners Presbyterian World Service (PWS) and Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFGB), families like Falak’s were helped after the devastating floods. Millions of people, already deprived of income and struggling with food shortages from previous droughts, were in desperate need of food and water.
The response gave thousands of families Cash for Food, a program that gave money towards food rations. Thanks to donors like you, this money changed the lives of thousands of families. Falak could feed his family full meals for months, which was crucial as his wife was nursing their newborn daughter.
Following several weeks of participating in the program, Falak regained the ability to revive his business. He could resume work and reconnect with clients with some of his funds. Falak and his family are slowly building up their dreams in Pakistan.
When asked how his family would have fared without the assistance, Falak remained silent. He had no idea how he and his family would have survived the hard months when there was so little work.
Thank you for providing for people like Falak; we do not know where Falak would be without you.
