Marking the one year anniversary of the devastating floods of 2010, an 11-day long photo exhibition under the theme ‘Reviving Communities Stronger Together’ commenced at the National Art Gallery (NAG) on Thursday. The International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) and the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS), in association with the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA), organized this event in which over 50 photographs are displayed.
These photographs underscore the miseries and sorrows of the flood affectees and also hughlight the relief work carried out by IFRC and PRCS workers and volunteers. The purpose of this exhibition is to increase peoples’ awareness of the plight of their countrymen and invoke them to volunteer for such public welfare causes with greater enthusiasm.
The floods of 2010 destroyed thousand of acres of crops and farmlands across Pakistan, leaving thousands of people destitute and without hope of income. The PRCS responded to this calamity by distributing seeds and fertilizer to thousands of farmers while cash grants were distributed to 5000 families in order to help them replace destroyed assets and re-establish income generating activities.
Forty three community grants were also given to help improve the welfare of communities while increasing their preparedness for such disasters. Photographs at the exhibition depicted catastrophic images of the vast damage done by the deluge and the relief and rehabilitation activities which were carried out. The photographs came from the lenses of renowned photographers Olivier Matthys, Catherine Mueller, Usman Ghani as well as other IFRC and PRCS staff members.
The IFRC Communications Officer Majda Shabbir said the idea behind the exhibition was to infuse the spirit of voluntarism among the people by showcasing the work that the volunteers of IFRC and PRCS have been doing for the relief of flood victims. She said that all the volunteers belonged to different walks of life but had one thing in common i.e. urge to help others.
The exhibition will continue at NAG till the 31st of July.
