Gearing Up

WASHINGTON—Two weeks from now, I will be stationed in Abbottabad, Pakistan, hours from the epicenter of last October’s 7.8 magnitude earthquake. As the anniversary nears, millions of people whose villages have been ruined continue to live in temporary relief sites. The winterized tents designed to weather the harsh winter are now their only refuge from blistering heat. Lack of proper sanitation, health, education, and food have led some to describe the 70,000+ who perished last fall as the lucky ones.

Of course, this was one of many tragedies to recently affect our world. Less than a month ago, Indonesia was hit with an earthquake, and as I write this, rescue workers are looking for survivors of a flood in Ethiopia last weekend. The amount of disasters, conflicts, and bad news is overwhelming to say the least. But for the millions who continue to struggle, whether it’s in the Gulf Coast, Southeast Asia, or Kashmir, that reality is something they cannot escape by turning off the TV.

As an American who has lived in Pakistan and traveled through the affected regions, I have decided to lend my eyes and fingers to this story. For three weeks I will report to those who are interested, in the U.S. and elsewhere, the real stories I witness at ground zero of Pakistan’s reconstruction operations. I expect stories that give hope, as well as those that depress and frustrate us, and stories that remind us of the never-ending resilience of the human spirit against great odds.

I encourage you to join me on this adventure by checking my postings frequently at www.ambreen.net/blog or by subscribing to my site feed.