NAKHAL; meaning a solitary tree that provides refuge in a desert. To make ‘Nakhal’ a reality, our team decided to visit The Third largest desert in Pakistan; ‘Thal’. In an area where life too grows timidly, Humans were left helpless! As the cities and urban areas of Pakistan progressed these areas were left unseen and unheard! Liveliness and Cries for Help are often lost in this gigantic desert which extends over a length of 305 km and has a width that varies from 32 km to as much as 112 km! The Nakhal Team heard these cries and decided to visit and help the people of Thal! So accompany us in our journey as we ‘UNCOVER THAL’! We would walk you through all the things we did in Thal; from helping people become independent by setting them up a business to the distribution of Jackets and Basic medical kits. From ‘setbacks of life in Thal’ to ‘Finding Silverlings for the people of Thal’. You’ll find everything here! 

Past shapes the Present!

Thal’s history can be divided into two portions; the pre-partition period when the Thal Canal project was conceived in 1873 for the whole of Thal Doab. Later proposals to irrigate Thal were brought up repeatedly in the coming years. The second period goes back to the grand partition of 1947 when over 15 million individuals migrated and created a predicament for the contemporary government. Plenty of refugees were settled in this vast sparsely populated area. Although the Thal Development Authority (TDA) initiated many development projects in the area starting from the year 1950, the adverse consequences of crowding people in an already barren area were to follow in the coming years!

What’s life like in Thal?

As you make your way to Thal, you will come across numerous sugarcane factories and picturesque farms of yellow and green saag (leafy greens). Further ahead, you will notice the dunes blanketed with chickpeas until you reach the Chubara district, which marks the entrance to Thal. To get around, hand pumps are often seen. The locals tend to live in scattered communities. The landscape around the lake is significantly greener than other parts of the area, yet some farms that further away have to rely on the barani method and thus, are vulnerable to unpredictable rainfall. Unfortunately, the people of Thal suffer from deprivation of major services such as education and medical care, due to their remote desert location. (More on this below!)

1. Low standards of life:

While we were in Thal, we surveyed the people of Thal; if they would like to leave Thal and settle down in a city if provided with an opportunity, And why? Most of them wanted to leave Thal and the reason they gave was ‘fewer resources in the area’. The Residents of Thal face a deficit in necessities of life, be it basic healthcare facilities or educational facilities! Hospitals are almost nonexistent in the area and schools are very small; one school only comprises 1 to 2 small rooms. That too without good seating facilities! Teachers are not qualified enough and are often hired only because they have some know-how of the English language! Residents have strong cultural beliefs that are too deep-rooted to be battled; people believe girls are supposed to stay at home and look after household chores to get ready for marriage. Boys are preferred to send to school if the family has the funds for only one child. Child labor is another obstacle in education as most people send their children for work and hence cannot afford the loss of income by sending them to schools instead! There is very limited electricity and sanitation in the area. Clean Water, or in fact water is not available in many parts of the desert! Poor infrastructure and the absence of proper roads lead to many accidents, which are in fact not even handled properly due to the absence of hospitals! Residents travel to cities like Lahore for much-needed medical assistance! Due to widespread poverty, many families don’t even have proper clothing and many face the harshness of winters with barely any warm clothes! Lives in Thal continue to strive with what little they have!

2. Economic activity:

Livestock farming and Agriculture is the principal source of livelihood for the people of Thal. Gram flour and Milk make up the major source of income, that’s why cows and buffaloes are preferred over goats and camels. Leather products are made from the skins of sheep and camels. The bones and teeth are used to make jewelry. Nonetheless, the narrow availability of veterinary facilities and vaccinations hinders livestock productivity. Other than farming, some earn a living by setting up small shops, like street-side markets. More often than not, residents wake up and go to work at the time of fajr (around 6 am) and go home between 9 to 10 pm.

3. Climatic Catastrophes and Poverty:

The population in Thal lives in scattered settlements and many farmers own less than 6 acres of farm, which is already difficult to cultivate. Climatic fluctuations not only affect agricultural farming but also livestock production as less fodder is available! Recurrent droughts, erratic rainfall patterns, and fluctuating sand dunes harm the crops adversely. Thus, contributing to the poverty in the region! This widespread poverty affects the lifestyle of people more than one can envisage! Families usually live in a small 1-room-sized mud house! Proper cemented houses with paint are a sight that is rarely seen in Thal! Many kids are forced to beg to kill their hunger! Facilitated by the inefficiency of the local police and combined with poverty, many commit crimes or turn to drugs! Together with a high crime rate and widespread poverty, the future of Thal seems to be bleak! 

Being ‘Nakhal’:

Our First Major project was a huge success, our team spent a total of 10 days in Thal and served the residents in whatever way that we could! Because of the hospitality, cooperation, and welcoming attitude of the locals towards our expedition, we were able to implement our preplanned solutions to major problems utilizing the donations and hard work of our team. To better understand the locality and residents our team allocated 2 days for observation and conducted surveys throughout our Tour! Moreover, the Ex-MPA and zakat chairman of Thal accompanied and guided us on our journey! Here’s how NAKHAL chose to assist the people of ‘Thal’;

Studying the people of Thal!

Who better to ask about the exertions of life in Thal, than the residents of Thal themselves? So our team conducted various surveys alongside our journey and learned about life in Thal from its own people! For a sounder understanding, we surveyed the kids and adults discretely. The findings were quite interesting! Following were the results;

For kids:

-Do you go to school? If not, then why?

Results: Most of the kids we surveyed went to school. Nevertheless, still many kids didn’t go to school simply because they couldn’t afford it! Many girls were not sent to school as the family had finances for one child and they preferred the son.

-If you don’t go to school would you like to study if provided with free education?

Results: It’s not surprising that all of the kids said they will go to school if this was the situation!

-What do you want to become when you grow up?

Results: Most of the kids didn’t know the answer to this question, as if they were never asked such a question before. And hence had no vision! However, out of some kids that answered this question, it’s fascinating that most of them wanted to become either of the three; Doctor, Police, Teacher

For Adults:

-What is your current occupation? Is there any?

Results: Most of the people were employed as compared to unemployed. And many were currently working on a farm. A small percentage were working in markets and restaurants.

-If you don’t work right now would you like to work if provided with an opportunity?

Results: Everyone answered affirmatively to this question. 

-what is your monthly income?

Results: Men were mostly earning 6000 – 14000 PKR monthly. A very small percentage of women who worked earned 2000- 7000 PKR monthly.

-if you get an opportunity to leave Thal and move to a more developed area, will you avail it and why?

Results: On the whole people wanted to leave Thal and the reasons they listed included; fewer resources in Thal or because they hoped for a better future in a developed city. The small percentage who said no, wanted to live with their family in Thal and serve its own people.

Fighting Unemployment:

As discussed earlier one of the major issues our team detected in Thal was poverty! We studied the reasons for this, and our research yielded that the major rationale for poverty was unemployment! Many families in Thal had lost their only breadwinner which was in most cases (if not all), the man of the house! The man was either ill and couldn’t work anymore or had passed away! Due to cultural norms women and children were expected to stay at home! After analyzing this situation, we did what we thought was best for them! We intended to help people become independent and set up their businesses, rather than just giving out one-time donations. To give life to this notion we held meetings with professionals and came up with the idea of ‘egg incubators’. With the help of these professionals, we were able to make 15+ ‘egg incubators’. Befitting Thal’s electrical situation, the incubators use very less electricity and only produce a monthly bill of 100-250 PKR which is far from the amount people could earn using this incubator! It has the capacity for 60 eggs, which could generate at least Rs. 12000 a month in revenue. They require no specialized knowledge and are easy to operate. We also gave out guidelines in Urdu to assist the beneficiaries. In areas with no electricity, 30+ sets of hens, which included two females and one male, were provided so that the recipients could naturally incubate their eggs and become independent and self-sufficient. Alongside, we also distributed 5+ wool-cutting machines. These ideas were unanimously appraised by the locals and Heads of the Communities because animal husbandry is a key source of income for the area.

Distribution of jackets and First Aid kits:

With winter at its peak in Pakistan and the extreme climate of the desert, many children and people had no warm clothes to protect themselves. Our team bought 70+ warm jackets from the flea market and gave them out. We divided these jackets into 4 age brackets which included; kids under 12, kids from 12-14, 14-17, and lastly above 17. As voluminous people had no basic medical knowledge, and with hospitals far away, we decided to distribute basic first aid kits. These kits comprised 50 grams of cotton, 20 paracetamol tablets, 20 bandages, and 1 pyodine (an antiseptic liquid). This was administered along with an accurate medical chart made with the help of doctors.

The light at the end of the Tunnel!

Despite its challenging environment, Thal and its citizens have the potential to build a brighter future! Our investigations indicate that many children are already attending school, so if qualified and knowledgeable instructors are appointed and a suitable curriculum is created, these kids may have a prosperous future! Additionally, we found numerous gifted youngsters who, if given the correct support and opportunity, could reach their full potential! Moreover, our research reveals that the majority of the kids aspire to serve in the Army, Police, or become a doctor; this implies that these children desire to provide the residents with the services they need, such as medical assistance and a reliable security system. If these children are sent to school, they could assist Thal to prosper! Furthermore, unemployed adults seek employment, which could help combat the pervasive poverty, drug misuse, and high rate of crime.

The inhabitants of Thal are very determined and have been striving to make their aspirations come true despite having limited resources. Despite the odds, many lives in Thal persist in astounding us! Nakhal is planning to go back to Thal after 4 months, this time with better plans and supplies. Our goal is to return to the places where we gave incubators and observe how they responded to them. If the reception is favorable, then we will be providing them with a larger and superior incubator. Nonetheless, we require your aid to make our grand plans a reality, so please become a part of our effort by contributing. You can find the particulars on our Instagram page.

Thal’s populace is still full of potential, but with meager resources, the talent in Thal awaits!