MISSION OF HUMANITY

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It’s claimed to be the worst floodPakistan has seen in over 80 years.20 million people were affected,

thousands killed. Nearly one-fifth ofthe country was damaged leavinghelpless citizens homeless, fatallywounded, and hungry. Corruption,favoritism and poverty led to

unsanitary and inadequate medicalfacilities.

Today, nearly a year later, the impactof this devastating natural disasterlingers on. Communities of people arestill left homeless and facemalnutrition; areas are still covered in

motionless, contaminated floodwaters.

Enter two women, visionaries rather,who believe in the power of a helpinghand. Sweta Chawla and Dr. GeetChainani are two Sindhi Hindus, raisedand reared in the United States, whobelieved that if they didn’t return to

HUMANITYBy Sonam Sagarangels of

Dr. Geet Chainani withthe flood effectedchildren in Sindh

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their roots, to Sindh, in a time of need,who would? These remarkable womenmade a choice, one which many wouldconsider a risk, and traveled toPakistan in the most unfavorable ofconditions demonstrating that oneleap of faith can, in fact, make adifference.

Sweta ChawlaSweta Chawla is a person who defiesthe common adage, ‘one person can’tdo it all.’ Not only is she a professor ofpharmacy at Arnold and MarieSchwartz College of Pharmacy at LongIsland University, but she alsomanages a community clinic inBrooklyn, NY, is a certified diabeteseducator, runs a clinical site withpharmacy students on rotations, leadsDisease State Management programseducating the public on variousdiseases and the risks that comealong with them, and is happilymarried.

Although she moved from Bombay tothe United States at the ripe, youngage of two, Sweta has managed tokeep a tight grasp on her Sindhiheritage and culture. Therefore, uponhearing of the destructive floods in2010, there was no doubt in her mindthat she needed to travel to Sindh andhelp her land, and her people. “Ialways had a desire to go to Sindh oneday – the idea of going to help in atime of crisis just seemed reallynatural for me.”

A Time to ShineFranklin D. Roosevelt once said, “Theonly thing we have to fear, is fearitself.” When Sweta first decided totravel to Pakistan and aid in floodrelief, fear, among nervousness,overtook her. She was told that shewould be reprimanded and perhapskilled for not only being Hindu, butalso being an American. The worldwas hearing about bomb blasts inPakistan day after day, night afternight. Thousands of thoughts, feelingsof “what if,” and questions racedthrough everyone’s minds, includingSweta's.

Whether it was her naiveté or herinner strength combined with herSindhi pride, Sweta took that leap offaith and contacted ShineHumanity,one of the few NGO’s dedicated todisaster relief in Pakistan. After that,the pieces just fell into place; her visawas approved immediately, and the

“I ALWAYS HAD A DESIRETO GO TO SINDH ONEDAY – THE IDEA OFGOING TO HELP IN ATIME OF CRISIS JUSTSEEMED REALLYNATURAL FOR ME”

~ SWETA CHAWLA

Sweta Chawla visitingthe Sadh Bella Mandir inSukkur, Sindh

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hospital she was assigned to justhappened to be in her family'shometown of Shikarpur. This,according to Sweta, was the sign sheneeded. A sign from the universetelling her to face her fear andapprehension and to do what wasright.

Upon arrival in Pakistan, all ofSweta’s concerns and anxietieswere immediately put to rest,“There was no hiding that I amHindu and that I am American – itwas so unexpectedly opposite ofeverything I feared.” Not only wasSweta warmly greeted in Pakistan,but she soon learned how closely allinhabitants of Shikarpur lived;whether they were Hindu or Muslim,Indian or Pakistani. They were less ofa community, more of a family.

During her time at Shikarpur CivilHospital, Sweta worked primarily withwomen and children directly affectedby the flood. These children hadsimple sicknesses, which were easilytreatable, but had taken over theirbodies and lives due to lack of accessto any sort of healthcare, medication,or even nutrition. Sweta’s medicalknowledge and heartfelt generositytowards her people gave them achance for survival and recovery fromthe destructiveness of the flood.

However, Sweta’s altruism didn’t endthere. After returning to New York,she continues working withShineHumanity developing teachingprograms for future volunteers.Additionally, she has recently begunworking with Real MedicineFoundation, starting an initiative tosupport a Mobile Health Unit – run byfellow Sindhi and dear friend, GeetChainani.

Dr. Geet ChainaniCompassion and humanitarianism aresynonymous with the name GeetChainani. If ever there was a womanwho followed her heart and went on tomake a difference in the world, it isshe. After growing up in New York andalmost completing her education inInternational Business, Geet realizedher passion remained in herabandoned childhood dream ofbuilding a career in the medical field.

Upon earning her doctorate inmedicine, Geet left her friends, family,and life she had known for so manyyears to venture out to Pakistan andlearn about her

Sindhi heritage. More importantlyhowever, she traveled to Pakistan tohelp her people when they needed herthe most. “As a Sindhi, I’m happy I’mhere in the land my great grandfatheronce fought to preserve.” Geet’s desireto connect with her great-grandfatherbrought her back to Sindh; shefollowed in her ancestors’ footstepsand began fighting for the land andpeople to which she belongs.

Let There Be LightWhile in an emergency relief center inShikarpur, Geet saw the dire need forhealthcare. Mothers were pleading forsomeone to help their childrensurvive; Children were seen sufferingminor ailments which, if leftuntreated, would take their lives.Infants, barely able to hold their headsup, dehydrated and weak. Geet thenknew that this is where she belonged;she had found her calling. “Being inthe region now makes me feel gratefulfor being given the chance to servehumanity when it’s needed the mostand where so many are still beingignored or have been forgotten.” Herhumanity and dedication to thesethousands of victims shed a ray ofhope on their lives; she brought asense of brotherhood andcamaraderie, which they weremissing, to overcome this disastrousperiod.

After spending a week in Shikarpur,

Victims of the floods

The host family in Shikarpur

Dr. Geet Chainani treating one of the children at the camp

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Geet realized her work had just begun.By forming a partnership between twonon profit organizations, Life BridgeUS and Real Medicine Foundation,Geet started to combat the increasingneed for healthcare in two of the floodstricken regions of Sindh by creating aMobile Health Unit. In many regions,access to healthcare had becomeclose to impossible due to lack offunds, as well as damaged roads;Geet’s dream was to bridge this gap bybringing medical facilities straight tothe villages.

“I chose to become a doctor because Iwanted to save lives, but moreimportantly, I have always wanted mywork to mean something.” By battlingthe negative outcomes of thetraumatic Pakistani floods and

bringing healthcare directly to thosewho need it most, Geet has, in fact,made her work mean something. Notonly has she given back to thecommunity, the people, and the landto which she belongs, but she hasdone so in a remarkable andbenevolent way. She truly has beenthe light at the endof their dark,winding tunnel.

Selfless ServiceIt is not very oftenyou will meetindividuals whoselflesslydedicatethemselves tothousands of

people, most of whom they don’tknow and may never meet again.Then again, it is not very often youwill meet people like Sweta Chawlaand Geet Chainani. Both of theseincredible women have such a strongbelief in their roots and their culturethat regardless of only having ancestryties to Sindh, they generously dedicatedsuch a large part of their lives to helping

victims in a time of dire need.

Whileinterviewing bothwomen, whattouched me evenmore than theiraltruism, was theirhumility. Whilespeaking abouttheir experiences,

whether they were in Pakistan or otherparts of the world, both Sweta andGeet emphasized how grateful they areto the people, the places, and theopportunities. Time and time again,they kept reiterating the fact thataiding victims in Pakistan was, morethan anything else, a learningexperience of their own. Whether itwas learning about a world outside oftheir own, the many organizationsdedicated to disaster relief, or aboutthe generosity, kindness and resilienceof others, they were all experiencesthat have changed their lives.

When asked to give a piece of adviceto others pursuing medicine andwanting to engage in globalhealthcare, both women had onecommon thing to say - just do it! Put

the fear and apprehension behind. Notonly will these experiences change thelives of the less fortunate, but willteach you priceless lessons as well.

So whether it’s volunteering at a civilhospital, or establishing a health unit,every step is a step in the rightdirection. In the words of Geet,“There’s a point when talking nolonger helps and a time for actionarrives... We can change everythingwith just one step.”

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“AS A SINDHI, I’M HAPPYI’M HERE IN THE LANDMY GREATGRANDFATHER ONCEFOUGHT TO PRESERVE”

~ GEET CHAINANI

The condition of one of the effected villages

Victims of the floods

A flood relief camp

Sweta Chawla with Shikarpur hospital staff