Eid Festivities...Pakistan Eid-Ul-Adha in tents!

Eid is a festival of happiness and celebrations for Muslims all around the world. Eid Ul Adha is a festival of sacrifice. We celebrate Eid with religious zeal and fervor. The festival of Eid unites together all the people. Eid-Ul-Adha is what we say is the ‘Big Eid’. Preparations start from before.

The country's leadership rose to the occasion and celebrated the festival amongst the flood victims who are still living in the tent cities across Pakistan. Touching scenes were witnessed when the children were given Eid gifts.In Dadu, Sindh, a little toddler who was playing with a bamboo stick and an old plastic toy car without wheels, was given a gift of toys by Prime Minister Gilani. Despite being hesitant initially, the little child suddenly beamed and was so thrilled by these simple gifts that he grabbed the gifts and ran towards his mother shouting "Maa, Maa," looking like the epitome of freedom, joy and innocence.

Inside the tents, the dwellers have two straw mats spread across the uneven floor, donated blankets and some kitchen utensils. More than 100,000 flood victims in Pakistan are living in these tents.“We don't have the real happiness of Eid-ul-Adha. What is left to be happy about?" said Zarina, who lost her husband in the flood waters. "I lost everything; I don't even have a home now."Zarina, along with her children now live in an 8-by-10-foot canvas tent set up by a Pakistani charity. The floods, which rolled from north to south in an unprecedented tide of destruction, damaged more than 1.7 million homes across Pakistan. It is hardly surprising then that given the devastation of the floods, people are looking for answers on the most efficient way to rebuild Pakistan. 

What we see is that,for all the difficulties facing the devastated victims living in tents, it is the hope that somewhere and in some rare moment of time, their voices will be heard.

There is hope and that is what gives these people the reason to live on. The festival of Eid, perhaps gave the victims a chance to unite together and forget their sorrow and provided them a chance to be happy.