Paani Project

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Paani
Paani mixed.png
Founded2017; 5 years ago (2017)
TypeInternational NGO
Location
Area served
Pakistan, Jordan
Fields
  • Humanitarian aid and activism
  • Sustainable aid
  • Mothers and children affected by the Pakistan crisis
CEO
Sikander ‘Sonny’ Khan[1]
Websitewww.paaniproject.org

Paani is an American nonprofit humanitarian organization that provides water aid, emergency assistance and disaster relief in Pakistan.[2] Its headquarters are located in Michigan, United States and it is managed by volunteers.[3] As of 2022, Paani operates in Pakistan and Jordan and the organization has raised over $2.2 million.[4] According to the organization, it has built millions of dollars worth of wells, and delivered millions of meals to rural families in Pakistan.[5][6][7]

History[]

Paani, which means water in Urdu, was founded in 2017 at the University of Michigan and operated by student volunteers dedicated to alleviating the water and sanitation crisis in Pakistan.[8][9][10]

Paani has focused largely on the most disadvantaged families in various districts of Sindh including Jacobabad, Mirpurkhas, Jaffarabad and Tharparkar.[11] In response to COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan, the non-profit has distributed over a million dollars of medical supplies to clinics including ventilators, electrocardiogram machines, cardiac monitors, and face masks to hospitals in Pakistan.[5]

The non-profit has stood in solidarity with American social justice icons and movements by building wells in honor of George Floyd and Mohammad Anwar. [12][13]

In July 2021, the organization worked with NBA superstar Kyrie Irving to build a solar water center in Pakistan.[14][15]An effort that drew international praise from the Consulate General of the United States, Karachi.[16]

Operations[]

The organization helped 7,551 families of three Tehsils of Tharparkar district from 400 deep water wells and five solar-powered water wells in Pakistan, however across Pakistan the number is much larger.[17] The nonprofit relies on a number of contacts including local construction companies to build the wells, while producing jobs for the unemployed.[18] At the completion of each well, local community members are trained on the maintenance process to ensure longevity of the wells.

  • Disaster Relief

During the 2019 Earthquake in Kashmir, Paani was involved in distributing emergency clothing and bedding in collaboration with other NGOs for the affected communities.

During the 2020 Karachi Floods, Paani was involved in both distributing cooked meals and delivering clean water via water tankers to the affected neighborhoods.

  • COVID-19 RELIEF

Paani supplied over 4,000+ families (avg. of 7 members) with at least 1- month of food and hygiene kits, which included masks, sanitizers and cleaning products Supplied $500,000 of relevant medical supplies to a government designate COVID-relief center to a health clinic in Lahore housed under the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute.[19][20][21]

  • Gardening

Paani's installation of solar-powered water facilities in Tharparkar allowed women to grow gardens.[22][23][24]

Fundraising[]

As an organization, Paani began with students raising funds by selling donuts at the Michigan Union until they were able to raise $600 to construct their first water well.[25][26] As of 2022, most of their fundraising is conducted through LaunchGood and online donations via their website.[27][28] The organization has raised over $1 million while maintaining $0 in overhead.[29]


References[]

  1. ^ "Sikander Sonny Khan". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
  2. ^ Javed, Nilanjana G. (15 April 2021). "Hollywood stars Lindsay Lohan and Jesse McCartney extend Ramadan greetings". Gulf News. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  3. ^ "Lindsay Lohan, Jesse McCartney and more stars send Ramadan greetings to Muslim fans". Geo TV News website. 14 April 2021. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  4. ^ "UM student group to host teach-in to raise Kashmir awareness". mlive.com website. 24 October 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  5. ^ a b Yu, Ann (1 July 2020). "Nonprofit organization Paani raises over $250,000 for rural Pakistan in response to COVID-19". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  6. ^ A, Danial (3 March 2020). "Pakistani-Americans Work To Create An NGO Dedicated To Fix Pakistan's Water Crisis!". Parhlo.com website. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  7. ^ Paani Project on Global Innovation Exchange website Retrieved 10 June 2021
  8. ^ Eduardo Gonzalez (9 December 2019). "Lakers' LeBron James is honored with well in Pakistan". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  9. ^ "Former Disney, Nickelodeon stars send Ramadan greetings to Muslim fans". Arab News. 14 April 2021. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  10. ^ Kate Carroll (13 August 2020). "Here's how a UNC student organization helped improve water accessibility abroad". The Daily Tar Heel (daily newspaper of the University of North Carolina). Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  11. ^ "Paani Project USA installs hand pumps and distributes food items in various Districts of Sindh". News10 TV website. 7 June 2020. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  12. ^ Qazi, Areeba (24 June 2020). "How a Nonprofit is Providing Water in Pakistan". Brown Girl Magazine. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  13. ^ "Clean water start-up names well in Pakistan after LeBron James". LeBron Wire. 2019-10-09. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
  14. ^ Lewis, Brian (2021-07-30). "Kyrie Irving makes clean water in drought-ridden Pakistani village a reality". New York Post. Retrieved 2021-07-30.
  15. ^ Dawn.com (2021-07-29). "NBA star Kyrie Irving's charity helps build solar water centre in Thar". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2021-07-30.
  16. ^ "https://twitter.com/usconsulatekhi/status/1421109810045595648". Twitter. Retrieved 2021-07-30. {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)
  17. ^ Jan Khashkheli (20 May 2021). "A drop of hope: Solar-powered water wells for Tharis". The News International (newspaper). Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  18. ^ http://regionaltimes.com/12Jun2021/2.jpg. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  19. ^ Ayan Ajeen. "Paani: Navigating Humanitarian Aid in the Midst of Crisis". Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) website. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  20. ^ Hintz, Livvy (2019-03-22). "Paani event focuses on water sanitation crisis in Pakistan and Flint". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  21. ^ Banglani, Zaheer. "Services of FRDP, Paani Project USA lauded".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  22. ^ Hanif Samoon (2 June 2021). "Thar women produce vegetables at home to fight poverty". Daily Times (newspaper). Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  23. ^ Banglani, Zaheer (June 4, 2021). "FRDP, Paani Project USA faciltate Jacobabad's growers". The Regional Times of Sindh.
  24. ^ "Residents of Village".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  25. ^ "Choose to Act: How to Build An International NGO While Graduating from School | We Are Michigan Public Health | University of Michigan School of Public Health". sph.umich.edu. Retrieved 2021-06-18.
  26. ^ Samoon, Hanif (2021-06-16). "A journey of volunteers to help thirsty people". PKnama. Retrieved 2021-06-16.
  27. ^ Bickerton, Scarlett (25 May 2021). "Paani raises over $900,000 for clean water and food relief in Pakistan". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  28. ^ "Drake Bell, Lindsay Lohan and more celebs honour Ramadan for a good cause". The News International (newspaper). 14 April 2021. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  29. ^ Ennette, Frederick (2021-07-29). "Kyrie Irving Takes Savage Shot at Nike After Images of Latest Shoe Leaks". Heavy.com. Retrieved 2021-08-11.
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