FAR from the hustle and bustle of the city and living in conditions that are no less pathetic than any other underprivileged area of the country, the life of the inhabitants of Kakkapir, one of the oldest localities of Karachi, was very much under a cloud of misery and destitute.
Poverty is very much rampant and the fishermen here continue to be exploited by the over ambitious moneylenders. But things have changed for the better in the last seven years as the inhabitants now have a desire to develop their ancestral village, a will that has opened a window to the road to progress.
This positive change in their attitudes occurred after the local community realized that with some external support it can improve the village infrastructure and thus, their living conditions. Today, the village located between Sandspit and Hawk’s Bay boasts a Wetland Education Centre, the first of its kind in the country; three mangrove nurseries planted by local women; the first ever education programme for girls; launch of vocational training for women; and last but not least the development of the infrastructure to supply gas to the village.
“With our own hands we destroyed ourselves for years. We used to share the concern over the decline in catches, but little did we know that our livelihood is dependent upon the very mangroves, which we have been ruthlessly massacring for ages. Today, not only do the villagers follow restraint but also stop ‘outsiders’ from destroying the nurseries of a large number of fish species and shrimps. It’s time to put together all efforts and make up for the mistakes that we had committed,” says Abdul Ghani, president of the local Community Based Organization (CBO). He voices the feelings of many who candidly acknowledge their past follies and admit that the local community was wrong in adopting a hostile attitude towards their patrons, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
“Today the local community and the WWF are working hand in hand to conserve the natural resources of the village. However, things were not friendly seven years ago. The villagers were extremely apprehensive about our objectives and believed that we had come to take away their land. Gradually, they realized that what the NGO is doing is for their prosperity and progress,” says Jahangir Durranee, the local WWF conservation officer.
Named after a spiritual leader who had brownish hair (that is where the name came from — Kakka), the community, with a population of approximately 1500 people, claims itself to be the descendants of Mohammad Bin Qasim. Though their main source of livelihood is fishing, the beach huts also provide them with some subsistence. The area is rich in biodiversity and is covered with avicennia marina, the only mangrove species left in the area due to increasing pollution.
The WWF officials first came here under a five-year project for the conservation of fragile mangrove ecosystem in 1997 under a project supported by The Netherlands government, launched simultaneously in Balochistan. Later, realizing that the problems of the community needed to be addressed for sustainable preservation and rehabilitation of the mangroves, they involved themselves in community uplift under the projects funded by European Union and H.R.H. Prince Bernad of The Netherlands.
“Here the degradation of the mangroves was very high. Apart from pollution, the villagers used to cut them for fuel and fodder. An awareness about the benefits of mangroves was created and the first mangrove nursery was planted in 1998. For some reasons, it could not survive, however, the results of two other nurseries were positive and 500 to 1,000 saplings were successfully planted that now have grown into full trees. Drive for mangrove plantation has now become a regular feature,” observes Durrani.
He also spoke about the hard time the NGO faced at the hands of villagers who not only opposed their plans openly, but once threatened a Sindh Wildlife Department official for conducting a drive to kill stray dogs, posing danger to the growth of marine turtles. They also accused one of their much-respected community leaders, Haji Mohammad Siddiq Panjwani of “selling their land used as a football ground to the WWF for the proposed Wetland Centre”.
“Haji Sahib faced severe criticism for his cooperation with the NGO but he continued to abridge the differences and remove the mistrust. Today, the community feels indebted to Haji Sahib, who despite the hostility of the entire village, did not lose hope in us,” says Abdul Ghani.
As to the education of women a programme was launched in the house of a local, Mehrunnisa, who also offered her residence for women’s vocational training. Later, with the cooperation of concerned town nazim classes for girls were started in a school for boys. It was agreed that the girls would come in the afternoon after the boys’ morning shift. A female teacher was hired from a nearby village and books and stationery were arranged.
“The school enrolment has now risen to 72 with separate classes for women and girls. Three of the girls were sent on an educational tour to the Azad Jammu and Kashmir with the support of an NGO. On the vocational side, initially, five sewing machines have been arranged for 13 girls who are being trained in dress-making,” WWF community mobilizer Saveeta says.
To tackle the problem of mangrove cutting, stoves that consume less wood were introduced. Later, a gas project was launched with the support of Sui Southern Gas Company, which would be completed soon. The NGO, is also facilitating interaction between coastal communities so they can learn from each others’ experiences. Acting on self-help-basis, the CBO is working to solve the water problem while a group of youth has also received lifeguard training.
However, apart from these developments, the villagers face an uncertain future due to a strong decline in catches. Increasing pollution, operation of big trawlers, use of small-mesh nets are mainly to blame of. In times of the three-month seasonal ban on fishing, poverty forces them to be exploited at the hands of moneylenders who bound them to sell their catch at much lower rates in the season. Also, the village is in a dire need of a proper health facility.
“The government should intervene and solve our problems. The lifeguards should be employed and steps should be taken to check the factors threatening our livelihood. Till that time, we want the WWF to continue to work here,” they desire.
The WWF conservation manager Sindh, Naseer Memon says: “Our major breakthrough is that we have succeeded in developing a sense of ownership among the local community through a small but meaningful initiative. We will facilitate the community to develop linkages with government departments and other NGOs so they can work whole-heartedly for nature conservation. In terms of progress on conservation, socialization and self-initiatives, Kakkapir is a model coastal village.”
FAR from the hustle and bustle of the city and living in conditions that are no less pathetic than any other underprivileged area of the country, the life of the inhabitants of Kakkapir, one of the oldest localities of Karachi, was very much under a cloud of misery and destitute.
