There is one woman who has dedicated her life to people in need, and in particular people in need within the Pakistani borders. German nun Ruth Pfau is working tirelessly to help the victims that have been displaced because of the flood that hit Pakistan earlier this year. She has been setting up temporary shelters, schools and food distribution stations, hoping to ease the pain during these trying times. She has been listening to the pleas of the victims, helping them receive the aid they need, powdered milk, salt and chili. According to one source her arrival “has been a Godsend for them, the forgotten of the floods” (BBC). But Pfau’s history in Pakistan is not limited to helping in this most recent disaster; she has been in there since the early 1960’s when she established a medical facility for those suffering from leprosy. After receiving her degree in medicine in Russia in 1958 she joined a Catholic Order and wanted to go to India but ended up in Pakistan by accident and has been there since. The leprosy clinic started as make-shift housing structures and has since grown to a building with 80 floors, and hundreds of permanent staff and volunteers. She says that she attributes a lot of her success to the role the Pakistan government has played in supporting her actions and initiatives. She looks at the situation between her and the government as “a Pakistani marriage. It was an arranged marriage because it was necessary. We always and only fought with each other. But we never could go in for divorce because we had too many children" (BBC). She has established trust with the government and now she is focusing her attention on the flood victims and is making a tremendous difference in many people’s lives.
Work Cited
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11666299
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