Wednesday, December 24, 2008 – By Aroosa Masroor / Karachi / The News International
Rescuing survivors of a disaster is possibly one of the toughest jobs one can do, and given the frequency of both natural and man-made disasters in Pakistan, rescue workers stand at constant vigil to protect citizens. Rozina Qadir, is one such worker who has been volunteering for people’s safety for over two years now.
At the age of 35, Rozina defies the stereotype that only men are fit for search and rescue operations. During each of her operations, Rozina’s life is on the line, but she faces all such missions fearlessly. She is one of nine females in a team of 40 members of FOCUS Humanitarian Assistance, an international crisis and response and disaster risk reduction agency, which has been working in Pakistan for over a decade now.
FOCUS was founded in 1998 by the Ismaili community and is affiliated with the Aga Khan Development Network in Pakistan. Operating in Karachi, Islamabad, Peshawar, the Northern Areas and Chitral, the team is trained in urban, mountain, avalanche, and water search and rescue.
Ismailimail 