Updated Tuesday 18 April 2006

Many assets that Kashmiri women had built up through WFP projects were destroyed in last year's earthquake. WFP worker Caroline Chaumont met women who are determined, vocal and eager to rebuild their lives. She sent this e-card telling their story.

INSPIRATION AMID THE RUBBLE

In the last three months, I have heard many stories of how lives have been destroyed by the earthquake.

As I prepared for a day trip to meet women in the earthquake-affected area, I expected them to tell me some harrowing stories.

What I found instead, was enormously inspiring. The Kashmiri women I met were organised into community associations through which they undertook projects which earned them WFP food stamps.

They were vocal and eager to rebuild their lives.

But despite their efforts, what they really need is a helping hand from the international community to get them off to a good start.

A two-year WFP recovery plan to help Kashmiris rebuild their lives has so far only received three percent of its required budget and needs more donor contributions to reach its target.