P R O F I L E
Sharmeen Khan
Resettling the Indus
Text By Ruhie Jamshaid
Photos By Nadir Toosy
Most of us read about tragedies or unfortunate incidences
and feel overwhelmed. However, soon, we move on with
our everyday lives, at best perhaps dedicating a donation
to the cause. Still, there are a few people, like Sharmeen
Khan, who take charge to practically help the devastated
and the less fortunate.
Then again, Sharmeen Khan is not your run-of-the-mill,
usual young lady. On meeting her, the determination and
strong-mindedness clearly shine through. “I have been
blessed to be from a family which has always supported
me. There has never been a demarcation between my
brother and I. I was always allowed to be my own person.”
Her family was also instrumental in developing the love for
social service from a very young age. “I come from a family
of doctors. I grew up seeing my mom, Dr Shireen, and the
other doctors in my family going out there and providing
medical aid to less fortunate regularly through medical
camps. Honestly, being a part of one social service project
or the other was the norm for me while growing up.”
Therefore, in the wake of the 2010 floods in Pakistan,
it was impossible for Sharmeen to sit and watch as over
20 million people were affected to debilitating levels. As
a young, Beaconhouse National University student in
Lahore, she felt the overwhelming need to contribute
towards alleviating the tremendous pain millions suffered.
“As idealistic as it may sound, yes, I wanted to go out
there and contribute towards change.” Along with some
of her family members, associates and friends, she found
the organization, Resettling the Indus. “It was paramount
for us to register an official entity if we were to be able
to collect donations for those affected by the floods.”
Therefore in October 2010, Resettling the Indus was born.
Her Role
Sharmeen has a significant role in the organization. She
handles the Sindh Chapter and being the only board
member located in Karachi, she handles all queries and
donors that reach out to her first. She also oversees the
Sindh school based in Mirpur Khas and is also involved
in its running.
Sharmeen’s other role involves the emergency disaster
relief. If a tragedy happens, from a terrorist attack to
a natural disaster, she and her team will be the first
to head down to the ground to gather information
and conduct needs assessments. Her team consists of
individuals and board members who volunteer for
the cause. Sharmeen emphasizes how teamwork is
so critical at this stage. “This information is shared
through our network of aid organization to help divide
the limited resources effectively.” After the assessments,
Sharmeen and her team are involved in putting together
48