Trucks in Pakistan are elaborately decorated to celebrate local culture - people, places, events and stories. Trucks are also vehicles of aid delivery - such as this one that served as a mobile health clinic funded by DEC charity CAFOD as part of the Pakistan Floods Appeal response last year.

The DEC worked with local Pakistani truck artist Ali Salman Anchan and his team to tell the stories of flood survivors supported by donations to the DEC appeal, recognising their courage and resilience in the face of the disaster - and the ongoing challenges they face.

The truck is still providing mobile healthcare in villages that were submerged last year, bringing moments of joy to communities as they work to rebuild their lives.

"The doctors at CAFOD’s clinic saved my daughter’s life," - Sultana, Ayra's mother.

In Sultana's words:

"I had to carry her in my arms to the mobile clinic. She was not conscious. I feared for her life.

The water was as high as my knees. We were afraid to sleep at night, scared we might drown. We just wanted to keep our children safe. We did not even have money to buy milk. The neighbours gave us shelter.

The doctor at the clinic prescribed medication and Ayra slowly became better and recovered her strength. The doctors at CAFOD’s clinic saved my daughter’s life.

Ayra often comes home from school complaining of a headache and aches in her legs. Before, she was very active. The doctors say she has iron deficiency. We spend our money on our children’s education and that means we often have to forego what we would spend on meals.

We are worried about what will happen this year if the floods take place again. We want to rebuild our home as right now we are living without a solid roof over our heads, sleeping on charpoys in the open.”

"They have given us new eyes with which to see," - Maula Dinno, farmer from Sindh.

In Maula Dinno's words:

“It became impossible to earn a living after the rains. We came back to an utterly devastated place. There was no cultivable land as it was all inundated and we could not grow any crops for the season. Some days we would eat just one meal, and often we could not even manage that. 

They [Concern Worldwide] brought fertiliser and seeds, and set up a farmer school for men and women so we could learn about better techniques and have a bountiful harvest. They taught us so much. They supported us when we could not stand on our own.

I am so glad that I am ahead of the crises. Yesterday I carried mountains of troubles and trials on me, but now I am relieved. I can feel my emotions releasing for the happiness I feel with the hope that my life will improve."

"I felt like my dream of becoming a police officer was still possible, - Arslan, aged 11.

In Arslan's words:

“When the rains came our house collapsed. Our school was also damaged and we were really worried that we would not be able to continue our education. But after the rains, the team came and set up this tent for our school. They gave us books and supplies. They set up a place where we could play games like football and cricket.

They also built washrooms. They set up an area with clean running water. They gave us two bags – one was a school bag, the other with hygiene items. Our teachers taught us how to wash our hands properly, how to clean our teeth and bathe.

I remember my first day at the tent school. I was so happy, I felt like my dream of becoming a police officer was still possible. I thought I would lose that dream and have to do manual labour to earn a living like most people in the village. 

Now we are able to study with ease. I want to continue my education after the tent school, go to high school and then to college.”

“Our girls will not have to deal with the same situations that we had to,” - Lakshmi, mother of seven.

In Lakshmi's words:

“Everyone was so devastated by loss that the distinctions between us were erased. Whether you were Hindu or Muslim, it didn’t matter. We had to come together as a community to take care of ourselves.

IRC encouraged us to form a tanzeem (village committee) to decide how to deal with future catastrophes or issues. They helped us with installing a bathroom and gave us cash grants.

Previously, we would walk around one kilometre to get water which was unclean and would make us unwell. When we had to use the bathroom, even if you had an upset stomach, you had to find a space in the fields to relieve yourself. We would wash the cloth that we used for menstruation in any private space we could find.

Now the hand pump is in our village. We also have our own latrine in the village. It is a clean and private space. Our girls will not have to deal with the same situations that we had to, and we are grateful for that.”