Location: Village Desar Ji Dhani, Union Council ___, Taluka Mithi, Tharparkar
Population: 770 individuals, 80 households
Project: Installation of Solar Submersible Pump
Funded By: Ansar Burney Trust International
Implemented By: Sukaar Foundation
Project Cost: PKR 600,000
Project Duration: December 2021 – February 2022
Desar Ji Dhani is a remote village located 23 kilometers northeast of Mithi, the district headquarters of Tharparkar. Despite being home to 770 residents, the village has long been deprived of essential services such as roads, electricity, schools, and healthcare facilities. The most pressing challenge, however, has been the lack of access to clean drinking water.
In this arid region, fetching water is a daily burden—primarily shouldered by women. Walking up to 4 kilometers one way, women spent nearly four hours each day just to collect water from distant villages, often carrying it back on donkeys. The water crisis worsens during drought years, forcing up to 90% of the population to migrate to the barrage areas with their livestock in search of survival.
Sukaar Foundation, with funding support from Brooke and long-standing commitment to marginalized communities, initiated work in Desar Ji Dhani under the Brooke-Funded Animal Welfare and Livelihood Resilience Project in August 2021. The Foundation conducted its first meeting in the village in September 2021, followed by a PRA (Participatory Rural Appraisal) session involving both men and women from the community.
This engagement led to the development of a Community Action Plan, identifying access to water as the village’s top priority.
Following the PRA exercise, the Sukaar team shared the community’s situation with its Project Manager, who visited the village in early October 2021. Moved by the community’s plight, he reached out to Mr. Ansar Burney, renowned humanitarian, and Chairman of Ansar Burney Trust International, with a formal request for support.
In a powerful gesture of solidarity, Mr. Ansar Burney and Mrs. Shaheen Burney personally visited Desar Ji Dhani, met with the villagers, and witnessed firsthand the severe challenges posed by repeated droughts and water scarcity. During the visit, community members emphasized how recurring droughts have devastated their livelihoods and health, particularly affecting women, children, and animals.
Responding to the urgent need, Ansar Burney Trust International approved a scheme worth PKR 600,000 for the installation of a solar-powered submersible pump. Work commenced in December 2021 with the successful boring of a well at 390 feet depth. Solar panels were installed, and a water tank and animal watering trough (puddle) were constructed to ensure sustainable and inclusive water access.
By February 2022, the project was completed—transforming lives.
“We prayed for this day for years. Today, our daughters don’t have to walk miles under the sun just to fetch water.”
– A village elder, Desar Ji Dhani
“This is not just a pump, it’s freedom for our women, safety for our children, and strength for our animals.”
– Sukaar Field Team Member
The transformation of Desar Ji Dhani is a testament to what is possible when community-driven development, strategic partnerships, and compassionate action come together. Sukaar Foundation expresses heartfelt gratitude to Ansar Burney Trust International for their timely support and commitment to human dignity.
Together, we are building resilient, sustainable communities—one village at a time.