On the morning of July 2, 2025, a mini-truck lost control on the steep, narrow roads of Bumburate Valley in Chitral and plunged down a hillside.
What could have become a tragedy instead became a testament to what years of emergency preparedness in a community can produce.
Within minutes, FOCUS-trained Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) volunteers led by Captain Shafiq Ahmad arrived at the scene, assessed the situation, provided first aid, and used equipment from the community stockpile to stabilize things. CERTs managed crowd control and coordinated with local authorities, keeping the response calm and organized throughout.
A local resident of the villages reflected: “CERT volunteers were at the site within minutes. We didn’t wait for help, they were the help. We trust them.”
That trust and confidence was built deliberately, over years of investment by FOCUS in Pakistan through its Community-Based Disaster Risk Management program. Bumburate Valley sits in the rugged terrain of Chitral, beautiful but highly vulnerable to landslides, flash floods, and rockfalls, with limited access to emergency services. FOCUS Pakistan responded by training CERT volunteers (with women making up half of all participants), installing early warning systems, mapping hazards, developing habitat plans, and equipping communities with emergency stockpiles filled with supplies.
Captain Shafiq Ahmad put it plainly: “We didn’t panic, we acted. It was our training that gave us confidence and tools to manage the situation effectively.”
That is the quiet, enduring work of FOCUS. Along with responding to disasters, together we are building the human capacity so that communities never face anything alone.
