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The diary of a Camp Manager in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan, working in the aftermath of the South Asian Earthquake recorded at 7.7 in the Richter Scale on the 8th October 2005. 7 Point 7 is a poignant account of the experience of Mr Miller Caldwell, a committed humanitarian who was so affected by the death and destruction caused by the October 2005 earthquake in Pakistan that he offered his services to help the victims. Muslim Hands International, a well-established charity took up his offer and thus the author found himself in the devastated area of the Pakistani highlands – the North Western Frontier Province.
Mr Caldwell’s diary is easy to read and engagingly descriptive, giving a day to day picture of the plight of the victims in one of the many emergency camps of which he was given charge.
The details about the humane role played in this tragedy by workers from so many international charities, NGOs, UN organisations, the Pakistan armed forces and many foreign government bodies is deeply revealing and very heartening. The working together of people of various faiths to help the victims of the earthquake is a very strong and hopeful feature of this tragedy.
The love affair of Jahangeer, a 17-year-old Pakistani boy and a 25-year-old Cuban doctor Jenny, brings a welcome change to the tragic scene of devastation all around. Games of cricket, eating out in wayside chetis and in the houses of Pakistani hosts gives an excellent picture of Pakistani food, eating habits and the Pakistani way of life.
The experiences of the author during his time in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan present a very positive picture of Islam and Pakistani culture. 7 Point 7 not only gives a unique insight into the lives of the victims of the earthquake, but also the lives and efforts of those, from many parts of the world, who were engaged in helping them.
I found it very interesting and absorbing and it deserves to be read widely as it is quite different from any of the accounts of the earthquake and its after effects as reported in the press.