Factories, Dams and Orchards: Getting Help From an NGO in Haripur

Haripur is a district of contrasts. Along the road from Taxila, the Hattar industrial estate hums with factories. To the west lies the vast Tarbela reservoir, and to the south the Khanpur dam feeds orchards famous for their oranges and lychees. Yet many families here live on a single factory wage or on farm work that pays by the day. People looking for an NGO in Haripur often need help after a layoff, an illness, a death in the family, or a debt that grew beyond control.

Whether you live in Haripur itself, in Ghazi by the river or in Khanpur, you may apply to Peace and Humanity Welfare Organization (PHWO). No PHWO building or employee exists anywhere in Hazara; the organisation works from a single address in Larkana, Sindh. You can contact PHWO online, through Message PHWO in a free PHWO account, or via a volunteer, and nothing is charged. All requests are checked and assessed. Support comes only after a need is confirmed and found possible to meet, and even then nothing is certain in advance.

Haripur by the numbers

In the 2023 Census Haripur District recorded 1,174,783 people on 1,725 square kilometres, with about 12.6 percent in urban areas and an average household size of 6.1 (Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, Table 1). It grew by roughly 2.7 percent a year since 2017. Hindko is the first language in most homes, with a sizeable Pashto-speaking minority, as the mother-tongue table shows.

The district’s position between Islamabad, Abbottabad and the Indus means that many residents commute or migrate for work, while others stay on family land.

Factory work at Hattar and its risks

The Hattar industrial estate employs workers from Haripur and neighbouring districts in steel, ghee, chemicals, food processing and packaging. A lot of this work is contract or daily-wage labour with little protection. Workers who are hurt, laid off or left unpaid for months have nowhere to fall back on.

If you have lost a factory job, or an injury keeps you home, explain it in Request help with any proof you have: a gate pass, a salary slip, a medical report. You may ask about ration, rent, medical bills, school or college fees, and small debts. Young people who want to move from factory floors to online work can ask about a laptop and the digital skills area under Programmes.

Villages displaced by dams

The building of the Tarbela and Khanpur dams in past decades moved many villages in the Haripur area to new sites. Some families rebuilt successfully, while others were left with less land and weaker livelihoods than before. In the villages around the reservoir, fishing, small farming and labour are common sources of income, and they are not always steady.

Whatever the history behind your hardship, PHWO looks at your situation today. Explain what the household earns now, what it needs, and anything that makes things harder, such as disability, a widowed mother or children out of school.

Free legal aid for Haripur families

Haripur’s district and sessions courts deal with family, civil and criminal cases, and the Abbottabad bench of the Peshawar High Court hears appeals from Hazara. Family law brings the most questions: khula, dower, maintenance for children, custody and guardianship. Inheritance disputes over agricultural land are frequent too.

With Free legal aid you send the papers and a short explanation. Volunteer advocates study them and tell you what paths exist. You can ask without an FIR. Custody matters and cases whose hearing is only days away are given priority. Having a volunteer argue your case in the Haripur courtroom may happen, or may not. You can also ask at the Haripur bar or apply to the district’s legal empowerment committee.

Where to find public help in Haripur

• District Headquarters Hospital Haripur for treatment; serious cases may be referred to Abbottabad or Islamabad.
• Rescue 1122 for accidents and emergencies; 15 for police.
• BISP payments for poor women: text 8171 with your CNIC, or see bisp.gov.pk.
• Local zakat committees under the Haripur district zakat office give official zakat.
• Other government offices can be found via kp.gov.pk.

Making a request that is easy to check

Clear requests move more smoothly. Before you apply through the form, gather any papers that show your need; the form will ask for a live photo of yourself. Explain in Hindko, Pashto or Urdu who lives with you and what you are asking for. If someone else, such as a teacher or a neighbour, helps you apply, give your own phone number so a volunteer can speak to you directly.

Keep in mind that processing a request never costs a single rupee. Everything PHWO does is free. If anyone asks you for a fee, commission or ‘file charge’ in PHWO’s name, refuse and report it on the contact number above.

How Haripur residents can support others

Hattar industrialists, orchard owners, Islamabad commuters and Haripur families overseas are welcome to Donate cash or goods, or to back one checked household with Sponsor a case. The Zakat calculator shows what you owe; whatever zakat you send is passed on in full.

Students at the University of Haripur, advocates, and fundraisers overseas can join as a Volunteer. Each receives a certificate, a letter of appreciation and an experience letter.

Public services in Haripur you can also use

• District and Sessions Courts HaripurFamily, civil and criminal cases
• District Bar Association HaripurReferral to advocates
• District Legal Empowerment Committee HaripurLegal aid for poor litigants
• District Headquarters Hospital HaripurGovernment hospital
• Rescue 1122Dial 1122
• PoliceDial 15
• BISP office HaripurSMS CNIC to 8171
• District Zakat Committee HaripurGovernment zakat

These are public or independent services, listed to help you. They are not part of PHWO.

Frequently asked questions