Kandhkot, Kashmore and Tangwani: Free Help Through PHWO

Kashmore is the first district the Indus enters in Sindh, where the Guddu Barrage turns the river into canals that feed half the province. It is rich in water and gas, yet most of its people are poor, and insecurity in the riverine belt has kept schools empty and traders at home. Peace and Humanity Welfare Organization (PHWO) is ready to act as a free, voluntary NGO in Kashmore and Kandhkot for families who ask, without regard to tribe, sect or party.

There is no PHWO office in Kandhkot, Kashmore or Tangwani. The organisation works from one address only, its head office in Lahori Muhalla, Larkana, in the north of the province. Families in the district reach us through the website, by messaging PHWO from a free PHWO account, or a volunteer they trust.

Seven in ten children missing from school

The 2023 Census report lists Kashmore among the five Sindh districts with the most out-of-school children: 69.96 percent of Kashmore’s boys and girls between five and sixteen. Literacy is in the 30 to 40 percent band, and girls fall furthest behind. Fear of kidnapping and tribal clashes, schools without teachers, and the need for children to earn all play a part.

PHWO receives many requests for help with study, and we welcome them from Kashmore. That can mean fees, books, a van fare to a school in Kandhkot, or a laptop or phone so an older pupil can study online or a graduate can find paid work. Tell us what would keep your child in class.

The district at a glance

Kashmore District recorded 1,233,957 people in the 2023 Census on 2,580 square kilometres, up from 1,090,336 in 2017. About 22 percent live in towns such as Kandhkot, Kashmore and Tangwani, and households average almost six people. Sindhi, Balochi and Seraiki are all widely spoken, and many families belong to Baloch tribes that also live across the border in Balochistan and Punjab.

The census counts about 104 males for every 100 females, and the district grew by roughly 2.1 percent a year between 2017 and 2023. Only a small share of homes in Kashmore cook on piped or bottled gas, according to the census report, so most families still burn wood or dung, which falls hardest on women and girls who collect it.

Asking PHWO for support

Open Request help, or ask a literate relative to open it for you. Choose the need, whether ration, a loan, medicine, school costs, rent, losses in a flood or a study device, and describe it honestly. We need a live photo of the applicant.

After a volunteer has checked the information, PHWO assesses whether the need is genuine and whether we can meet it. Support follows only when both answers are yes. No amount or timeline is promised, and nobody may charge you a fee on PHWO’s behalf.

Floods, the barrage and farm debt

Being first in line on the river brings danger too. In 2022, PDMA Sindh recorded 41 union councils in Kashmore as affected by rain and flooding, and 289 kilometres of road damaged. Rice and wheat farmers who lost a season often borrowed from commission agents at high cost. If your family is in that position, debt and ration are both needs you can bring to us.

During the 2022 floods PDMA Sindh listed 27 relief camps in Kashmore, far fewer than in Larkana or Jacobabad. Families who sheltered elsewhere, with relatives or on embankments, often came back to spoiled grain and damaged homes. If your family’s losses from that year or later floods are still unpaid, tell us about the loan, who it is owed to and how much remains.

Free legal aid in Kashmore and Kandhkot

Our legal requests mostly concern khula, maintenance and custody, and in Kashmore those cases go to the family courts at Kandhkot, the district headquarters. Women caught in tribal disputes or threatened with so-called honour violence should call the police on 15 or the Sindh women’s helpline 1094 immediately.

For court help, submit the free legal aid form. You can apply without an FIR. If your children’s custody is in dispute, or a date at the Kandhkot court is close, say so clearly, because advocates open those files first. Neither the assignment of an advocate nor the result of the case can be promised. The District Legal Empowerment Committee at the Kandhkot courts is another way to get a lawyer paid for by the state.

Staying safe while seeking help

Because of the security situation in the riverine areas, please do not travel at night to meet anyone who says they represent PHWO. We never ask applicants to come to a remote place, and we never ask for money. A genuine PHWO volunteer will be happy for you to message PHWO from your free PHWO account and check who they are. If you feel unsafe, speak to the police or a respected elder first.

Volunteer or give

Kashmore needs local volunteers who can reach villages and speak to families in their own language. Advocates and teachers are especially welcome. Anyone from Kandhkot, Kashmore or Tangwani can join through the volunteer page and will be given a service certificate along with letters of thanks and of experience.

You can also donate, sponsor a case, or check your dues on the Zakat calculator. Zakat and Sadaqah through PHWO are handed on in full. Baloch, Sindhi and Seraiki families of any religion may also use the Rishta Desk at no cost; each profile there is checked with a live selfie and reviewed by PHWO staff, and parents and applicants make every choice themselves.

Public services in Kashmore (Kandhkot) you can also use

• Civil Hospital KandhkotDistrict headquarters government hospital.
• District courts, KandhkotFamily courts; legal empowerment committee for poor litigants.
• BISP tehsil officeKafaalat and education stipend enquiries; 0800-26477.
• Sindh PoliceEmergency 15; ambulance 1122; Edhi 115; women's helpline 1094.

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

Frequently asked questions