Matiari is small on the map but large in Sindh’s heart. Bhit Shah holds the shrine of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, whose poetry every Sindhi child learns, and Hala has been famous for generations for its glazed blue tiles, pottery, ajrak and handwoven cloth. Behind that heritage are many artisan and farm families whose incomes are small and unsteady. Peace and Humanity Welfare Organization (PHWO), run by volunteers and free of charge, is an NGO in Matiari that these families, of any faith or caste, can turn to.
PHWO has no presence on the ground in Matiari: no office, no stall, no appointed representative. We are based in Larkana, and that is our only address. Matiari residents contact us through the website, by messaging PHWO from a free PHWO account, or with a volunteer’s help.
Matiari District in the 2023 Census
Matiari had 849,383 residents in 2023 on 1,417 square kilometres, a density of almost 600 people per square kilometre. The count in 2017 was 770,040. About 24 percent of people live in its towns, chiefly Matiari, Hala, New Saeedabad and Bhit Shah.
The provincial census report lists Matiari among the districts with literacy between 40 and 50 percent, and in the bracket where 45 to 60 percent of its children from five to sixteen do not attend school. Sindhi is the language of almost every home.
Artisans whose skills do not pay the bills
A Hala potter or tile-maker may spend days on a single piece, then sell it to a middleman for a fraction of the price it fetches in Karachi. Women who embroider and block-print at home are often paid by the piece, at rates that have barely changed in years. When gas and electricity bills rise or a kiln breaks, there is nothing saved to fall back on.
Younger people in these families increasingly leave the craft for daily-wage work in Hyderabad or on the National Highway, and some of the old skills are at risk of disappearing. Families who want to keep working at their craft but cannot buy raw material, a new wheel or dyes can also explain that need in their request.
Artisan families can ask PHWO for ration, for help with a debt, or for losses such as damaged tools or stock after heavy rain. Explain your craft and what has gone wrong. Each request is checked, and PHWO says honestly that support is not guaranteed. Vocational training and women’s empowerment are both among the eight areas on our programmes page.
What to expect when you apply
Open Request help and choose the kind of help you need. The list covers food, a loan to be cleared, treatment, school or college fees, rent, flood damage and a laptop or phone for learning or work. Add a live photo of yourself, and explain your need in Sindhi or Urdu.
Then a volunteer, often by phone, confirms what you have said. PHWO considers two things, how genuine the need is and whether we can meet it, and arranges help only when both are clear. There is no charge at any point, and nobody may take money from you in our name.
Students between Hala and Hyderabad
Many young people in Matiari study at colleges in Hala and Matiari or travel to the universities in Hyderabad and Jamshoro. Online lectures and assignments now need a device. Across the country, a laptop or smartphone for study or earning is one of the most frequent requests PHWO receives, and Matiari students are welcome to apply. Tell us where you study, what you are studying, and why you cannot get a device another way.
Free legal aid in Matiari
The legal cases people bring to PHWO are mostly family disputes, especially khula, maintenance and custody. In this district, family suits are filed before judges in Matiari town, and some are heard at Hala.
Describe your situation through the free legal aid page; you can do so without an FIR. Say clearly if children are involved or if the next hearing is near, because volunteer advocates will look at those first. A lawyer and a result cannot be promised. Matiari’s District Legal Empowerment Committee can also provide a lawyer at state cost for litigants who qualify. For violence at home, dial 15 or the Sindh women’s helpline 1094.
Rain and river in 2022
PDMA Sindh recorded 30 affected union councils and 83 kilometres of damaged road in Matiari by 13 September 2022. On that day 73 relief camps in the district held 5,459 people, many of them from low-lying villages near the Indus and the Rohri canal. Several families lost stored wheat, livestock and the mud rooms of their homes. If your family is still recovering, you can describe those losses in a request.
Volunteering, giving and rishtas in Matiari
PHWO especially needs lawyers, but teachers, students and artisans can all volunteer. You might help a neighbour fill in her form or check a request in your village. Anyone who gives time in Matiari earns a PHWO certificate, and we write them a thank-you note as well as a letter setting out their experience.
Visitors who come to Bhit Shah for the Urs, and Matiari families living elsewhere, can donate or sponsor a case for a single Matiari family. PHWO hands over every rupee of Zakat and Sadaqah to the deserving, and the Zakat calculator shows what you owe. Families of any faith can look for a match on the Rishta Desk at no cost; each profile there is checked with a live selfie and reviewed by PHWO staff, and the decision always belongs to the family.
Public services in Matiari you can also use
- Taluka and district hospitals, Matiari and HalaGovernment hospitals; serious cases go to Hyderabad or Jamshoro.
- Liaquat University Hospital, Hyderabad/JamshoroTeaching hospital nearest to Matiari for specialist care.
- District courts, MatiariFamily judges; the legal empowerment committee helps those who cannot pay a lawyer.
- BISP officesKafaalat for women from poor households; 0800-26477.
- Rescue and police1122 rescue, 15 police, 115 Edhi, 1094 women's helpline.
These are public or independent services, listed to help you. They are not part of PHWO.
Frequently asked questions
Are Hala and Bhit Shah included?
Yes. PHWO accepts requests from Hala, Bhit Shah, Saeedabad, Matiari town and every village in the district.
I make ajrak at home and my income has fallen. Can I apply?
Yes. Explain your work, your income and what you need. A volunteer will check it before PHWO decides, and there is no promise of support.
Is there a PHWO office near the shrine at Bhit Shah?
No. PHWO has one office, in Larkana. Anyone collecting money at the shrine or elsewhere in PHWO's name is not authorised.
Can a student from Matiari studying in Jamshoro ask for a laptop?
Yes. Give your university, department and year. Each request is checked, and a device is not promised.