Shikarpur's Old Bazaar, New Needs: How PHWO Helps

Shikarpur was once a great trading city whose merchants did business as far away as Central Asia. Today its covered bazaar, pickle makers and crumbling havelis tell that story, while many of its families struggle to pay for school and food. Peace and Humanity Welfare Organization (PHWO) offers itself as a free, voluntary NGO in Shikarpur, with no political or sectarian agenda.

Our head office is in Lahori Muhalla, Larkana, and it is the only office PHWO has. There is nothing in Shikarpur that carries our name, so be careful of anyone who claims otherwise. Families here get in touch through phwo.org, by messaging PHWO from a free PHWO account, or with the help of a PHWO volunteer who lives nearby.

Education is the biggest gap

The 2023 Census report names Shikarpur among the five Sindh districts with the highest share of out-of-school children: 62.94 percent of those aged 5 to 16. Literacy for people ten and older lies between 40 and 50 percent. Behind those figures are girls kept at home, boys sent to work in shops and fields, and schools that are too far away or poorly staffed.

If your child is enrolled but you cannot cover fees, uniform, books or transport, ask us. We also receive many requests from students who need a laptop or mobile phone to study online or to take up paid work, and those are welcome from Shikarpur too.

People and places

Shikarpur District had 1,386,330 residents in the 2023 Census, on 2,512 square kilometres. Only about 23 percent live in towns, and the average household has 6.4 members, one of the largest in Sindh. Between 2017 and 2023 the population rose from 1,233,760, a yearly growth of just under 2 percent.

Sindhi is the everyday language. Seraiki and Brahui are spoken by many rural families, and Urdu is used in offices. The district’s talukas are Shikarpur, Lakhi, Garhi Yasin and Khanpur, and the riverine kacho belt along the Indus is home to many small farmers and fishing families.

With 6.4 people per household, Shikarpur ties with Keamari for the largest average household in Sindh in the 2023 Census. When one earner falls ill or loses work in such a home, many mouths are affected at once.

Asking for help, step by step

• Visit Request help or message us from your free PHWO account.
• Say clearly what you need: ration, fees, a device, medicine, rent, repayment of a loan, or support after losing property in a flood.
• Add a live photo of yourself.
• Wait for a volunteer’s call. They may ask questions or visit.

After checking, PHWO’s team assesses whether the need is real and whether it can respond. Where both are true, support is arranged. We make no promise about amounts or timing, and we never ask applicants for a single rupee.

Free legal aid in Shikarpur's courts

Most legal requests we get are about khula, maintenance and child custody, and Shikarpur families are no exception. These cases begin in the family courts at the Shikarpur district courts. Tribal feuds in parts of the district can also leave widows and children without property or protection.

Our free legal aid form accepts cases with or without a police FIR. Volunteer advocates give first attention to custody fights and hearings that are only days away. A lawyer cannot be guaranteed, and nobody can promise how a case will end. The legal empowerment committee at the district court is another place to ask for state-funded counsel.

Pickles, sweets and small workshops

Shikarpur’s name is known across Pakistan for its achar and its sweets, and many families still earn from small food businesses, tailoring, carpentry and shopkeeping in the old walled city. These trades rarely offer a fixed wage. A few slow weeks, a rise in the price of oil or sugar, or a spell of illness can push a household into borrowing. Women who stitch or cook at home often have no bank account and no savings to fall back on.

PHWO does not give business loans, but a request for ration, rent or medicine during a hard patch is exactly the kind of need we assess. Young people trying to move into online work, such as design, data entry or tutoring, can also ask for a device.

Floodwater and farm debts

During the 2022 monsoon, PDMA Sindh listed 55 union councils in Shikarpur as affected, with 258 kilometres of road damaged. Rice fields drowned and mud homes fell. Farmers who borrowed for the next crop are still paying. Debt and ration are, after devices, what people most often request from PHWO, and families from Shikarpur can apply for either.

During the 2022 floods, 46 relief camps in Shikarpur District held 21,364 people at one point.

Ways to help from Shikarpur

Shikarpur’s traders and its diaspora in Karachi and abroad have always supported their city. You can give money or goods, sponsor a case such as a student’s fees, or calculate your dues with the Zakat calculator. PHWO passes Zakat and Sadaqah to the needy without keeping any share.

If you have time rather than money, become a volunteer. Lawyers are needed most, then fundraisers. Shikarpur volunteers earn a certificate and, if they ask, letters of gratitude and of experience.

Looking for a proposal? The Rishta Desk is free for Muslims, Hindus and all others. Profiles are checked with a live selfie and reviewed by PHWO staff, and families decide everything; no match is assured.

Public services in Shikarpur you can also use

• Civil Hospital ShikarpurGovernment district hospital.
• Shikarpur district courtsFamily courts plus a legal empowerment committee that can assign a free lawyer.
• BISP office ShikarpurEnrol for Kafaalat or the Taleemi Wazaif school stipend; 0800-26477.
• Sindh PoliceEmergency 15. Also rescue 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