Sujawal lies on the left bank of the Indus where the river breaks up into creeks before meeting the Arabian Sea. It became a separate district in 2013, carved from Thatta, and it remains one of the least developed places in Pakistan: few towns, long distances, salty land and a coast exposed to cyclones. Peace and Humanity Welfare Organization (PHWO), which is voluntary and bound to no party or sect, is a free NGO in Sujawal that families in the delta can contact, whatever their faith or caste.
No PHWO office, camp or local worker exists in Sujawal, Jati, Shah Bandar or Mirpur Bathoro. PHWO’s one head office is in Larkana. From Sujawal, send your request online, or by messaging PHWO from a free PHWO account, or ask a volunteer you trust to do it for you.
Sujawal in the 2023 Census
The census counted 839,292 people in Sujawal District in 2023, on 8,785 square kilometres. That is fewer than 96 people per square kilometre, and just 10.6 percent of residents live in towns, making Sujawal the second most rural district in Sindh after Tharparkar. In 2017 the count was 779,062.
Education figures are among the worst in the country. The Sindh census report gives Sujawal a literacy rate of 27.02 percent, second lowest in the province, and records 74.91 percent of children aged 5 to 16 as out of school, also second worst after neighbouring Thatta. Sujawal is one of three Sindh districts where no more than one household in ten cooks with gas.
Getting children into school
When three Sujawal children in every four are missing from class, education is where support can change the most in Sujawal. Parents may ask PHWO to help with fees, uniforms, books or the cost of travel to a school in Sujawal town or Mirpur Bathoro. Older students in the delta can request a laptop or phone too; across Pakistan, devices for study and work are among the commonest requests PHWO sees. Each request is looked at on its facts, and no one is promised help in advance. Education heads the list of focus areas on PHWO’s programmes page.
Families registered with BISP should ask about Taleemi Wazaif, which pays a stipend for children who stay enrolled.
Fishers, salt water and debt
As less river water reaches the delta, the sea has crept inland, turning farmland white with salt and leaving wells brackish. Many families that once farmed now fish in the creeks or labour on other people’s boats, often in debt to the boat owner or the fish trader who advanced them money for nets and fuel. A poor season can leave a household with nothing.
If your family needs ration, or is weighed down by a debt to a trader or landlord, you can explain it to PHWO. Tell us what you owe and to whom.
Applying from the delta
Open Request help on any smartphone. Choose from ration, a debt, medicine, school costs, rent, losses from floods or cyclones, or a device. Then add a live photo of yourself, and explain your need in Sindhi or Urdu.
Because many villages are far from roads, a volunteer will usually phone rather than visit. PHWO then asks itself whether the need stands up and whether it is within reach, and only then arranges help. There is no charge, and nobody is allowed to ask you for money on PHWO’s behalf.
Free legal aid in Sujawal
The legal problems delta families bring to PHWO are mainly about marriage and children: khula, maintenance, custody, dowry. In Sujawal, family suits go before judges in Sujawal town, with some matters at taluka level in Jati and Mirpur Bathoro.
Set out the problem through free legal aid; a police case is not needed first. Put a custody issue or an early hearing date first, and volunteer advocates will look at it sooner. PHWO cannot say whether a lawyer will be found or how a case will end. The District Legal Empowerment Committee at the Sujawal courts can pay for a lawyer for poor litigants. For violence or threats, call 15 or the Sindh women’s helpline 1094.
Floods and storms on the coast
In 2022 PDMA Sindh recorded 37 affected union councils in Sujawal, 426 kilometres of damaged road and 57 damaged bridges by 13 September, one of the highest bridge counts in the province, which left many villages cut off. The coast also faces cyclone warnings in most years. Follow PDMA and district instructions and move early. Keep CNICs, B-forms and other papers in a sealed plastic bag so they survive the water, since you may need them for government help afterwards. Losses of boats, nets, stored grain or homes can be listed in a PHWO request once you are safe.
Help Sujawal from wherever you live
Local volunteers, especially lawyers, teachers and educated young people who can help neighbours fill in forms, are welcome to volunteer. Their service is recognised by PHWO with a certificate as well as appreciation and experience letters.
Families from Sujawal living in Karachi, and donors anywhere, can donate or sponsor a case, perhaps a child’s schooling. All Zakat and Sadaqah through PHWO is given to the needy in full; the Zakat calculator helps you find your share. For marriages, Sujawal families of every religion may join the free Rishta Desk. Profiles are checked with a live selfie and reviewed by PHWO staff, and every decision stays with the family.
Public services in Sujawal you can also use
- District headquarters hospital, SujawalGovernment hospital for the district; serious cases go to Hyderabad or Karachi.
- Sujawal district courtsFamily judges; ask for the District Legal Empowerment Committee.
- PDMA SindhFlood and cyclone warnings and relief information.
- BISP officesRegistration and payments for women in the Kafaalat scheme, plus school stipends.
- Emergency numbersCall 15 for police, 1122 for rescue boats and ambulances, 115 for Edhi, 1094 for women.
These are public or independent services, listed to help you. They are not part of PHWO.
Frequently asked questions
Are Jati, Shah Bandar and Mirpur Bathoro covered?
Yes. PHWO accepts requests from every taluka of Sujawal District and from villages in the creeks.
Our village has no road. How will PHWO check our request?
A volunteer will normally confirm details by phone. You do not need to travel, and you should never pay anyone to process your request.
Does PHWO have an office in Sujawal?
No. PHWO works only from Larkana, so Sujawal families use the form or a volunteer instead.
Can PHWO help my daughter return to school?
You can apply for fees, books, uniform or transport. The request is checked and assessed, and support is not guaranteed.