TARS Foundation, Peshawar Pakistan

For low-income countries like Pakistan, a very large segment of the population is either homeless or housed in inadequate housing. According to a survey conducted by UNDP in 2016, revealed that forty percent of Pakistan’s population live in “multidimensional poverty”. The PDP Foundation estimates that there are 20 million people in Pakistan without housing across the country and majority of them live in big cities. The majority end up in slums and other informal settlements. Others settle at shrines, under bridges, flyovers, on pavements and road dividers.

Though we at TARS Foundation cannot provide proper shelter to all the homeless people in our community due to the limitation of resources, yet we try our level best to provide free food on daily basis, and clothing and other kind of support on occasional basis to the homeless people.

Homeless People Support

One of the key focus areas of TARS Foundation is Homeless People Support. In fact, the very inception of the foundation is rooted in providing all possible assistance to the homeless in our community. The three main forms of support provided by TARS Foundation include:

1. Daily Free Meal Distribution
2. Clothes Distribution
3. Cash Distribution

Lunch Distribution in the Slum Areas of Peshawar: Since 2016, TARS Foundation has been running a daily lunch distribution program, providing freshly cooked meals to 300–400 people every day across four slum areas of Peshawar. Most of these families have migrated from Sindh, Balochistan, and Punjab in search of employment opportunities. Unfortunately, extreme poverty has forced them to live in self-constructed shelters lacking even the most basic living facilities. Through this program, we aim to ensure that no one in these marginalized communities goes hungry.

Dinner Distribution in Government Shelter Houses: In addition to our lunch program, TARS Foundation has also been providing daily dinner since 2017 at two Government Shelter Houses in Peshawar — one located on Pajjagi Road and the other behind Khyber Teaching Hospital on University Road. These shelters provide temporary refuge to daily wage laborers, travelers, and homeless individuals who have nowhere else to stay overnight. Every evening, around 300–400 people are served warm, nutritious meals with dignity and care.

Below are few videos of our daily lunch and dinner distribution.

During our Lunchbox Distribution Activity in 2016 across various roads of Peshawar, we came across a homeless, handicapped man named Muhammad Alam, living under a bridge. He appeared to be disabled since birth, with both hands and legs paralyzed, and speech impairment as well. TARS Foundation immediately moved him to our Food Store in Gulbahar, Peshawar, where we provided him with temporary shelter and began caring for him with the help of our dedicated staff.

Muhammad Alam stayed under our care for about 10 months, during which he was provided with food, clothing, and medical attention. Later, with coordinated efforts, we contacted the Edhi Shelter Home in Islamabad and successfully transferred him there for long-term care and support.

Below are a few videos of Muhammad Alam, showing how we found him, how we cared for him at our Food Store, and finally, how he was shifted to the Edhi Shelter Home in Islamabad.

Homeless People Support

Homeless People Support

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