Articles

Standing With the Forgotten When the floods swept across the Indian–Pakistan subcontinent, they didn’t just wash away homes and villages. They carried away dreams, histories, and fragile hopes for tomorrow. It wasn’t one storm we witnessed—it was three. The first storm came from the rivers. Waters rose without mercy, swallowing entire communities in a matter of hours. Families watched helplessly as the homes they had built over generations disappeared beneath the flood. Fields of crops—their only means of survival—vanished into muddy waters. Schools and places of worship collapsed, leaving behind nothing but broken walls and silence. The second storm came from the people’s eyes. Tears fell as parents clutched their hungry children, unable to promise them food or warmth. Young boys and girls stared into the distance, their futures blurred by despair. Elderly men and women, who once carried stories of resilience, now carried only grief. Their past—photographs, heirlooms, the very soil they tilled—was gone, washed away in an instant. The third storm, perhaps the heaviest of all, was the one that poured into our hearts. Standing in the flood’s aftermath, we felt something break within us. At that moment, it wasn’t just water running down our cheeks—it felt as if our own blood might spill from our eyes. No human heart can see this suffering and remain untouched. And yet, in the darkest hours, light finds a way. At Common Grounds Foundation, we wanted to reach every flood victim, to stand beside each one and promise them they were not forgotten. But the truth is, we felt helpless. Limited funding and limited manpower meant we couldn’t stretch our hands to all. So we made a difficult decision: to start with whatever we had, wherever we could reach. We began small but sincere. We provided tents and charpaies (movable beds) to dozens of families, though thousands needed them. We delivered fodder for cattle to the few families we could access, because livestock is often the last lifeline of survival. We prepared food parcels—not for all, but for hundreds of men, women, children, and the elderly whose hunger could not wait. We brought clean water to drink, and even simple pots to store it, because dignity lies in the small things. In every gesture, we held one principle close: these families are not beggars. Just one night before the floods, they were the helping hands of others—farmers, laborers, mothers, fathers, providers. In a single night, their past was erased, their present shattered, and their future left painfully uncertain. Our task was not only to provide aid, but to restore dignity and remind them they are not alone. These moments have left us humbled. We have realized how small we are—and yet how big we want to be. The need is overwhelming, and without people like you—people blessed with both heart and resources—our hands will always feel too few. This is where you come in. Your generosity is more than charity. It is a lifeline. Every donation you give becomes food in a mother’s hands, shelter for a family with nowhere to go, medicine for a sick child, and hope for a future that now feels impossible. The floods may have brought three storms, but together, we can be the fourth force: a wave of compassion strong enough to restore lives, rebuild futures, and remind the forgotten that they are never alone. Will you join us? Raja Arshad Kayani

Restoring Dignity, Rebuilding Lives Unemployment is not just the absence of a job—it is the silent weight of despair that crushes dreams and steals dignity. Behind every jobless hand is a story: a father who cannot provide for his children, a mother who worries about tomorrow’s meal, a young graduate who once carried hope but now feels lost in uncertainty. The pain of unemployment is not only economic—it is emotional. It whispers, “You are not enough.” It creates invisible walls between people and their potential. And slowly, the spark of confidence begins to fade. But here lies the truth: every hand that struggles to find work has the power to create work. Every person denied an opportunity carries within them the ability to build their own. This is where the journey from unemployment to self-employment begins—a journey from despair to dignity, from helplessness to empowerment. At Common Grounds Foundation (CGF), we believe that people do not just need aid—they need opportunity. They do not want sympathy—they want skills. They do not seek charity—they seek a chance to stand tall on their own feet. When you teach someone a skill, when you help them start a small business, when you guide them to transform their hidden potential into livelihood—you are not just helping one person. You are uplifting an entire family. You are breaking the cycle of poverty. You are planting the seed of independence. Imagine the pride of a father who can once again bring food to the table—not through someone’s donation, but through his own hard work. Imagine the joy of a young woman who turns her craft into income, her dreams into reality. Imagine a society where every struggling soul is given not a coin, but a chance. Self-employment is more than earning—it is dignity restored. It is hope reborn. It is freedom achieved. At CGF, we are committed to turning broken dreams into success stories. Together, we can transform unemployment into self-employment, and despair into opportunity. Let us not just give hands to the unemployed—Let us give them wings

In this world, the greatest deprivation is not poverty, but the absence of love and protection. Imagine a child whose tiny eyes search for a mother at every door, a little soul who longs to hear a father’s comforting voice but finds only silence. That loneliness cannot be measured. An orphan is not just hungry for food; they are hungry for care, for safety, for someone to call their own. Like every other child, they too have dreams. They want to laugh, to play, to celebrate their small victories with someone who will embrace them with pride. But too often, they have no one. Have you ever paused to think?If each of us chose to adopt or support just one orphan, how many lives could we transform? Adopting an orphan is not simply about giving them shelter—it is about giving them a family, a sense of belonging, and the chance to live with dignity. Your compassion can turn their tears into laughter. Your kindness can turn their fear into hope. And perhaps, your single act of love can change the course of their entire future. When you embrace an orphan, you do more than change a life—you create a legacy of love. And tomorrow, when we all stand before our Creator, it may be the orphan’s prayers, whispered in gratitude, that become your greatest blessing. At Common Grounds Foundation (CGF), we believe that no child should ever feel alone in this world. Together, we can ensure that every orphan has the warmth of a family, the light of education, and the joy of being loved. Let us open our hearts.Let us open our homes.Let us heal a broken world, one orphan at a time. Because maybe, your decision today will allow one orphan to finally say:“I am not alone anymore… I have a family.”