The Story of Ms. Bishlawi ,  Upper Chitral

In the silent, snow-covered mountains of UC Khot, where winter arrives not as a season but as a test of survival, lies the small village of Khot Payeen Torkhot. Here, the wind howls through fragile homes, and the cold seeps into every corner of life.

A woman of quiet strength, she stands as the sole provider for her family of six. Her home, built of mud and memories, offers little resistance to the biting winds of Upper Chitral. With a modest monthly pension of less than PKR 20,000, she walks a constant tightrope between feeding her family and protecting them from the freezing cold.

Each night, as temperatures dropped below freezing, her worries grew heavier. Thin blankets could not shield her children from the icy air, and the absence of warm clothing turned sleep into a restless struggle.

“I used to stay awake at night,” she recalls softly, “watching my children shiver, wishing I had something more to give them.”

The last time her family had received any winter support was years ago, in 2020. Since then, silence. No assistance. No relief. Only winters that grew harsher with time. But this winter brought something different.

Through a targeted intervention, HEADS, with the support of Action Against Hunger (ACF), reached her doorstep, not just with supplies, but with relief, care, and dignity. Ms. Bishlawi received a winterization kit thoughtfully designed for her family’s needs:

• Warm clothing for her children,
• Thick blankets and quilts
• Shawls to wrap against the cold
• Sleeping mats to insulate against the frozen ground
• Socks to protect small, vulnerable feet

It was more than a package, it was a turning point.

That night, for the first time in a long while, her children slept without shivering. The house, though still humble, felt warmer. Safer.

Her voice, once heavy with worry, now carries a quiet sense of relief:

 “This winter is different. My children sleep peacefully now. For the first time, I am not afraid of the cold nights.”

In a place where winters can take so much, this simple act of support restored more than warmth it restored dignity, hope, and the strength to carry on.

Ms. Bishlawi’s story is a reminder that in the harshest conditions, even small interventions can create powerful change especially for women who carry the weight of entire families on their shoulders.