A Story of Ms. Asma Gul; A Female-Headed Household, Upper Chitral

In the remote, snow-covered village of Khot Payeen Torkhot in Upper Chitral, winters are not just harsh, they are life-threatening. Temperatures fall far below freezing, isolating communities for weeks and turning daily survival into a struggle. For Ms. Asma Gul, a widow and head of her household, each winter brought fear, uncertainty, and hardship.

Living alone with her young children, Asma Gul had no stable source of income. With limited resources, she often had to make impossible choices, whether to buy food or arrange basic protection against the freezing cold. Her house, exposed to icy winds, offered little protection. Nights were especially difficult, as her children shivered under thin coverings, vulnerable to illnesses such as pneumonia and respiratory infections.

Asma Gul recalls,

 “Every winter felt like a test of survival. I used to stay awake at night, worried about my children getting sick from the cold. We had nothing to keep us warm.”

Her situation reflects the broader vulnerability faced by female-headed households in Upper Chitral, where geographic isolation, poverty, and extreme weather conditions combine to create severe risks. According to the project findings, such households were prioritized due to their heightened exposure to winter-related health threats and limited coping capacity.

In February 2026, relief arrived through the Winterization Intervention implemented by HEADS in partnership with Action Against Hunger. Asma Gul was identified through a transparent, community-based vulnerability assessment and selected as a beneficiary.

She received a winterization kit containing warm blankets, quilts, thermal clothing, shawls, socks, and floor mats, items that would transform her family’s winter experience.

The impact was immediate and profound.

“For the first time in years, my children slept peacefully,” she says with a smile. “We feel safe and warm. I am no longer afraid of the nights.”

She shared that the support provided essential winter items for her family, including warm clothing for her children, thick blankets and quilts, shawls, sleeping mats to protect against the cold ground, and socks, ensuring comfort, protection, and dignity for both her and her children during the harsh winter.

Beyond physical warmth, the support restored her sense of dignity and hope. The assistance reduced the risk of illness, improved her children’s well-being, and eased the emotional burden she had carried alone for years.

This intervention, part of a wider effort that supported 300 vulnerable households, not only protected lives during the harsh winter but also strengthened the resilience of families like Asma Gul’s.

Today, Asma Gul looks toward the future with renewed confidence.

“This support gave us more than warmth, it gave us hope. Now I believe we can face the winter without fear.”