On Wednesday, April 19, 2023, the world lost a gem of a human being and we lost a friend and brother like no other.

Hamza Ahmed Butt, above all else, was a person deeply rooted in his reality. Since childhood, he knew the things that he held dear to his heart; his family, his friends, his community. He lived his life based on these priorities - to the point where his aura just simply attracted people who held similar beliefs to find comfort in his jokes, his shenanigans and his dramatic, oddly confident personality. A true caretaker of his people.

He’s been taken from this world too soon and so that leaves the immense pressure of carrying on his legacy on all the lives he touched. In November, every year, Hamza would participate in the No Shave November movement and set a goal for his network to raise money to cure medical issues related to men’s health. As an immigrant working in the United Kingdom, his goal was to create a comfortable and inclusive workplace. Every year he would encourage all of us to participate in Ramadan, Eid, Diwali, Black History Month, Holi, Chinese New Year, Easter, etc.

For such an open-hearted & giving individual, we can only attempt to carry on his legacy by bringing his community and his people together to give him a deserving send off in this world and take steps to help him transition with ease into the next world.

I encourage all of you who are reading this to donate to this cause - we have a goal of collecting $6000 in the first 40 days since his passing. The money will be donated to paaniproject.org and will be used to build 10 deep water wells in Pakistan that will serve approximately 2000 people.

For more information on the cause, please visit their website or see below. For any additional questions, please contact me directly at saadatnawaz4@gmail.com.

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Currently, over 21 million Pakistanis suffer from a water sanitation crisis that has impacted the entire country. Major cities like Karachi and Lahore struggle to provide access to clean and safe drinking water, but the situation worsens amongst rural villages that not only lack modern systems, but also adequate healthcare. Contaminated water is the leading cause of diarrhea and other severe health conditions, resulting in death due to a lack of treatment in many of these underdeveloped villages. Children, more than any other demographic, are the most vulnerable victims of these health conditions as their immune systems are not developed enough to withstand the muddened and bacterially infected water they’re forced to drink.

Paani translates to water in Urdu, a beacon for our mission to produce both short and long-term solutions that ignite sustainable change against this water crisis. Our team’s foundation began as a student organization at the University of Michigan and we have since then become a certified non-profit organization. Paani’s purpose has and always will be to provide for people in need, bridging the gap between those able to help with the ones who need it most. 

Every cent or rupee donated goes directly to the communities in Pakistan, whether it be through building wells, distributing food packs, or compiling hygiene kits. Paani faces no operating costs and so far we have built over 4,500 wells across rural Sindh and KPK, a number that grows daily with your support. However, Paani does not exist to provide only temporary fixes; our goal is to also tackle the permanent adversity at hand. Aside from the wells being put in place, Paani is also leading projects through education, health, and waste management efforts. 

Our team strives to be transparent in every way possible, so you can rest assured that your donation will fund a valuable cause. We have several avenues in which we can use your support, whether it be donating a well on behalf of yourself or your family, donating for projects specifically geared towards our public health initiatives, or even something as small as buying Paani apparel and tweeting about us to your local community. Many families have donated multiple wells on behalf of deceased relatives, as sponsoring a well goes on to provide good deeds (sadaqah jariyah) to those passed.

The donation of a well includes the construction of the well, constant monitoring and testing of water samples for cleanliness and safety, and maintenance. Batches of sixteen wells get built at once with the price of one well averaging out to $200 USD. Paani currently accepts cards, checks, Paypal, Venmo, and Donorbox. Any and all donations are tax-deductible. 

We thank you consistently for your support as we would never be able to make an impact without your help. Spread the word of our mission to those you know and check back with us frequently on our social media to see our progress! 

-Paani

Some of our accomplishments include
•Raising $1,850,000+ through grassroots fundraising
•Constructing over 4500+ wells in rural Sindh and KPK to provide 40,000+ families access to clean water 
•Receiving partnerships with Microsoft Azure and Google’s nonprofit networks to begin pursuing global marketing campaigns

Learn More

Featured in the LATimes, Dawn, Geo TV, Parhlo, and USAToday Paani is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2017 in response to the growing water crisis in Pakistan. Lead by young professionals and university students, Paani is entirely volunteer-based and works to create public health-based impact in Pakistan. We have raised over $1,800,000, built over 4500 wells in rural parts of Pakistan (both in Sindh and in KPK), sent $500,000 in medical equipment to hospitals in Pakistan, and are now working to implement sanitation/hygiene-based curriculum in schools. For any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us on any of our social media platforms

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paaniproject/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaaniProject/

Twitter:https://twitter.com/PaaniProject