How your copywriting can save lives

You might have heard about the earthquake this fall in Pakistan. Over 80,000 people died. Nearly 3 million are homeless, with nowhere to go.

Winters in the high mountains of northern Pakistan are harsh, and I've seen estimates that as many as 1 million people are at risk of dying from exposure this year due to lack of shelter. The International Red Cross/Red Crescent has managed to put up about 40,000 shelters. That's a lot, but not nearly enough.

I traveled in Pakistan 10 years ago. I backpacked around the mountains and hitch-hiked up the Karakoram Highway into western China. I got rides on everything from tractors to jeeps, went trout fishing in the Hindu Kush, and met a wonderful, resilient people.

Despite our sometimes negative impression of Pakistan, politics aside, Pakistanis are among the most hospitable and welcoming people I've ever met. I got sick at one point on the trip, and a family moved a bed out onto their front porch (closer to the "toilet") and let me stay there until I recovered.

Near the end of my stay there, the head of the household asked if I'd like some chicken soup. Next thing I knew, a gang of kids were chasing a chicken around a courtyard until a burqa-clad woman popped out of the house, grabbed the chicken and retreated inside. Best chicken soup I've ever had.

Last night, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf was on t.v. begging for aid, saying that relief is not only necessary, but it could turn the sentiment of his populace towards better views of the U.S. That could be our best bet for anti-terrorism ever.

My first reaction was that I should fill a shipping container full of winter gear and head off for the Karakoram range. Not only is that a risky idea, but there is something even more effective I can do from home: Write a fund-raising letter.

I'm compiling a list of fund-raising contacts for organizations operating in Pakistan. I'll share them with you here. Jack Forde will also put them in a coming issue of the Copywriter's Roundtable.

What I want to know is -- are you in?