A journey to collapsing mountains, flooded homes, and unshaken hope.
The moment we learned about the flood crisis in Punjab, we knew we had to drop everything and stand beside our brothers and sisters there. That has always been the soul of Miles2Smile: to be the first to arrive when disaster strikes, to hold the hands of those standing in the ruins of their lives, and to remind them they are not alone.
On September 9, our journey began in Pathankot, Punjab. We walked through streets that had seen water rise and fall, spoke to families who had already received food, aid, and support, and felt a strange relief in knowing that there was enough aid there and they were healing. But that relief also pointed us elsewhere.We heard of two places where cloudbursts swallowed homes. The mountains of Jammu & Kashmir whispered a different pain. And we heard, reflected and turned our wheels toward Jammu. We drove nearly 160 kilometers, into Reasi district, where grief waited like fog.
A Hard Road To Help
What followed was nothing short of a test of willpower. It took us almost 18 hours to reach Jamslan from Punjab, 18 hours of crawling traffic, broken bridges, and washed-away roads that turned the journey into a trial.
Even our tire gave up midway, punctured by the cruel road. But there was no turning back. Every hour of hardship reminded us why we were going, to reach people who had been cut off from the world since the floods.
Relief Effort Begin in Flood-Hit Jamslan
We finally reached Jamslan on the 10th of September and what we saw there shattered our hearts. Jamslan was among the worst-hit. The mountains that once stood as guardians had turned against the people. Nature had taken a devastating turn, hills had crumbled, the ground had swallowed homes, and entire lives had been reduced to mud and silence. Over 100 homes were already gone, and 20 to 30 more stood ready to collapse, leaning like tired bones. The air itself felt heavy with fear.
Here, Miles2Smile set up its first medical camp. More than 200 villagers came forward, sick children, injured men, exhausted mothers, each carrying pain that had gone untreated for days. We treated, we dressed wounds, we distributed ration kits, blankets, kitchen utensils, and buckets. Most importantly, we listened.
Our ground team moved through the village, observing every collapsed wall, every waterlogged lane, and every family huddled under makeshift shelters. They spoke to people one by one, gathering details of what had been lost. Homes, livestock, even the little savings buried under the mud. From this, they prepared a detailed priority list, ranking families by urgency. This ensured that relief would not be scattered blindly but would reach those standing at the very edge of survival first.
During the medical camp, we discovered a glaring gap, access to women’s healthcare was almost nonexistent. This was not just a need; it was an emergency. In response, Miles2Smile has committed to holding regular medical camps across Reasi, placing women’s health care at the very center of our efforts.
Madarsa in Shajroo Becomes Center of Healing
That night, our team found shelter in Jamia Abu Bakar Sadiq Education, a small madrasa in Shajroo, Jamslan, that opened its doors to us without hesitation. The walls were damp, the classrooms still smelled of rain, but the welcome was warm. We shared space with children who, despite losing so much, still held on to their lessons and recitations.
On the morning of 11th September, 45 children stood in line for medical attention as we set up our second camp in the madrasa courtyard. Their books were still wet, their slippers muddy, but their smiles were bright. We treated them, listened to them, and reminded them that even in a disaster, they were not forgotten. The madarsa became more than just a shelter that night, it became a symbol of hope, a place where healing began with the laughter of children.
Ground Team Reaches Mohor Bagga to Provide Relief Amidst Rubble
By afternoon, our journey took us deeper into despair, to Mohor Bagga. If Jamslan had broken our hearts, Mohor Bagga crushed them. Here, the flash floods and landslides had shown no mercy. Twenty-five homes were not just damaged, they were erased, leaving behind families sitting on the very ground that had betrayed them. The silence was deafening. Mothers sat with their children under the open sky, their faces streaked with mud and grief, their belongings reduced to damp bundles beside them.
Right there, amidst the rubble and broken trees, we set up our third medical camp. More than 250 people came, some limping, some carrying infants, others still in shock. We treated fevers, wounds, infections, and exhaustion, but we knew medical care alone could not mend what had been lost.
Our ground team walked through the wreckage, spoke with elders, sat with women, and listened to their fears. They mapped the village house by house, preparing a priority list so that the most vulnerable could be catered too. It was not just about relief, it was about justice in distribution, about ensuring help reached those who needed it most. Rations, clothing, and basic necessities were distributed once again, yet the most important thing we offered was our presence. We sat with the families, we listened to their stories, and we let the weight of their grief sit with us.
Local Leadership Recognizes Miles2Smile’s Relief Efforts
As the camp went on, Bagga’s local MLA, Engineer Khurshidan, arrived at the site. He did not just pass by, he stood with us in the mud, watching as our team members tended to the sick and wounded. He spoke with our team, asked about the challenges, and acknowledged the urgency of what was being done. He appreciated our work and the values that Miles2Smile stands for. In a place where everything seemed washed away, that small gesture felt like the ground standing firm for a moment.
We Won’t Stop Here
When the sun began to set behind the hills of Bagga, our work was far from over. We left that day with mud on our shoes, stories in our hearts, and a promise on our tongues, that Miles2Smile would not turn away. The faces we saw in Jamslan and Bagga are not just numbers on a report. These villages are no longer just coordinates on a map, they are a part of us now. We will return with more camps, more care, and more compassion until the fear of the floods is replaced with the sound of rebuilding, until no family has to wonder if they are forgotten.
But we cannot do this alone. We need you, your prayers, your generosity, to stand with us. Every contribution you make becomes medicine for a wound, food for an empty pot, shelter for a homeless child.
This is what Miles2Smile was born for, to show up when the world turns away, to kneel in the dust beside the broken, and to leave behind not just aid, but hope.
Join us, and let us turn these ruins into reminders that humanity still shows up for its own.
