SECOND POSITIVE Story

Individuals Inspire TCS Team to Achieve the Unthinkable

Following the devastating earthquake that razed the northern parts of Pakistan on October 8, 2005, I called COO Saqib Hamdani to get a go ahead to initiate our collective response to the tragedy that had left hundreds of thousands homeless and in dire need to assistance. The green light for immediate action came instantly.

At first, an individual attempt was made to establish a line of action. This created a chain reaction with officers and staff coming together like never before. Within hours, I found myself surrounded by concerned staffers looking for anything worthwhile they could do.

Calls for funds and material help at TCS Express Centers drew an unprecedented response. The nation had responded to our distress call. Food, blankets, medicines, and bottled water came in tidal waves. No one could have imagined such a reaction. Donations in cash amounted to Rs.3.7 million, which were duly presented to Mrs. Bilquis Edhi by Saira Awan, Saqib Abbas Hamdani and Ali Leghari.

We coordinated our efforts with the Edhi Foundation whose service to the nation needs no introduction. At first, the Foundation provided all possible logistic and moral support; however, it was only a matter of time before they too found it impossible to deal with the volume of contributions converging on to their HQ and area offices, and requested us to row our own boat.

This required instantaneous action, and our team decided to hire vehicles and deliver the goods personally. After the hectic journey to a ravaged land of demolished infrastructure and dying hope, we made it to Mansehra, Balakot and adjoining areas where we personally delivered food and medical supplies to more than 200 families. Where roads had been destroyed, we took the supplies on foot. There were no second thoughts.

We witnessed one of the after-shocks of the quake and had a brief glimpse of what the people of the area had been through. It was heart stopping watching everything swaying like stalks of wheat on a windy day. It was a moment that reminded us of our fragile existence and our team stood next to each other ensuring that we were not alone, and would not flinch from our mission.

Our aim was to target the areas that had not been catered to by the numerous NGOs and government agencies. Two 60-foot containers bearing around 120 tons of goods may not have been sufficient to eliminate the sufferings of those affected by the natural disaster, but it certainly eased the pain temporarily and proved that TCS cares in more ways than we generally conceive.

The most commendable part of this entire exercise was the domino effect witnessed among the TCS team members who never showed a sign of tiring or receding from the donkey-work that most officers would not think of doing in normal circumstances. Everyone involved- from menial workers to the highest authorities- helped us stack truckloads at the TCS Airport terminal, the express centers and the head office.

In times like these, our belief in teamwork is further fortified. This trying moment brought us all closer to each other and demonstrated that TCS is one unit, one individual with a unilateral goal to deliver when it matters most! Just like this story, nothing is done without a team effort.


Shakeel Akhter
(KHI - Manager Events & Courier Show Assets) sakhter@tcs.com.pk