I had to bring this to your attention: a five-year-old Kashmiri girl named Lishba who lived in one of the areas that was most affected by the quake spoke to the BBC about her memories of the tragedy and what she felt during and after it. I wish there were a picture of her; even without one, she’s captivated me. I don’t remember being this eloquent when i was five…
Where she was when the quake hit:
I was at home watching television and my sister was playing outside, my parents were in at home as well.
I felt the house shake and I got scared and ran to my father.
My sister was playing outside and at first we couldn’t find her, then my father went and got her home and all of us came out into the garden.
At first both my father and I thought the painter doing up my room must have broken something since the house shook, but then my father said this was an earthquake.
After the earthquake everybody was out of their houses and there was confusion everywhere.
Lishba, like so many others, is now homeless:
My house is completely broken all over.
We are now living in a field near my grandfather’s house.
When it rains, we all take shelter in the balcony of my grandfather’s house. It’s all broken and there are cracks everywhere but we all sit there.
Her parents must be so proud— she’s all about the edifying:
My school is completely ruined. We are off on the weekends so we didn’t go to the school. But one aunty said her son had gone to see the school and it’s completely razed to the ground.
I have not seen my school yet - since the quake we have been living with my grandfather’s family and I have not gone out at all…
I like going to school. I have a lot of fun there.
What the future holds:
My father was saying that we will all go away to Pindi [Rawalpindi] and he is coming with us too.
They [the government] should fix our houses first.
