Pakistan earthquake

The Pakistan earthquake. Photo:AFB/Getty Images

A year on from the terrible earthquake that devastated Pakistan, Inside Out reporter Giles Latcham returns to the country to find out what's happened to the survivors.

In one of the remotest parts of the country, Giles finds a woman from Dudley who has given up everything to help.

Rafina Ashaq was so affected by the tragedy that she moved both herself and her daughter to Pakistan.

Rafina takes Giles to some of the worst affected areas and shows him just some of the work she's doing to help people rebuild their lives.

Rafina's story

We asked Rafina what made her move to Pakistan with her daughter?

Taking positive action - Rafina in Pakistan

"It was the images that were shown on TV - most of it was images of children, you know the schools fallen down, the children…

"We did lots of fund-raising. I personally donated huge amounts of money, whatever I had in my savings I sent during Ramadan."

Rafina wanted to make a difference:

"I just wanted to come out and offer myself, so I came out in December for nine days and I stayed in Muzaffarabad.

"I did take a risk and I came out on my own but I was just trying to get some information, that's when I saw what was going on and the fact that I really did want to come here and do some work."

Links relating to this story:

• BBC News - Quake aftermath
• BBC Inside Out - Earthquake
• Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC)
• Foreign Office
• ICRC
• Islamic Relief
• Department for International Development
• Muslim Aid
• Oxfam
• Kashmir International Relief Fund

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites

Glass factory

The Chance works - once a beacon of manufacturing

In a derelict old factory in Smethwick, Ashley Blake uncovers the story of the glass makers who served a President and saved the lives of countless sailors.

The buildings at the Chance works in Smethwick are stranded between the M5 and a railway line.

But this derelict, burnt-out and decayed building was once a proud symbol of Midlands manufacturing.

Ashley Blake discovers that this factory once sold glass all over the globe - it even had a customer in the White House.

And he finds the people at Chance also saved lives, making the specialist pieces of glass for lighthouses that saved countless ships from being wrecked.

Links relating to this story:

• BBC Black Country - The Black Country
• Smethwick Heritage Trust
• Chance Hunt

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites

BBC Inside Out West Midlands