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Capacity Building for Habitat Improvement in the Hindu Kush (Tajikistan and Pakistan)
The actions address the regions of Gorno-Badakshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO, Tajikistan, TJK) and those of District Chitral in the North West Frontier Province and the Northern Areas of Pakistan (addressed in this proposal as”Northern Pakistan”). GBAO of Tajikistan, located in the Pamir Mountains, and Northern Pakistan, located in the Hindu Kush, are geographically/climactically, linguistically and historically linked, but divided by the narrow Afghan Wakhan Corridor, defined in the 1895 treaty that separated the empires of Russia and Britain. Both rural areas have similar environmental conditions with difficult-to-reach, disaster-prone human settlements situated at an altitudes ranging from 1.500m to 4.500m with cold winter (as low as minus 45 degrees); both locations have a high degree of environmental degradation and are subject to high seismic risks. In addition, the locations have a number of similar socio-economic conditions including high unemployment, lack of trained manpower, a low per capita income – 0,86 € (Pak, 2006) and 0,24 € (Taj, 2005), limited facilities for vocational training, gender imbalance and underdeveloped education and health services including similar infrastructural conditions such as poor sanitation and lack of village water supplies.
This proposal addresses 27.000 people in 30 villages in the Districts Gilgit, Ghizer, Astore, Skardu of Northern Pakistan and 57.600 people in 120 villages in the Districts Darvaz, Vanj, Rushan, Shugnan, Ishkashim, Roshtkala and Murghab of GBAO.
The overall objective of the action is to contribute to the alleviation of poverty and to achieve an improved quality of life for communities in both countries. With the specific objective of this action is to contribute to an improved and safer habitat in disaster prone areas of GBAO and Northern Pakistan by Habitat Improvement (HI) activities.
The project provides for cross-border information sharing, awareness raising, planning and capacity building in and between the NSAs and LAs, leading to strengthened organisational and implementing capacities and the development of market-based mechanisms for sustaining service delivery.
This coordination and exchange of good practice will enable the stakeholders in South Asia (Pakistan) and Central Asia (Tajikistan), along with HOPE’87 and its network of Branch Offices in other Asian countries (e.g. Bangladesh) as well as in Africa to replicate successful approaches with other interested NSAs and LAs.
Skills Training for Handicapped People in Pakistan – Ummeed – e – Noor – Islamabad, Pakistan.
Under the umbrella of Hashoo Foundation, Umeed-e-Noor (UEN), meaning “Ray of Hope’ in English was established in 1996 for people with disabilities (like polio, cerebral palsy, Down’s syndrome, slow learners, hearing impaired etc) to provide a treatment and care centre, including boarding facilities for those who have been abandoned by their parents.
It is within this group of people with special needs that HOPE’87 with its local partner would like to focus its attention and develop a fully equipped vocational and technical training centre. This facility is located within the newly constructed UEN complex and two training halls and other building facilities will be in-kind contribution by Hashoo Foundation.
Two training halls will be refurbished in the new UEN purpose built building and 7 cycles of Clay and Pottery making (3 months each), 3 cycles of Embroidery skills (7 months each) and 7 cycles of housekeeping skills (3 months each) for people with Down's syndrome and slow learners and 3 cycles of Sewing skills for hearing impaired (7 months each) will be conducted. With subsidised fee structures and additional financial sustainability measures the centre will achieve a minimum sustainability level by the end of project duration. This intervention will help in achieving the following,
Overall objective: to contribute to increase economic opportunities for people with disabilities in Pakistani society.
Specific Objective: to support people with disabilities (Down's syndrome, slow learners and hearing impaired) by providing better equipped skills training centre and increased employment opportunities.
Direct beneficiaries: At-least 172 men and women between the ages of 14-29, who are living with disabilities in the rural, sub urban and urban areas of Islamabad and Rawalpindi and are with no prior vocational or technical training.
In-direct beneficiaries: 1.032 family members (based on average family size of 6 (172 trainees x 6 = 1.032) and the communities they come from will benefit from the project.
Results:
1. Comprehensive and improved baseline data and disability-skill identification techniques are available for people with disabilities.
2. The numbers of skills training facilities for people with disabilities are increased: a fully equipped and operational skills training centre is available in Islamabad.
3. Linkage of skills training to meet employer needs and better placement & counselling facilities are available.
Learn to Earn - Lahore, Punjab:
Project Learn to Earn (LTE) is another Austrian Devolvement Agency (ADC) co financed project to be implemented with the support of local partner Society for Education and Technology (SET). The project duration is two and half years starting from July 2008 and will conclude on December 2010. SET has established an IT training centre in Lahore since 2002, providing 8 different types of IT skills courses (3 months each) for the students from marginalised class and special person (deaf and mute).
Project’s direct beneficiaries are 1.000 men and women from marginalized class and people with special needs (deaf and mute) with minimum secondary school education, between the ages of 17-30 from the district Lahore, Pakistan. The project will not only increase the capacity of the IT training centre from 13 students / course to 26 students/course, but will also support the centre for project duration of two n a half years. With subsidised fee structures and additional financial sustainability measures the centre will achieve a minimum sustainability level with enhanced capacity. This intervention will help in achieving the overall objective to empower marginalised youth with special needs (deaf and mute) to assume their role in society to the fullest by increased employment opportunities
The project was initiated in July 2008 and so far 5 batches have completed their IT training courses making total number of graduates to 300. Mostly the students are from marginalised class and special person (deaf and mute). The SET IT centre with its unique strength to provide IT training to people with special needs makes it one of its kinds in Lahore. There is a high demand for IT education in the society and especially for women and people with special needs from marginalised class.
Education and Training for Risk-Prevention in Earthquake-Areas of Pakistan – Gilgit, Northern Areas of Pakistan - Co financed by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA).
The project “Education and Training for Risk-Prevention in Earthquake-Areas of Pakistan” in Gilgit, Northern Areas of Pakistan is co-financed by Austrian Devolvement Agency (ADA) will be implemented with the support of local partner Aga Khan Planning and Building Services, Pakistan (AKPBS, P). The project duration is two years (January 2008 till December 2009). The Northern Areas are a Himalayan mountain region with population growth rate of 3.2% per annum, requires 4.5 % of the housing stock (about 5,000 housing units per year) to be constructed/ refurbished annually.
The entire region lies in a severe earthquake zone. With goal of promoting safer habitat in Northern Areas, the project will target 700 unskilled and semi-skilled construction related persons for specialized and targeted training on appropriate construction practices and earthquake resistant techniques for income generation with support in upgrading working tools/ equipments. The project will target 1,000 local communities in general and 1,000 school children and 50 teachers in particular for awareness in safer home construction and school safety, to inculcate a culture of seismic safety in youth and young adults.
Construction of Basic Health Unit in Shamshatoo, Peshawar, N.W.F.P., Pakistan:
ANT-Hiroshima has pledged approximately 5 million PKR to establish a Basic Health Unit in Shamshatoo, Peshawar, N.W.F.P. The architectural work has been completed and construction started in September with completion date in October 2008. The BHU building is complete but the construction has been stopped due to insurgency and army operation going on in the area. Once the situation will be back to normal, the remaining part of the construction will be completed and BHU will be operational.
Pakistan is on 139th
position on the HDI index of the UN, with a score of 0.562 falling among the last twenty countries of
the medium human development index with a GDP per capita income of US$ 2.738,00. In line with the Millennium Development
Goals, the program and strategy of the Branch Office is focused on poverty alleviation through education, gender equality,
training and income generation and relief after disaster. Currently the projects are concentrated in the North West
Frontier Province, Punjab Province, Northern Areas and Azad Kashmir.
Recently Projects.
Pakistan ranks 135th on the HDI index of the UN and with a
score of 0.527 falls among the last ten countries of the medium human
development index with a GDP per capita income of 2.628 US $. In line
with the Millennium Development Goals, the strategy of the Branch
Office is to work towards the goals of poverty reduction and women’s
empowerment. Currently the projects are concentrated in the
North West Frontier
Province, Punjab Province, Northern Areas and Azad Kashmir.
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Women Empowerment Centre,
Chitral, Northren Areas, Pakistan
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Womens’ Skills Training Centre – Bagh (HOPE´87)
Small Scale Projects:
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Womens’ Skills Training Centre – Shishkat/ Northern Areas (HOPE´87)
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Equipping two schools in Northern Areas (UNESCO)
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Nature Conservation and Tourism Promotion in Northern Areas
(HOPE´87)
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Playground for Girls – Northern Areas (Private donations from
Venezuela)
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Mother and Child Health Care Post – Northern Areas (HOPE´87)
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Pilot Health
Project –
Peshawar
(ANT Hiroshima, JICA)
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Sadako’s Prayer“ Book Publication (ANT Hiroshima)
The Building and Construction Improvement Programme (BACIP)
– Entrepreneur Training and Employment Generation, is being
implemented by HOPE’87 in partnership with Agha Khan Foundation –
Pakistan. The total project budget is € 423,055.21 and is funded by
the European Commission (50%), Austrian Development Agency (35%) and
HOPE’87 (15%).
The project duration was two years, starting from September 2004 up
till August 2006, which has been granted a no cost extension up to the
end of February 2007.
The objective of the project is to alleviate poverty and to improve
the quality of life of people (specially unemployed youth and young
adults) through housing sector related enterprise development &
promotion, skills enhancement and training of youth in the Ishkoman
and the Chupersan valleys of Northern Areas and the Garam Chashma
valley of Chitral, Pakistan.
[Complete
Details] [Pictures]
[PDF
version]
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Primary Education Schools
are being run for Afghan Refugees and Pakistani Children near
Shamshatoo, Peshawar, Pakistan. Students are being provided quality
education at no cost. Supported by Foundation of UNESCO – Education
for Children in need and Austrian Development Agency, project worth of
220,000 €. Starting form July 2006 the schools are supported by a
local Pakistani philanthropist for a period of one year. |
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[Complete
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[Pictures] [PDF
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Child Labor Rehabilitation Centres,
in Lahore, Faisalabad and Kasur Districts which were previously funded
by EC, ADA and HOPE’87, is being run successfully by the local partner
of the project Pakistan Crescent Youth Organisation (PCYO).
[Complete
Details] [PDF
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Medical Camp
Using
the school building facility on every Sunday (school Holiday) a weekly
Medical Camp is held by providing consultancy and medicine at
very minimal costs. Keeping in view the local customs a female
gynaecologist consults female patients.is held by providing
consultancy and medicine at very minimal costs. Keeping in view the
local customs a female gynaecologist consults female patients.
Mother Child Health Centre
at Altit village, Northern Areas, Pakistan, providing basic health
facilities and guidance on mother child health. It’s an ongoing
project funded by HOPE’87 Pakistan, project worth of 18,000 €.[Pictures]
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Women Skill Centre
Women Skills Training Centre established in August 2006 at HOPE’87’s camp office in Dhulli, Nar Sher Ali Khan, continues to provide the skills training to the women of the area. The centre provides a six-month skills training course to women
including tailoring, embroidery, knitting and home decoration items. Till to date 6 batches have completed the 6 months
long training courses and 7th batch is currently under going the training. Till to date more than 180 women have benefited
from the WSTC so far to a varying degree.
The 2nd and 3rd batch were supported by proLoka and DirektHilfe, whereas aafter the successful completion of third batch
the centre facilities were handed over (as in-kind contribution) to proLoka-Austrian NGO, which in turn has secured funding from Austrian Development Agency (ADA) for next two years Feb 2008- Jan 2010.
Recently due to excellent management of WSTC operations a NO Cost Extension has been granted by the donor for 7 months,
increasing the number of 6 months training batches from 4 to 5 and increasing the target beneficiaries from 90 to at
least 110 women.
According to the latest survey conducted by HOPE’87 and more than 90% of the graduating women are using the learnt skills either by stitching clothes for their family members (saving the money they would have, otherwise, paid to a commercial
tailor) or using their new skills to earn incomes by providing services to their communities.
Admissions for 7th batch at WSTC are complete and training classes has started form August-09. A total of 22 women are
selected (out of more than 65 candidates) for 6 months course.
The centre provides 6 months course of tailoring, embroidery, knitting and making of home decoration items.
Course certificate were distributed to graduates of 6th batch in a colourful ceremony held in Dhulli, Bagh (AJK) on 31st
August, 2009. Parents and notables form the community were invited. Mr. Jakob Steiner of proLoka especially came from
Austria to attend the ceremony and showed his complete satisfaction over the performance of the WSTC and the results it
is producing. First three positions were announced and all graduating women were given a sewing machine as a start up
capital.
The community expressed their satisfaction with the performance of the WSTC and for the 7th batch against a capacity of
20 seats, more than 65 women candidates appeared for walk-in interview in July 2009. Keeping in view the high demand the
number of seats has been increased form 20 to 22 for the 7th batch. The classes have started from August 2009 and will
end on 31st January 2010.
Girls Right to Play,
in
which provided Swings at 2 Schools in Chupersan Valley. HOPE’87 and
private donations arranged by a Venezuelan Philanthropist, project
worth of 3,000 €. |
Development of Tourism Promotion and Nature Conservation
by
providing Fishing Boats in Andrap Lake, Handrap Village, near Shandur
Pass, Northern Areas, Pakistan. Funded by HOPE’87, project worth of
2,000 €.
Playing equipment for school
(shamshatoo and Bagh, supported by ANT Hiroshima),
Publishing of Sadako’s story book (a joint collaboration of ANT
Hiroshima and HOPE’87 Pakistan) for promotion of Peace and Harmony
among different ethnic groups. |
