Implementation of village development services under the malakand rural development project in district Shangla/Swat (upper)

News & Updates

Project Final Report Published

LASOONA has publsihed the final report of its Agriculture Livelihoods Rehabilitaion Project (ALRP)implemented in earthquake affected District Shangla and Kohistan.

MOU between LASOONA and USAID

LASOONA signs a Memorandum of Understanding for the implementation of Pakistan Safe Drinking Water and Hygiene Promotion Project.

Annual Performance Awards Ceremony

Monday September 10, 2007: A simple and colorful event was organized at a local hotel. Almost all the staff members and Directors Board of LASOONA participated in the ceremony. The program was organized to distribute Shields and Appreciation Certificates among the staff for their outstanding performance during the year 2006. The purpose was to recognize the services of those who performed well in their respective fields.

Overview of LASOONA Projects Under Implementation

Implementation of village development services under the Malakand Rural Development Project in District Shangla

Project Background
The Govt. of NWFP has initiated the Malakand Rural Development Project (MRDP) for a period of seven years and is co-financed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The project caters for multi-sectoral area development recognizing and supporting active participation of the communities. The project responds to demand driven community-managed infrastructure; and provides for rehabilitation of major road network in the area.

The project has two major components comprising of Village Development Component and Provincial Highways Construction. The Village Development Component was outsourced to local NGOs in four Districts i.e. Swat, Shangla, Buner and Malakand Agency.

In District Shangla, the village development component was outsourced to LASOONA and is implementing the project since 2002. LASOONA has established a field unit (Social Organization Unit) at Alpuri District Shangla for the implementation of project activities related to Village Development.

Goal: Reduction of Rural Poverty in the Project Area

Purpose:

To improve the income and living condition of poor households of the rural population.
To improve the human resources and income generating potential of the women of the project area.
To create a support mechanism for sustainability of the project interventions.

Objectives:

· Formation and strengthening of community organizations (male & female) at village level.

· Providing technical and financial assistance to community organizations in building their prioritized village infrastructure.

· Improving agriculture production (Crop & Animal) at village level through training of farmers and demonstration of best agricultural practices with formers.

· Gender & Development (Social, Financial and Resource).

Project Components:

Village Development Services (VDS), including;

1. Community Mobilization & Organization

2. Community Managed Infrastructure Development Activities

3. Agriculture and Livestock Development Activities

4. Women Health, Education and Income-generating skills Development Programme.

Brief Description of Village Development Services

The project aims to reduce poverty and enhance the women earning capabilities through active participation of village-based male and female organizations. This participation process is designed in a systematic way of interventions by a team of professionals.

This team was supposed to have deep understanding of local norms and values of local culture and social stratum. For this challenging job MRDP outsourced the Village Development Services to LASOONA in District Shangla where LASOONA is committed to bring a positive change in standards of living of the locals. LASOONA started its activities, under the MRDP, according to the project components. Following are the major Village Development Components and the achievements made so far;

Community Mobilization and Organization

Before carrying out any activity in these remote pockets, it is of utmost importance to mobilize and finally organize these rural communities. Being partners, they play their role in accomplishment of the Project targets, goals and objectives. The Project has been successful to form 229 Male Community Organizations (VOs), 153 Women Organizations (WOs), impart trainings to 2 VOs and WOs each and arrange one VO Conference.

Community Managed Infrastructure (CMI)

District Shangla is one of the most backward districts of NWFP, where most of the people are deprived from the basic civic amenities. The CMI component aims to provide village level facilities through the active participation of the locals. CMI includes:

a) Drinking Water Supply & Sanitation: Clean drinking water and sanitation to eradicate/minimize water borne diseases and improve the health-hygiene condition. This will reduce the health related expenditures from the poor communities. The Project has so far completed 02 sanitation schemes, installation of 51 hand pumps and 42 spring based water supply schemes covering a total population of about 21,000.

b) Communal irrigation infrastructure to increase and sustain agriculture production. This component is carried out with the technical assistance of On-Farm-Water Management (OFWM). So far the Project has successfully completed 31 Gravity Irrigation Schemes.

c) Micro Hydel Power Schemes: Remote hilly areas are deprived of electricity facilities where people use kerosene lamps, Liquid Petroleum Gas lamps and torchwood for in-house lighting. These methods are not only expensive for poor families but they also aggravate the health problems especially respiratory diseases. In those far flung areas, where high head flow discharge is available throughout the year and where electricity from national grid is not expected in near future, small micro-hydal power plants are being installed with the technical and electro-mechanical support of PCRET (Pakistan Council of Renewable Energy and Technology) to provide cheap source of lighting for the poor community. So far 58 micro-hydal power plants have been installed in different locations of the district and have covered a population of 51,660.

d) Jeepable tracks are one of the important components of CMI, which connects the remote hilly areas with highways and District link roads. These help the poor communities in improved access to markets and public services from line agencies like health, education, agriculture and livestock services. The project has completed a total of 102 kms of jeepable tracks with an estimated of 65,066 population has been covered so far.

Agriculture and Livestock

Despite the growing demand for agriculture produce, crop yield in District Shangla has not increased in recent years. Most of the small land holders, especially in the more remote areas; do not have access to improved seeds, fertilizers and other inputs. Similarly, the productivity of the livestock in this area is very low due to lack of quality breed of animals, their management and treatment facilities. In order to improve their economic conditions through enhancement of agriculture and livestock production, the project has introduced improved technology production practices for agriculture and livestock in collaboration with Agriculture Extension and Livestock Development Departments. Wheat Demo Plots (200 kanals), Maize Demo Plots (428 kanals), and 220 KG vegetables seed. In livestock component, 46 no. of improved quality Rams, 18 no. improved Bucks, 8 no. Stud Bulls have been distributed among the community members. In capacity building, 184 villagers trained in Poultry Entrepreneurship, 20 Livestock Extension Workers trained, Ecto & Endo Parasite control sessions (5) and Prophylactic Vaccination campaigns (8) are the key achievements of this component.

Gender & Development Programme

Community Based Health Care Program

The Project is also working to improve both the financial and physical status of women in the remote areas of District Shangla. This component aims to build local capacities for sustained access to Basic Health Facilities. Community based health programme through human resource development for women focuses on training Lady Health Visitors (LHVs) and Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) within the rural communities. The Project has so far trained 337 Traditional Birth Attendants, and 56 Mid Wives/Lady Health Workers/Female Medical technicians. The essence of this activity is to provide services in health care and awareness on nutritional aspects to the most vulnerable groups like women and children, while the trained women will be able to earn bread for their families. In order to institutionalize these activities, Health Department has been involved.

Female Education:

The objective of this activity is to link pedagogy and supervisor’s knowledge with local school teacher’s professional training i-e PTC, CT and B.Ed. and educational courses like Matric, FA and BA.

i. Academic Courses (Matric, FA, and BA)

The project has arranged education of deserving female students from Matric to BA level through Allama Iqbal Open University. These deserving female candidates are nominated by the WOs formed by LASOONA. The project has so far provided opportunity to 56 females in the above mentioned disciplines.

ii. Professional Courses (PTC/CT/B.Ed)

The project has arranged the education of female candidates and teachers in the field of PTC/CT/B.Ed. The field staff of LASOONA at Shangla nominates poor and deserving female candidates from Women Organizations according to the selection criteria of Allama Iqbal Open University. 283 female have been trained in these professional training courses.

iii. Non Formal/Home School

In the remote area of Malakand Division particularly in District Shangla the female education ratio is very low. Reasons behind are low-income status of the family and lack of awareness. Therefore, the objective of this component is to provide girls access to quality education through developing non-formal community-managed primary schools for the remote and isolated communities in the hilly and other unserved area in collaboration with Education Deptt. The project has so far established 24 non formal schools and linked these with the education department.

iv. Vocational training Program for Female

There is a tremendous demand from women folk fro the vocational training to become self reliant. The women always contribute to her family in the shape of stitching clothes of their children and other family members. The project provides training especially to young girls in stitching, netting & embroidery etc and has trained about 180 women so far.