Current Projects

Strengthening Participatory Organization (SPO) is committed to providing a positive impact on our society, and we are currently working on a number of projects to do so. Our projects are remodelling the targeted communities in different regions of Pakistan so that people of all ages may congregate there and participate in various activities. We are working with schools to provide resources for educational programmes for students from underserved communities.

We are establishing supporting the communities as part of our commitment to encouraging healthy lifestyles to increase access to nutrient-dense food options and enhance livelihood opportunities. We also understand the significance of mental health and are attempting to help individuals in need by offering counselling services and support groups.

Following is the list of projects we are currently implementing in Pakistan:

Flood Recovery and Response – A Community-Wide Approach

SPO is currently implementing the project titled “Flood Recovery and Response – A Community-Wide Approach” with the financial support of Oxfam GB. The project started in January 2023 and will conclude in December 2023, and is being implemented in districts Mirpukhas and Sanghar in Sindh, Jaffarabad and Sohbatpur in Balochistan. The overall goal of the project is to work in the recovery phase of the flood response in the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), Food and Economic Security (FES), and Protection sectors in the 40 villages of these districts in Sindh and Balochistan. SPO through this recovery phase project is supporting the neediest and vulnerable groups to help them rebuild their resilience and recover from the devastating flood damage. This project aims to help minimize the catastrophic impact of floods and contribute to building the resilience of the affected communities over the long term and to enhance the resilience of the flood-affected communities, especially the vulnerable groups, in the aftermath of floods through the provision of a safe healthy, and conducive environment for sustainable livelihoods and better infrastructure. The outcome of the project will be improved and sustainable livelihoods of beneficiaries and communal-level initiatives around FES, WASH, and Protection.

Gender Equality and Women Empowerment

SPO is currently implementing the project titled “Gender Equality and Women Empowerment” with the financial support of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The project started in January 2023 and will conclude in December 2023, and is being implemented in the flood-affected districts of Quetta and Sohbatpur in Balochistan, Jacobabad, and Mirpurkhas in Sindh, D.I Khan and Nowshera in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Rajanpur and D.G Khan in Punjab. The overall goal of the project is to strengthen institutional capacities and community-based mechanisms to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment and address gender-based violence (GBV) and harmful practices, including child marriage, across the humanitarian-development continuum, and strengthened national and subnational capacities in resilience programming, emergency preparedness and response to ensure access to life-saving interventions in humanitarian situations, including sexual and reproductive health services and GBV. The project is contributing to enhancing the systems and capacities of Bolo Helpline KP to provide psychosocial and referral services to the GBV survivors, provide support at the Women and Girls Friendly Spaces (WGFS) for GBV, SRHR, and PSS-related services to the flood-affected women and girls and implement referral mechanism liaising with the government GBV and SRH services. SPO is providing support to the Women Development Department Balochistan to develop a multi-sectoral coordination mechanism to prevent and respond to GBV and awareness-raising through media to enable access to women and girls to GBV services. Furthermore, SPO is providing technical support to the Social Welfare Department and Punjab Women Protection Authority to strengthen the Violence Against Women Center (VAWC) in 10 districts of Punjab in the divisional headquarters in Punjab province, and technical support will be provided to the Social Welfare Department of Punjab to develop rules of business for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Act 2021 and the Punjab Protection of Women Against Violence Act 2022.

Growth for Rural Advancement and Sustainable Progress (GRASP)

SPO is implementing the project titled “Growth for Rural Advancement and Sustainable Progress (GRASP)" funded by the European Union and being implemented by SPO, ITC, FAO and PPAF. The GRASP project contributes to the reduction of poverty through the development of rural micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Sindh and Baluchistan provinces of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. GRASP ultimately seeks to support poverty reduction and sustainable, inclusive growth in rural areas of Pakistan. The project’s outcome aims to enhance the productivity and profitability of SMEs involved in primary production, service provision, and value addition in and around selected clusters of production. As such, the project contributes directly to the attainment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), specifically SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).

Strengthening Participatory Organization (SPO) is working in 10 Union Councils and two selected districts, Kech and Panjgur of Baluchistan Province to promote rural mobilization, and to identify and select potential Business Intermediary Organizations (BIOs) and Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) for cash and in-kind Matching Grants (MG) worth PKR 30, PKR 2.5 and PKR 0.5 Million. The concept of Financial Literacy and Business Planning is being stimulated by creating Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)/SMEs linkages with Financial Institutions (FIs). Under this initiative, SPO is working for MSMEs/SMEs business development and enhancement through their participation at fairs, investment panels, expos and in various other business enhancement exercises.