Social & Economic Development- Sustainable Livelihood

SPO is successfully implementing its project titled ‘Adolescent and Adult Learning and Training Programme (AALTP)’ with financial support of Sindh Education Foundation (SEF). The project started in April 2017 and covers district Sukkur and Jacobabad in Sindh. It is an ongoing project with contractual renewal on an annual academic year basis.

The objective of this project is to provide accelerated formal primary education for vulnerable adolescents and basic functional literacy for adults together with a certified Skill Development/Vocational Training course for each learner to enable them to secure opportunities for human capital development and socio-economic growth.

SPO under its ‘Social & Economic Development’ programme distributed free textbooks and additional learning material for beefing up student’s writing and learning skills. In order to provide a safe and clean learning infrastructure, SPO ensured the provision of basic facilities such as safe drinking water, clean and hygienic learning environment, and well-maintained toilets and an easy access to well-equipped Audio/Visual Room for learning. Till date, more than 450 adolescents have been enrolled in Adolescent and Adult’s Learning and Training Programme, including girls and boys. Moreover, SPO has successfully enrolled 82 adults in its Skill Development Programme where they completed their courses on industrial tailoring, embroidery and mobile repairing. The learners of the programme were recently awarded stipends of PKR 10,000 by SEF. In addition, the alumni of Skill Development Programme have already established their own small enterprises in their respective towns.

SPO successfully implemented ‘We Care; Financial Empowerment for Women for Increase of Access to Maternal & Newborn Health Care’ project with the financial support of Research Advocacy Fund (RAF).The project started in January 2012 and concluded in July 2014. This project was implemented in district Quetta in Balochistan, district Badin in Sindh, district Faisalabad in Punjab and district Nowshera in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The project comprised of a research component aimed to assess efficacy and relevance of existing Social Safety Nets (SSNs) in Pakistan and review globally tested models to advocate most pertinent recommendations, policy directives and feedback to key stakeholders. The second component focused on advocacy to sensitize women about their Maternal & Newborn Health (MNH) needs, and create awareness regarding relevant cash transfer options, so that they can utilize cash payments to pay for services at healthcare facilities. Public oversight mechanisms were proposed through this project to enhance the accountability of public cash transfer initiatives, including BISP, for more effective and transparent implementation of cash transfer schemes.

SPO under its ‘Social & Economic Development’ programme has been successful in establishing the importance and need of Conditional Cash Transfers (CCTs) in MNH related interventions in the country.

The biggest success of the project was the large scale mobilization of parliamentarians, line department officials and civil society in the target districts for spreading awareness and bringing all the stakeholders to unite on issues such as benefits of CCTs vs Non Conditional Cash Transfers (NCCTs), significance of MNH and how to use CCTs for this purpose and participation of BISP and discussion on outstanding issues and their way forward.

SPO successfully implemented its project titled ‘Access to Water & Sanitation for All’ project in collaboration with Punjab Saaf Pani Company. The project started in 2012 and concluded in 2013, and was implemented in districts Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Bahawalpur and Dera Ghazi Khan in Punjab.

The objective of the project was to provide clean drinking water to communities previously forced to drink contaminated water due to contamination of groundwater resources and inadequate operation and maintenance of government owned water supply schemes. Before the implementation phase, SPO conducted a community baseline survey through which water supply schemes were identified in the underserved rural, semi and peri-urban areas. The baseline also identified the number of population that was benefitting from the supply schemes while also analyzing the socio-economic and cultural dynamics of the local communities.

SPO mobilized communities to form Water User Committees (WUCs) which comprised of members that have influence and expertise in facilitating such initiatives. SPO organized 4 trainings for WUCs to identify their roles and responsibilities for improved operation, maintenance and sustainability of the water supply schemes. SPO also arranged a series of WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) awareness sessions for the project beneficiaries which included elders, men, women, children and youth. Through these interventions SPO provided clean and safe drinking water and improved hygiene practices to 5,429,547 persons in Faisalabad, 1,843,194 persons in Sahiwal, 2,433,091 persons in Bahawalpur, 1,643,118 persons D.G.

SPO successfully implemented ‘Tacmil Project in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’ with the financial support of USAID.The project started in November 2008 and concluded in October 2009, covering district Charsadda in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The overall goal of this project was to improve the monitoring system of health sector in district Charsadda. In order to achieve this goal, SPO formed 25 Health Monitoring Committee (HMC) at UC level and two committees at district level. The project also aimed to form and strengthen a district health board in Charsadda that would hold the HMCs accountable. SPO also initiated awareness campaigns to create awareness among the masses about their basic right to quality healthcare.

SPO under its ‘Social & Economic Development’ programme organized project activities under three phases of mobilization, capacity building, and advocacy. The advocacy initiatives were carried out in collaboration with the civil society networks and were also integral part of the project. The anticipated result of this intervention was improved performance of government health services in district Charsadda. To ensure joint monitoring and following participatory approach the HMC was formed consisting of local community and government representatives. Major stakeholders such as the district Nazim, DCO, Tehsil Nazim, and EDO Health were engaged through this intervention. This project strengthened linkages between the district health management committee, district health boards, CSN, and the local government so to ensure long term sustainability.