Social Mobilization

Numerous government and non-government programs and approaches have been used to promote rural development and poverty alleviation. Among these have been initiatives designed to build rural infrastructure, mobilize communities, enhance access to rural finance, and provide a social safety net.

7.1 Role of PPAF

Social mobilization is the primary step of community development for recovery from conflicts and disasters. It allows people to think and understand their situation and to organize and initiate action for their recovery with their own initiative and creativity. PPAF utilizes social mobilization as the primary means of supporting rural men and women in their efforts to alleviate poverty and has therefore facilitated the growth of 861 community based institutions (COs) in the district with the help of their partner organizations; Balochistan Rural Support Program (BRSP) and Society for Empowering Human Resources (SEHER) under implementation of PPAF-III.

With the help of BRSP, PPAF has implemented a total of 77 Community Physical Infra- structure (CPI) projects that resulted in 3,131 beneficiaries in the district. PPAF provides support in the form of loans or grants to partner organizations for approved physical infrastructure interventions. Identification of the projects is demand driven, and is determined by the communities through an internal participatory process. For purposes of ownership it is mandatory for the communities to share in the costs of the project, and also to maintain the infrastructure provided.

In socially mobilized communities of the district, PPAF has facilitated Poverty Eradication Initiatives (PEI) in completing 15 projects in the health sector that are providing health care services to 226,518 community members. Mainly, PPAF has been providing support for two models, namely: (a) Establishing community managed health centers, and (b) Strengthening government health centers, operating them for a period of up to 3 years and handing them back to the government. The objective of PPAF health program has been to provide access to quality basic health services with a special focus on maternal and child health for the poor and marginalized rural communities by focusing on all aspects required in this regard. These aspects include the hiring of qualified and trained health care staff and paramedics, availability of proper buildings, standardized equipment, furniture and medicine, and following WHO guidelines in terms of infection prevention practices.

Through carefully planned interventions, PPAF successfully provided 3,643 trainings and transferred 1,239 assets aimed at the ultra-poor and vulnerable in the district with the help of BRSP. The core objective for these activities is to enhance local capacities for long term restoration of livelihoods through interventions such as cash for work, grants for work, enterprise training, training of common interest groups, skills training etc.

7.2 Local NGOs

Many Local and International NGOs are operating in this district who is working towards improving education standards of Pishin. Some of these organizations are: Aurat Foundation, Balochistan Rural Support Program (BRSP), UNDP, UNICEF, WHO etc. Some of the development projects are:-

Construction and Up gradation of Primary, Middle and High schools in District Pishin.

Construction of Government Boys Inter College, Ismail zai Manzaki and buildings/boundary walls of various Schools.

District Profile Pishin

7.3 Focus of Donor Community

In order to gain a better understanding of the programmatic focus of the various donor agencies operating in the area, the following table summarizes the various projects operating in different sectors distinguished by donor and executing agencies in the district.

Exhibit 7.3.1

Donor Projects