Livelihood

People living in poverty lack the opportunities to make a decent living for their families on account of which they cannot meet the basic needs of their families. Friends Pakistan has designed and implemented projects to empower people to achieve self-sufficiency. Friends Pakistan has worked to increase the economic, social and physical capacity of communities to sustain the means of their livelihoods. These projects predominantly provided the individuals with the opportunity to develop their skills in order to work their way out of poverty to earn a dignified living. Friends Pakistan facilitated the vulnerable communities by successfully implementing the projects of income generation through vocational training, capacity building of enterprises, market linkages and imparting different trainings in its target areas to develop, expand or restart small-scale businesses particularly after being faced with an unexpected loss of livelihood.

Friends Welfare Association Pakistan is implementing a one year project “Support in term of sustainable income opportunities for the extremely vulnerable families of UC Jabber Devli, Khyber Pakhtoon Khawa (NWFP) Pakistan in the partnership of Orskov Foundation. The duration of the project is one year, from March 2010 to Feb 2011.

This project is designed to create the sustainable income opportunities and meet the nutritional needs of the target beneficiaries of the vulnerable rural population of UC Jabber. This project consists the activities such as distribution of goats and domesticated hens amongst the most vulnerable families of Jabber, provision of technical services in term of breeding, vaccination, regular de-worming, vitamin supplementation to ensure the productivity of the project animals through accredited veterinary Doctor and capacity development (Diagnostic Training, Farm Planning) of the local target community. The concept of Revolving Fund is the integral part of project. The repayment of 50 % offsprings of first two pregnancies will help to create revolving fund in the hands of the representative community group that will be capitalized on the additional extension of the project in the neighboring community. In total more than eighty families will be the ultimate beneficiaries of this project.

A selection criterion was finalized for the selection of the project’s beneficiaries amongst whom the distribution of goats and hens was to be made. It was decided that only the most vulnerable families will be included in the beneficiary list. The factors which were considered while finalizing the selection criteria of the beneficiaries included, Wealth Ranking: (Poorest of the poor or Persons having no or very low income and unable to meet the basic necessities of life), Vulnerability (Persons with Disabilities, Orphan, Female Headed Families and Elderly), willingness and fondness for herding, herding Skills (Have fair understanding of the livestock matters), Size of Family (Big sized families will be preferred), and Presence of Infants (Presence of milk feeding infants). After the conduct of assessment of families, distribution of the goats and Domesticated Hens was made on June 22, 2010 at the village of Jabergali in the presence of members of the village organization of all target villages, local social workers and the general community members.

• In total more than eighty (80) families will be the ultimate beneficiaries of this project.

Friends Pakistan with the partnership of Aik Hunar Aik Nagar (AHAN) implemented a one year project “Carpet Weaving and Capacity Building Project District Mansehra”. This project is implemented in three Union Councils, MalikPur, Tarangari Sabir Shah and Baffa of District Mansehra for sustaining the income of the craftsmen weavers working in this area. The craftsmen of the carpets have been organized in the form of groups and clusters on the basis of production of relevant carpets’ products.

The capacity of groups and clusters of craftsmen is built in product development, product line, value addition and quality assurance through backhand training and sample production to enable the craftsmen to produce the best quality products in comparatively less time to increase the production and profitability of the products.

The capacity of groups and clusters is also built in the utilization of tools of marketing, product projection through development, market linkages, exploring new potential markets, enterprise development and formation of display centre with the contribution and cooperation of groups and clusters.

• Sixty (60) families of carpet weaving got benefited from the carpet weaving project in term of skill up gradation, enterprise development and Marketing.
• One Website, (www.mansehracarpets.com) has been developed and upgraded for the products’ promotion of three clusters of craftsmen of carpets in UC Baffa, Tarangri Sabir Shah and Malikpur.

To build the capacities of vulnerable community members especially the women in term of employable skills has been a priority area of Friends Pakistan. Friends Pakistan has initiated vocational training centers in Four union councils, Shinkiari, Balakot, Ichrian and Hilkot of District Mansehra. These vocational centers are the social spaces that provide opportunities for personal and economic development. The life skills learned by the women in these vocational centers enable them to mark their independence, protect themselves from exploitation and have greater role in the family decision making. Girls attended this center to attain valuable skills necessary for the outside world businesses.

The range of products which are included in the course outline at the vocational centers are selected after having complete market analysis of the products in vogue in the local and regional markets in order to make the skills of the learners compatible with the market. Friends Pakistan adopted the strategy of promoting the market linkages of the trainees which remained very successful as the trained girls of the vocational centers received orders of work from the local market. The delivery of training of entrepreneurial skills, marketing and assistance to start the independent businesses gave uniqueness to all the vocational training projects of Friends Pakistan which contributed most to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency in these projects.

• Three hundred and Ninety (390) women got benefited in term of vocational training and employable skills in District Mansehra.
• Three hundred and Fifty (350) women are provided the training of entrepreneurial skills and Marketing skills to work as independent entrepreneurs in District Mansehra.
• Eighty Seven (87) learners were awarded the certificates by the Technical Education Department Mansehra.
• Forty (40) vulnerable women were assisted in term of provision of sewing machines and other equipments to work as separate entrepreneurs.   back