PESHAWAR: The field activists of the Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP) in three-flood-hit districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa shared their success stories and experiences at a workshop here on Wednesday.
Under the Australian government (AusAid)-funded Livelihood Strengthening Programme, the SRSP had completed several projects in flood-hit Charsadda, Peshawar and Nowshera and activists from these districts had gathered at the Peshawar Services Club to share their experiences.
Speaking as chief guest, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Human Rights Arshad Abdullah said the government had built the SRSP’s capacity to launch programmes geared towards alleviating poverty keeping in view its track record, credibility among the public and outreach in community.
“As the government alone cannot overcome the growing poverty, it needs reliable partners like the SRSP to meet the challenge,” he said. He said under the Bacha Khan Poverty Alleviation Programme (BKPAP), people were successfully organised at the grassroots level to launch innovative projects to eradicate poverty.
Arshad Abdullah recalled that after the July 2010 floods there was chaos all around and the SRSP played a crucial rule in the initial as well as the rehabilitation and reconstruction process.
Meanwhile, sharing his achievement, one of the activists, Mukarram Khan, from Peshawar said that several unemployed youth from his flood-affected Garhi Sherdad village in Peshawar were imparted training in various skills under the Livelihood Strengthening Programme. “Now two of them are electricians and are working in Afghanistan and many others have opened their own shops in the village,” he proudly said. He also said they achieved tremendous success in agriculture after acquiring training in these projects.
Muhammad Kashif of Bara Banda Union Council in Nowshera said the concept of saving was alien to them until they formed the village organisation under the SRSP. “The SRSP has given us a vision and created awareness among the people to find ways to resolve issues and earn livelihood,” he added. Many women activists also shared their success stories.
Earlier, SRSP Chief Executive Officer Masoodul Mulk said the workshop would help the activists from different regions to discuss their experiences and difficulties. He appreciated the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, particularly Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti for extending support to the SRSP to accomplish its mission. He also thanked the AusAid for supporting the livelihood support programmes in flood-hit districts.
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