PPAF impacts Sindh coastal areas positively

KARACHI: An assessment of the Sindh Coastal Areas Development (SCAD) Programme shows increased income, improved productive capacity, and greater access to sustainable livelihoods in the Union Councils where the programme was implemented, a statement said Tuesday.
The average income in SCAD UCs was 19 percent higher, reveals the assessment.
The SCAD programme was initiated in 2006 under the Second Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF-II) Project of the World Bank. It was designed to address multifarious environmental and water management problems in the coastal areas of Sindh, particular the LBOD Backwash Region (LBR) in the districts of Badin, Thatta, and Tharparkar and coastal areas of Karachi.
This programme has been implemented by 10 PPAF Partner Organisations (POs) working in the areas of institutional development, water and infrastructure, development, health and education interventions, and livelihoods and enterprise development.
As a result of the programme, community organisations had been established along with associated village and local support organisations. These comprised of community members and engaged marginalised individuals, including women. This inclusive method created a platform for raising voices and prioritising needs like strategic infrastructure, ultimately creating a sense of ownership.
PPAf CEO Qazi Azmat Isa said, “Profound socio-economic change is possible in Sindh – we are finally seeing communities take charge of their own future. We are looking for even bigger impacts to become visible in the coming year.”
Livelihood, Employment and Enterprise Development Senior Group Head Shahnaz Kapadia Rahat said, “SCAD has become our ‘test case’ for a number of innovations, including one financing agreement with our partners for an integrated project, the introduction of Naukri ya Karobar (NyK) centres, Youth Centres (YCs), graduation of CIGs into Production Centres (PCs), and setting up of community Loan Centres.
Through the asset transfer, training, community infrastructure, disaster management interventions, we expect to see amazing community transformation.”
PPAF outreach extends throughout Pakistan as it has partnered with 130 organisations working in over 99,000 villages / settlements with more than 125,000 community organisations, and 414,000 credit / common interest groups at the grassroots level in 121 districts.