SRSP launches initiatives to prevent Covid-19 spread in rural communities

PESHAWAR: The Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP) has commenced its Covid-19 prevention activities to contribute to the government’s efforts by reaching out to hard-to-reach pockets of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province including the merged districts.

The Humanitarian Programme of SRSP, which was set up during the 2005 earthquake, has been activated with limited staff and resources to collaborate with the relevant line departments of KP government. The SRSP played a prominent part in the humanitarian work during the 2005 earthquake, the 2010 floods and the continuous IDPs crisis since 2009 in the province.

The SRSP is present in the merged districts of KP in partnership with the European Union under its “Aid to Uprooted People in Pakistan” project and Government of Germany under its “Rehabilitation and Reintegration of TDPs” project. The financial facilitation of both the projects is done by the KfW. Under the interventions, over 600 community-based organisations have been constituted with a total outreach of over 120,000 community members.

A wider information dissemination campaign on Covid-19 preventive measures and importance of social distancing is in its implementation phase through these community-based organisations. This social capital of SRSP is being mobilised to build awareness within the communities to proactively and safely disseminate the awareness messages to contain the spread of the infection. In doing so, the safety guidelines are being strictly adhered to.

Over 300 community members, including religious leaders, elders, and representatives of the government stakeholders in the merged districts, have been sensitised on the importance of social distancing thus far. Moreover, above 25,000 active mobile users have also been reached through SMS messages using PTA approved procedures. The SRSP has also launched radio campaigns in 26 districts of KP through 10 radio channels, which are broadcasting 60-second awareness messages, six times a day in three local languages.

About 5,022 men and women activists across the province, including merged districts, who were identified and trained under various projects such as those funded by the British Council, the EU, the KfW, government of Australia, the German government-funded PATRIP project, the UN, are also taking part in various campaigns.

Furthermore, the SRSP is also supporting public health facilities through provision of water, sanitation and hygiene healthcare facilities and the personal protective equipment (PPEs) for the health workers in seven districts, including Peshawar, Mardan, Buner, Dera Ismail Khan, Kurram, Karak, and Mansehra. The programme would be extended to other districts in the upcoming days in collaboration with UNICEF.

Also, the district administration offices have approached the SRSP to help them disinfect the most-frequented public spaces in remote villages. The SRSP also conducted a seven-day disinfection campaign in Orakzai, North Waziristan and South Waziristan districts benefitting over 18,000 people.

Similarly, the SRSP is working with its donor PATRIP to rework some of the development projects in Chitral and Kurrum to address the immediate health emergency. The SRSP is determined to channel its existing social capital in the rural setups of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to fight the pandemic. Benevolent funding of the European Union, German Government, KfW, United Nations and other donors would continue to make sustained efforts to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.