Ehsaas Amdan partners review progress of initiative

Islamabad: A stock-take meeting with Ehsaas Amdan implementing partners was held here Thursday to track progress of the initiative, which is being implemented in 388 rural union councils of 23 poorest districts across the four provinces.

The PM’s Special Adviser on Poverty Alleviation Dr. Sania Nishtar chaired the meeting, which was also attended by Secretary, Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division (PASSD) Muhammad Ali Shahzada, and the CEO of Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) Qazi Azmat Isa.

Launched last year to enhance the livelihoods of downtrodden segments, the four-year Ehsaas Amdan programme worth Rs15 billion involves transferring of around 200,000 assets to deserving households with 60 per cent women and 30 per cent youth beneficiaries. A financial support of Rs60,000 per household has been provisioned for asset transfers, which will ultimately impact the lives of 1.4 million people. To-date, income generating assets worth Rs2.32 billion have been granted to 38,749 vulnerable households to set them on a course of socio-economic prosperity.

The meeting featured targeted discussions with partners, who presented holistic overview of their respective performance along with the operational challenges being confronted in the context of COVID-19.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Sania emphasised that the addition of new districts should be done in line with the predefined criteria and according to human development ranking of districts. She further underlined the importance of being responsive to circumstances and needs of potential beneficiaries. Both Dr. Sania and Muhammad Ali Shahzada called for fast-tracking of progress.

Ehsaas Amdan involves giving away of ‘small income generating assets’ to those living below the poverty line. Its beneficiaries are identified through a community engagement process in selected programme areas.

The districts where this programme is commencing include D G Khan, Jhang, and Layyah in Punjab; Upper and Loeer Kohistan, Palas Kolai, Torghar, Batagram, Shangla, North and South Waziristan, D I Khan, and Tank in KP; Zhob, Gwadar and Lasbela in Balochistan; and Badin, Thatta, Sujawal, Kashmore, Shikarpur, Tharparkar and Umerkot in Sindh.

The meeting offered an opportunity for the leadership of six implementing partners from the four provinces to review the programme. The PPAF, which is attached to PASSD, is the lead implementing agency for Ehsaas Amdan, and is working through secondary implementing partner organizations namely, National Rural Support Programme, Balochistan Rural Support Programme, Sindh Rural Support Organisation, Thardeep Rural Development Programme, Lasoona and Sabawon.