UCBPRP Retreat -2016 Organized in Sukkur
Sindh Rural Support Organization (SRSO) organized the retreat of “Union Council Based Poverty Reduction Program (UCBPRP)” from 2 – 4 October 2016, at SRSO Complex, Sukkur.The objective was to develop a future strategy and to strategize institutional strengthening and sustainability, through collaboration by defining role of the Community, Government and SRSO. Different stakeholders, government officials, RSPs experienced professionals, community representatives and program staff attended this event.The Union Council Based Poverty Reduction Program (UCBPRP) was funded by Planning & Development Department (Govt. of Sindh), aimed at reducing poverty in rural areas of Sindh, was launched in February 2009, in district Shikarpur and Kashmore-Kandhkot. After analyzing the performance in both the districts, Government of Sindh subsequently expanded this program in Jacobabad district as well in Mar 2010.The UCBPRP is creating an impact in transforming the social mobilization process into a more effective tool for empowering people and distinguishing the community organizations, as effective sources for poverty reduction and delivery of services. These institutions / organizations had not only empowered the most neglected segments of the society, but also made positive impacts on the social fabric of the society. Nonetheless, in their effort to contribute towards the social well-being of their areas, women venturing into the development sector are contributing to the social cause by adhering to the social norms and values of their areas. The trust in these poor women social workers was evident from the support they are getting from SRSO.To expand the impact of social mobilization, this program focused on. expanding the role of community activists. Increasing participation of women in the socioeconomic development process. Accountability and equitable distribution. Independent fund management by the communities, self-help. Civic responsibilities and forging linkages. Thus, these poor women have started to develop concrete action oriented solutions to identify problems and challenges. Prominent development policy makers and practitioners who attended the event stressed on strengthening and sustainability of people’s organisations to complement government’s political and administrative pillars by defining role of the Community, Government and SRSO.The event concluded on 04 October with the commitment to continue strengthening of institutions of the people. Back
Launching of Bright Star Movement in Rural Sindh
Roshan Taaro [Bright Star Movement] has launched in Sindh — a movement aimed at recognizing work done in the field of health, Under the USAID funded John Hopkins University’s Maternal and Child Healthcare Program of Health Communication Component, implemented by Rural Support Programme Network (RSPN) and Sindh Rural Support Organization (SRSO) in Shikarpur, Larkana, Jacobabad, Sanghar, Nosheroferoz, Sukkur, and Ghotki districts .Bright Star movement aims to recognise and honour all those individuals, groups and organisations that are contributing towards the cause of mother and child health in Sindh that will contribute positively to the socio-economic uplift of Communities.Bright Star Community Mobilization Strategy will guide the implementation of Bright Star interventions at the community level. Back
Mr. Georges Dehoux from EU Visit in Sindh
The First Secretary, Development Advisor for Rural Development and Nutrition, EU Delegation to Pakistan, Mr. Georges Dehoux, visited Jacobabad and Shikarpur districts on 26th May 2016.He interacted with the women members of LSO Shaheen in Jacobabad District and VO Baijlo in Shikarpur district. The members of CIs gave detailed presentations describing the initiatives undertaken, and the progress and achievements made so far by these community institutions on self-help basis under the UCBPRP.Mr. Georges visited the kitchen gardening and tree plantations projects by VO Baijlo in their village. He admired the role of rural women and thanked them for their active participation.Mr. Georges Dehoux, visited village Umeed Ali Junejo in District Kamber-Shahdadkot on 27 and village Zakrio Mahessar in District Larkana on 28 May. At both the locations he participated in Programme Introduction (PI) dialogues conducted under the SRSO component. of the EU funded SUCCESS Programme.During the PI dialogues, Mr. Georges interacted with the rural women and said that he has come here to see them, and that he will visit again after four years to see the change achieved.Followed by the PI events, Mr. Georges Dehoux also observed the ongoing activity of Poverty Score Card (PSC) data collection in District Larkana. He observed the process of data collection and asked few basic questions pertaining to the methods of data collection, and the purpose of marking at household level.CEO SRSO and his team were also present during the visits. Back
MoU between Indus Heritage Trust (IHT) and SRSO for promoting Entrepreneurship
Indus Heritage Trust (IHT) and SRSO has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for promoting Entrepreneurship and Support in establishing Common facility Center (CFCs) in rural areas of Sindh. on the occasion Chairperson of Indus Heritage Trust (IHT) Ms. Siddiqa Malik and Chief Executive Officer of SRSO Mr. MD Kalhoro was present with their team Members.The main objective is to provide sustainable solution to female artisans for enterprise development. This collaboration will enable women artisans of rural areas to establish CFS, a platform will provide for scaling up their production capacity and will strengthen market linkages in country as well as abroad. These CFCs will be equipped with necessary infrastructure and will serve as one stop facilitating contacts for artisans to display their products, for business development services and provide linkages with input suppliers and nationwide retail chain stores and designers. Back
Distribution of NFE Learners Kit in Kashmore-Kandhkot & Jacobabad
SRSO is implementing a Project of establishing Non-Formal Education centers in a Partnership with the Sindh Reading program funded by the USAID. The project aims to enroll & educate out-of-school children ages of 10-15 years in Non-Formal Education centers. A total of 67 Non Formal Education centers established in Kashmore and Jacobabad) and 2,000 out-of-school children will be enrolled. JICA has developed the curriculum and assessment tools for NFE Centers.Under this project Chief of Party(CoP) of NFE program Mr. Christopher visited NFE Centeres Established by SRSO in Jacobabad on 8 April and Kashmore -Kadhkot on 9 April 2016 and distributed NFE learners Kit among Students. He was accompanied by Ms. Moona Communication Head, M. Alam Thai Director (Non formal education), A. Ghaffar Shah (DDO) and Miss Attia Tabasum SRP Advisor (NFE) and SRSO management.Mr. Christopher taught phonic sound and Ms. Attia delivered a lecture and also told a story and mingled with children. Back
EU-funded SUCCESS Program Launched in Larkana & Kambar- Shahdadkot
European Union funded 6-years Sindh Union Council and Community Economic Strengthening Support (SUCCESS) Program launched in Larkana and Qamber-Shahdad Kot districts of Sindh Province, in this connection a launching cermony and a community dialogue held at Shaheed Zuilfqar Ali Bhutto Intitute of Science and Technology (SZBIST) Larkana on 29 march 2016. The program is launched by the European Union (EU) delegation to Pakistan and the Government of Sindh. The objective of the SUCCESS program is to reduce poverty through undertaking Community Driven Development (CDD) based on the proven social mobilization approach of Rural Support Programs (RSPs).Commissioner Larkana, Mr. Ghulam Akbar Laghari, Chairman RSPN/SRSO Mr. Shoaib Sultan Khan, members of SRSO board of Directors, Deputy Commissioner Larkana Mr. Javed Jagirani, Assistant Commissioner Shikarpur Mr. Naeem Ahmed, PPP MPA Muhammad Ali Bhutto, officials of district administration, lawyers, educationists, Journalists, representatives of various NGOs, political leaders. notables of the areas and hundreds of Women of the Local Support Organizations (LSOs), EU officials, representatives of partner organizations for SUCCESS program, government officials and civil society representatives attended the launching ceremony.Women community leaders from Shikarpur, Kashmore-Kandh Kot and Jacobabad shared their inspirational personal stories of successfully overcoming poverty by becoming socially organized as part of the Union Council Based Poverty Reduction Program (UCBPRP) a join initiative of the Sindh government and SRSO, launched in 2009.Their stories were full of conviction, struggle, passion, hope and a desire to change the economic condition of their households. The audience loved the energetic and lively talks by the four female community members.Mr. Shoaib Sultan Khan, in his insightful speech, shed light on the history of the UCBPRP initiative. He appreciated the government of Sindh and the European Union for constantly supporting the rural development programs. He said that the RSPs are effective in reducing poverty because, unlike other organizations, they have roots in the households and, thus, can easily access each household in the programme areas. Mr. Chairman said that the UCBRPR worked only with women and empowered them not only economically but also on attaining self-confidence and power of their own potential to improve their status. He said that SUCCESS program was developed by the EU at the request of the government of Sindh (GoS) to extend the geographic coverage of their Union Council Based Poverty Reduction Program. He said that the Sindh government is planning to cover the remaining districts of the province according to union council-based strategy through provincial funding under its annual development fund.The session was also addressed by MPA Mr. Muhammad Ali Bhutto and some other political and social leaders. Back
Eye Camps organized by Helpage and SRSO in Shikarpur(21- 31 March 2016)
HelpAge decided to support older people and their families in the most impoverished areas in Shikarpur. Five free Eye Camps were organized in Basic Health unit and Rural Health Centers of District Shikarpur by Sindh Rural Support Organization in collaboration with HelpAge International, Sights avers and Al Shifa Eye Trust Hospital Sukkur.Older people and their families received free medical consultations, 1012 patients have been diagnosed, treated and provided with free medication and spectacles and 161 patients were selected for cataract surgery at Al-Shifa Eye Trust Sukkur. Patients who were diagnosed of cataract were transported to Sukkur by a special bus, provided by Al Shifa Eye Trust Hospital and Operated upon free of cost by qualified surgeons.There will also be follow up treatment for all the patients who received eye surgery for at least two months. This is to monitor the success of the intervention by ensuring that all patients with eye operations have no complications Back
4th Sartyoon Sang Crafts Festival 2016 organized at the Ocean Mall Karachi
Sindh Rural Support Organization (SRSO) hosted a three-day crafts festival displaying work of around 1,200 women artisans, from the northern districts of Sindh, February 5 to 7 2016 at the Ocean Mall Karachi. The event was inaugurated by MNA- Dr. Nafeesa Shah. She lauded the efforts of the SRSO for arranging the event and expressed hope that the event could be further helpful for development of links and easy market access for the artisans of skilled products. Scores of people visited the exhibition and appreciated the work of skilled women entrepreneurs and the endeavors of SRSO for poor and destitute community and expected in future to keep such spirit for rural communities of the province.Sartyoon Sang Craft Festival was being organized by SRSO for the third year in consecutive with the motive to support indigenous fashion of Sindh and to promote crafts of some of the most marginalized women in the province.Sindh Rural Support Organization has trained over 7,000 rural women in improved crafts making and developed a production line through its outlet “Sartyoon Sang Crafts Enterprise” in Sukkur. Sartyoon Sang is a social enterprise and works towards the core objective of connecting artisans especially women to market.These series of “Sartyoon Sang” Crafts Exhibitions have gone so successful and attracted a large number of visitors and buyers / shoppers of the city. These were only made possible with the generous support of SRSO’s partners, donors and different stakeholders. These events were aimed to boost the local crafts and begin a sturdy process for connecting our Business Development Groups (BDGs) and artisans to high end market of Karachi. Back
Community Conference on “EDUCATION” in Kashmore-Kandhkot
To use the power of education to change the lives of children that are underprivileged, SRSO Organized a Community Conference on the Theme of “EDUCATION“ on 30 November 2015 at Government Community Cluster Secondary School Bahadur Khan Khoso, in UC Gulwali, Taluka Tangwani and District Kashmore-Kandhkot.More than 150 Women Leaders Participated in the conference. Officials from Education department, Deputy District Officer, Taluka Officer Tangwani ,Taluka Officer Kandhkot ,SPEs and Principal GHS Ghouspur, Representatives of INGOs/NGOs and Teachers , CEO SRSO and SRSO Officials participated, and took part in discussion on the importance of Education especially enhancement of Girls enrollment in schools.Through this conference participants highlighted the importance of transforming social interactions between organized members in the community through education and to educate children of current & coming generations for building a safer & secure society for all of us. Education is the key to economic empowerment and Equal education boosts economic growth for women and girls. Back
Launching of SUCCESS Program in Sindh
The European Union (EU) delegation to Pakistan, the government of Sindh and the Rural Support Programs Network (RSPN) launched the European Union funded six-year Sindh Union Council and Community Economic Strengthening Support (SUCCESS) program in Karachi on 25 November 2015.According to a statement, the objective of the SUCCESS program is to reduce poverty through undertaking the Community Driven Development (CDD) based on the proven social mobilization approach of the Rural Support Programs (RSPs). The program will cover eight districts, namely Tando Muhammad Khan, Sujawal, Matiari, Tando Allahyar, Larkana, Kambar Shahdadkot, Dadu and Jamshoro.Besides speakers including EU Ambassador in Pakistan His Excellency Mr. Jean-François Cautain, Additional Deputy Secretary Sindh Mr. Ajaz Ali Khan, Chairman SRSO/RSPN Mr. Shoaib Sultan Khan, Chief Executive Officer RSPN Mr. Khaleel Ahmed Tetlay, Chief Executive Officer National Rural Support Program (NRSP) Dr. Rashid Bajwa, CEO-SRSO Mr. MD Kalhoro and Dr. Amaury HOSTE, Head of Section, Rural Development and Economic Cooperation, EU Delegation to Pakistan, other EU officials, representatives of partner organizations for SUCCESS program, government officials, representatives of LSOs and civil society representatives attended the ceremony.Jean-François Cautain said the philosophy of the rural support programs, with their 30 years long experience widely documented in its successes across Pakistan, convinced the EU to recognize the multiple opportunities offered by the three-tiered social mobilization approach in different fields as promotion of a culture of participation, inclusivity and solidarity, direct provision of front-line services, planning and development, business creation, savings, conflict resolution, dialogue and interaction with local authorities.The ambassador further said the SUCCESS program was developed at the request of the government of Sindh to extend the geographic coverage of their Union Council Based Poverty Reduction Program (UCBPRP) to eight rural districts of Sindh. This clearly shows the commitment of the Sindh government to this approach.Mr. Shoaib Sultan said view that the Success program would change the dynamics of the lives of poor in rural Sindh and would transform them into productive citizens. He congratulated the Sindh government and the EU for taking the decision which would have sustainable impacts. Back