progress
Success stories from the implementation of Community-Driven Local Development Policy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
- ON THE PROMISE TO DELIVER COMMUNITY-DRIVEN LOCAL DEVELOPMENT IN SWAT
From the lush green valleys to the crystal blue streams, the district of Swat has remained every traveler’s haven and every historian’s tale. Metaphorically labeled as the Switzerland of the East, Swat is blessed with a profusion of scenic allegory, cultural diversity, economic vibrancy and human tendency. Tourism, particularly during the scorching Pakistani summer, plays a key role in providing local employment opportunities and for also keeping the economy market running. The handcrafted shawls of Islampur, exquisite trout fish of Mahodand, ski resort of Malam Jabba and hiking trails of Kachkhani are some of the attractions of Swat which are absolutely world class. Saidu Sharif has become the administrative capital of Swat from where most of the district affairs are governed. The city offers an impressive blend of classical art and modern architecture, which speaks a lot about its cultural heritage and urban expansion. For these reasons, the city has earned a reputation for being the archaeologist’s inspiration, educationist’s curiosity and architect’s vision. On top of that, a new wave of social development and philanthropic drive is surging in Swat. This is not particularly the story of the natural grandeur of Swat, but of the selfless endeavors of Muhammad Ali. He established Khpal Kor Foundation (KKF) in 1996 to provide homelike residential care and quality education facilities to children left without their parents and homes. During the last decade, the KKF has turned out to be a blessing for the children in Swat who lost their parents either to the militants’ atrocities or natural disasters. Symbolised as “our own home”, the KKF is ensuring these children’s access to food, education, health and shelter.
Helping others, particularly children, always inspired me. The establishment of Khpal Kor in 1996 gave a platform to my aspirations of social work and humanitarian service. In Malakand Division, particularly Swat, many children had to suffer the ordeal of becoming orphans due to the militancy crisis in 2009 and the monsoon flooding in 2010. We shifted all our attention and resources towards helping these children to live healthy and happy lives. With the financial support of individual contributors, international donors and development organisations, the KKF is providing quality education and good living to 2250 boys and girls of Swat, Shangla and other areas of Malakand Division. Muhammad Ali, Chief Executive Khpal Kor Foundation, Swat
Stats and Facts of CDLD Minimum project funding is Rupees 0.5 million and maximum is Rupees 2.5 million Community project are completed within a timeframe of 18 months or earlier For women specific projects, 15% of the total district allocations are exclusively reserved Minimum of 10% of the total project cost is borne by the community in cash or kind After the completion of the project, operation and maintenance is the CBO’s responsibility
One of the facilities which is completely owned and autonomously managed by KKF is the Home for Girls. Today, it houses 160 orphan girls from different parts of Malakand Division, providing these special individuals with shelter, education and all the essential living facilities. However, there was a time when the major portions of the newly constructed facility were not fit for use due to the incomplete building infrastructure. Also, the new rooms lacked material resources, such as, cushions, cupboards, curtains, carpets, etc. This prevented the management of KKF from enrolling orphan girls in the facility who were otherwise worthy and deserving of the special care on offer by the Home for Girls.
Muhammad Ali and his team knew that something had to be done and that too immediately, because many girls were being denied services and facilities which could have been potentially offered by the Home for Girls. When the advertisement for first applications under CDLD was published in the local newspaper, the KKF at once pitched for the building improvement and makeover project. With the consent of the board members, the KKF submitted the first application which successfully passed through the different assessment stages, including technical evaluation, social mobilisation, detailed review and contract agreement. The need and importance of this project can be known from the fact that it has the potential to benefit hundreds of girls by providing them with education opportunities, shelter facilities and other living amenities.
The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa launched the CDLD Policy to improve the quality and delivery of basic services by involving ordinary citizens in prioritising and implementing their development needs. The CDLD Policy is being piloted for implementation in the six districts of Malakand Division, including Swat District. Offices of the Deputy Commissioners are overseeing and coordinating the implementation of community level infrastructure projects (ranging from Rs. 0.5 million and Rs. 2.5 million, over a maximum period of 18 months) in partnership with the CBOs which are formed, supervised and managed by the community members themselves .
KKF’s Home for Girls offers quality living and education support to 160 orphan girls of Malakand Division
Round
First
Applications
Proposals
Amount
FIRST (March 2015)
698
247
117
PKR 150.563 million
SECOND (April 2015)
540
194
146
PKR 179.851 million
THIRD (July 2015)
972
178
90
PKR 121.897 million
FOURTH (October 2015)
573
180
75
PKR 93.592 million
FIFTH (December 2015)
364
110
34
PKR 44.813 million
of Applications
UPDATE ON CALLS FOR PROPOSALS (SWAT)
applications received
sent to SRSP
approved by DDC
of projects approved
SIXTH (January 2016)
345
115
1
PKR 1.524 million
WOMEN ROUND (January 2016)
322
257
56
PKR 76.590 million
The project worth PKR 1.435 million has been successfully completed with the financial and technical assistance of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CDLD Programme. Under the project, the CDLD share of PKR 1.292 million was provided for the renovation of one of the living rooms and the main corridor of the Home of Girls. Also, interior furnishing like beds, pillows, cupboards, mattresses and curtains were also bought with the funding. From a cold deserted structure before the project, the same portion of the building is warm with life and joy today.
Muhammad Ali’s small efforts have brought big changes in the lives of thousands of orphan children
The project was inaugurated on 3rd May, 2016 and was completed within an extremely short duration of three months due to the intensive human resource and timely logistic management deployed by KKF. The beneficiary’s share of PKR 0.143 million pooled in by the KKF exceeded the mandatory 10% as minimum contribution by the community. The quality of civil engineering work has been reported to be of high quality by the project monitoring and quality assurance teams. “Nothing matches the happiness and satisfaction when I see all these beautiful children living a good today for a potentially better tomorrow under the roof of their own home - Khpal Kor”, says Muhammad Ali cheerfully as he gets ready for participation in the donors’ meeting.
How does CDLD help? Through its technical assistance teams, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CDLD Programme is supporting the district authorities in Swat on a range of topics to ensure that the communities have the required skills and capacities to carry out their development projects. Also, the social mobilisation component of CDLD (managed by Sarhad Rural Support Programme) is working with CBOs at all stages to ensure that the projects are designed, developed and delivered according to the given specifications, timelines and outputs. CDLD Policy Implementation Unit Local Government, Elections and Rural Development Department Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Telephone: 091 9210528
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Fax: 091 9210323
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Web: www.cdldta.pk
EUROPEAN UNION
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Facebook: www.facebook.com/kpcdld