Global Alliance Against Poverty
The Small Grants Project purpose is to provide technical assistance and support to the partner organizations to define their role, develop SOPs, by-laws and internal control systems, and eventually enhance their capabilities as social entrepreneurs having specialized technical capacity The Project focuses on enhancing PPAF’s role of sector developer and furnish a support system for partner organizations with the will to perform in vulnerable areas. Along with capacity building of POs PPAF also signed an MOU to implement community rollout pilot project in targeted project locations.
Being valuable partner organization of Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF), GAAP in 2018 signed an MOU with Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) as its regular partner to implement community pilot project “Youth Empowerment and Social Cohesion Project” under Small Grants interventions in UC Ranolia Kohistan KPK. Basic theme of pilot YESC project is to empower the young male & female of District Kohistan through sustainable livelihoods enhancing their technical skills and provision of linkages development opportunities with key stakeholders.
District Kohistan one of the deprived and challenging areas of Pakistan; situated in KPK facing worst socio-economic challenges in 2018 as so far we called it modernized and digitalized world. More than 60% of overall population in Kohistan still living under poverty line and facing hard to meet the daily life needs. Literacy rate is not more than 35% of overall population whereas girls literacy is still below 15%; Kohistani population living in far furlong, hilly/trench and destitute areas. Lack of opportunities for young male & females to attain technical/vocational training and to establish linkages with key stake holders and line agencies; unemployment ratio is increasing day by day. Unfortunately, our government & line departments are not paying serious attention to this area and policies are formulated only in papers & files. Recently Hydro Power projects have been started in Kohistan but majority of skilled labor is hired from other cities of Pakistan; Kohistani young people are only engaged in unskilled labor work with minimum daily wages.
All its happening because there are no such platforms & available opportunities for Kohistani young people to attain technical skills in different trades; poverty ratio is at peak so they cannot afford to come in nearby big cities and to pay heavy fee of technical colleges & food/accommodation etc.
Under Small Grants Project PPAF arranged capacity building trainings for its partner organizations to build capacities of PO staff members in Social Mobilization, Financial Management and Accounting, Internal control systems, PPAF core values, SPOs as entrepreneurs, Gender mainstreaming, leadership and management skills, MIS/FIS management, community driven procurement mechanism and procedures.
Pilot project also provided platform to provide skill/technical training to 60 direct beneficiaries (M/F) in different trades like welding, electrician, plumbing and heavy machinery for men & for females professional training were being arranged at door steps in tailoring and handmade embroidery work. GAAP is affiliated with Skill Development Council (SDC) Peshawar and offer SDC approved vocational trainings in more than 128 trades as per need of local communities. GAAP will ensure to establish linkages development & coordination meetings of trainees with relevant departments and stakeholders so after attaining technical training & diploma these trainees may be able to find suitable jobs. YESC project will define sustainable livelihoods and income generation pathways for young male & females of District Kohistan.
GAAP arranged motivational & mobilizing sessions, trainings, walks & seminars on youth empowerment especially women empowerment & development and to highlight and dissemination of information on women rights and their role in socio-economic stability and development.