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- Sustainable Women Economic Empowerment in Shangla
December 2010 – January, 2011
Funded by CHF,CIDA Canada
Summary:
The worst-ever floods in Pakistan’s history, that started late July, 2010, left a long trail of deaths and million devastation, claiming over 1600 human lives, damaging infrastructure, agricultural/range land and destroying standing crops. The economic losses caused by the calamity pulled the country back in time. The magnitude of the calamity can be gauged by looking into the facts that nearly 20 million people – over half of them teenagers or below – were affected. A vast area of over 160,000 sq km (20 percent of the total landmass of the country) came under water. Standing crops, mainly maize, rice, cotton and sugarcane, spread over 3.2 million hectares were destroyed. About 5,000 miles of roads and railway tracks, around 1.3 houses, some 7,000 schools and more than 400 health facilities were washed away. Total cost of the flood damages was estimated over $7 billion, nearly a fifth of Pakistan’s budget.
District Shangla has been one of the remotest regions of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province located at a distance of about 210 KMs eastwards from Peshawar the provincial capital. Floods took lives of nearly 50 people and left hundreds of families homeless in this district.
The remote rural affectees had little or no voice to express their sufferings. There was an intense need for helping the community to avoid further casualties.
Team of Haashar in Shangla used household based approach and identified 25 women/widow headed households in three villages of union council Damori of District Shangla who were striving to sustain their livelihoods. Discussions held at household level, livelihood cluster and interactions with livestock department revealed their need regarding provision of light weight livestock to subsist their economy.
Another common problem revealed during survey was on hygiene practices. Haashar with the technical and financial support of CHF Canada planned to address the afore-mentioned needs of such vulnerable families.
Aspirations of the poorest women headed families were noted down; a comprehensive recovery package was designed for 25 families in three villages“Karshut, Ghunda Surban and Damori“of union council Damori of severely flood affected District Shangla of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province Pakistan.
Keeping in view, the local environmental, cultural and beneficiary-friendly factor, a project titled, Sustainable Women Economic Empowerment in Shangla(SWEETISH) was designed. Progress against the project result chain is mentioned here under;
Weather and other associated context was discussed with livestock expert/veterinary Doctor who recommended purchase of lactating. As per recommendations of Vet Doctor 25 barbari goats with kids were selected, quarantined and delivered to the beneficiary widows. The distribution of goats was reinforced with provision of feed supplement sufficing the nutrition need of a goat and its kid for three months.
On spot livestock/goats management training sessions were delivered to the beneficiary women. The sessions were in two way mode, speaking, discussion and feedback. Main contents of the sessions were; proper feeding; shed management, care of diseases (Enterio Toxemia, Foot & Mouth Disease and pleura-pneumonia)
Simple hygiene kits were provided to 25 widows for their families. The widows were given sessions on health and hygiene practices. Main topics of the sessions were;
i) Personal hygiene : Proper (six types of) hand washing, bathing, nail clipping, teeth brushing, proper use of latrine, washing hands after use of latrine, handling of animals and prior to cooking/eating food.
ii) Domestic hygiene: Cleaning kitchen, bedrooms and bathrooms
iii) General environmental hygiene: Proper disposal of garbage, taking care of drainage