Project Location: Mohmmand Agency (Tehsil: Baizi, Safi, Pandaiali, Ambar)

UNICEF has launched Welcome to School initiative Tehsils Baizi, Safi, Pandaiali, Ambar of , Mohmmand Agency (FATA) which is a militancy affected district. The aim of the initiative is to bring all the children of primary level to schools by providing them alternate learning spaces or by repairing schools where minor damages had occurred and providing them a protective environment against exploitation, violation, discrimination and abuses. Total duration of the project is 12 months.

The HRDN will give social mobilization support to all interventions in Education, Child Protection, WASH and Health. The HRDN will organize a larger community group which will promote cross-sectorial messages in the community and will facilitate programme specific interventions in a holistic way. Thus the key point of convergence will be social mobilization.

The main objective of the project is to promote education in the area of return. The project outline is in line with the UNICEF priorities and national plan. It includes main activities like rapid assessment on damage and out of school children survey, social mobilization and activation of Taleemi Islahi Jirgas (TIJs) to involve communities in project and cross-sectorial activities and ensuring safe learning spaces for children, provision of necessary supplies to children and in schools, minor repairs in school and rehabilitation of WASH facilities. HRDN has also actively contributed to the early recovery programs for Swat and Buner in collaboration with UNDP.

Project Location: South Punjab (Muzaffargarh, Multan, Layyah, Bhakkar, Minawali)

The project of resuming education was designed to improve the educational system and rescue the children from the trauma of devastated flood through resuming education and recreational activities. Pakistan faced one of the worst flood situations in late July 2010, 20 million people have been affected and thousands of school damaged and millions of children’s are unable to continue their education. Due to crushing economic crisis, Pakistan government is still trying hard to restore education in the affected areas. UN agencies along with national and international donors have come across and started working to support the local communities and giving backup to the different government departments to overcome this mammoth catastrophe.

This project was primarily focusing on the education initiatives in the flood affected areas of South Punjab. Human Resource Development Network (HRDN) started operating under the umbrella of UNICEF as an Implementing partner in five effected districts of South Panjab (Multan, Muzzafargarh, Layyah, Bhakar and Mianwali) but in the last phase from August to Dec 2011 HRDN worked only in two districts of South Panjab (Layyah and Mianwali) as an implementing partner.

A total number of 20 Focus Group Discussions (FGD) were conducted at 08 Union Councils of Jacobabad, it was discovered through discussions that though water line is available but the availability of water is still a prime issue and the local community is suffering from fetching water nearby or buy water from the local carts, the local communities are tired of the current water and sanitation system which usually overflows and create havoc for the members of the community.

Most unfortunately it was also found that there are no water filter plants and few conscious people either boil or strain the water before using it for cooking and drinking, astonishingly it was also discovered that the drainage system are not repaired or monitored properly thus rainy season becomes a mammoth trouble for the members of the respective local communities, heaps of garbage are found at the corner of the most of the streets as there are no proper dumps for garbage in some areas where some of them were constructed are now in dilapidated condition. Sadly it is also found that people either throw their solid waste or they simply burn it hence adding to the environmental crisis, nearly all of the participants had the awareness regarding personal hygiene. There garbage heaps, filthy water overflows, sanitation staff charges money for streets and drains cleaning though paid by the government. The participants were looking forward to pay for a better service for water, drainage solutions and proper sanitation system.

HRDN  implemented a survey for development of baseline data and need Assessment of district Pishin education department, selected middle and secondary schools affected by recent floods & refugee children enrolment in district Pishin; 4 UCs including Khanuzai, Bazar Kona, Batezai and Saranan) in Baluchistan province. Human Resource Development Network (HRDN) lead the design and implementation of survey process in close consultation /coordination with United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). HRDN involved its local provincial / district partner organization(s) in a suitable manner for better and secure access to schools in mentioned UCs and ensuring collection of quality data / information. The survey aimed for support in establishing baseline indicators for Refugee Affected and Hosting Areas (RAHA) education component in selected / highlighted areas and need assessment of the selected middle & secondary schools in terms of rehabilitation and provision of missing facilities. It also determined needs of district education department, head teachers, teachers, PTCs and students for quality delivery of education to form basis for an appropriate training programme to achieve. 

Oxfam and Concern with Implementing Partners (IPs) of Balochistan and Sindh

The purpose of the Capacity Building Support Initiative (CBSI) project was to provide capacity building and mentoring support to the staff of Implementing Partners of CARE so they could provide timely and quality response in emergency and early recovery and preparedness response.  

It was planned that three main types of capacity building support would be extended to CARE partners which would include capacity building in:

a) formal trainings of partner staff in core management and emergency technical areas, particularly at field level,
b) dedicated on-the-job support that turns these trainings into real capacity as partners implement their activities,
c) institutional development support to maintain and build their institutional capacities for continuity of response through the transitional phase.

Human Resource Development Network (HRDN) joined the project as a consultant organization and drew the strategy for the whole project, HRDN was responsible for the capacity building of 13 IPs on Project Cycle Management and Technical Core Competencies in Sindh and Baluchistan. According to the plan the project was divided into four phases.

First phase commenced with the planning of the project. In the second phase training needs assessment of thirteen partners were conducted. After identifying the core needs of them third phase was executed. In the third phase two formal trainings were organized. At the end of first formal training participants were given task of developing a project proposal. In this regard participants were provided the online mentoring and then follow up sessions were conducted at their work place. At the end of second formal training, follow up visits were organized and participants were provided the opportunity to relate their learning of training with their work place. According to the plan in the fourth phase of the project the final report will be submitted. It is very conventional in social development sector to conduct trainings or provide theoretical ideas to the staff of NGOs but it is very rare to provide opportunities of training with mentoring and follow up field based sessions.

Capacity Building Support Initiative (CBSI) is one of such project which offered an integrated model of learning to the targeted partners. After providing two five days residential trainings on Project Cycle Management and Core technical competencies participants were given opportunity of online mentoring and field based follow up sessions. In this way participants could relate their learning with their field practically. It is said that projects are time-bound but if they are executed effectively, their impacts can be seen even after their completion.

In order to address the gender parity all over the Pakistan NRSP-Institute of Rural Management and Human Resource Development Network joined their hands to launch leadership programme customized for women called Young Professionals Leadership Programme.

The aim of the Young Professionals Leadership Programme was to develop a cadre of women professionals to provide them with the necessary skills, knowledge and confidence to move to the next higher level in the organizational structure and eventually reach top management positions, it also enhanced the professional development of women leading towards their full, effective and efficient participation in their respective work places.

The intention of the Young Professionals Leadership Program (YPLP) was to improve young women’s and community awareness of young women’s rights and of the status of young women vis a vis education, employment, leadership and other opportunities. The programme aims to assist young women to effectively respond to day to day challenges in their lives, increase their knowledge and use of positive skill sets, and feel supported in making choices that improve their futures.

The specific objectives of YPLP were:

1) To prepare a cadre of women development professionals in effective leadership and rural development management.

2) To enhance the capacity of women professionals in leadership and management in public and private organizations.


Project Outcomes:

YPLP was implemented jointly with NRSP-Institute of Rural Management and was accredited by Iqra University. During the 2 years duration, HRDN trained nearly 60 young women making them strong leaders in their field. This was a highly popular and well appreciated project. Even after completion, it is still in high demand to further continue as this brought clearly visible changes to the lives of these young women who have moved forward in their careers.

HRDN and N-IRM jointly organized a Women Leaders Illumini after the project completion. HRDN has initiated sub network of HRDN that is Women’s Network, where all these young leading women can become members.

Human Resource Development Network launched a project, Women Empowerment through Employment (WEE) under the USAID Pakistan JOBS project to bring positive change in the lives of Pakistani graduate women by building capacity and to facilitate them in searching jobs. This project was implemented with support of Care International, Pakistan.

In Pakistan there exists a social environment that never allows Pakistani women to come out and face the society bravely; women remain restricted to the fore walls of their houses. There is a small ratio of working women in Pakistan, either they do not prefer to work or they do not have access to the opportunities. There is a serious need to ponder why these women do not want to work as they mark a significance role in economic growth of the country.

Human Resource Development Network launched a project - Women Empowerment through Employment (WEE) under the USAID Pakistan JOBS project to bring positive change in the lives of Pakistani graduate women by capacity building and to facilitate them in searching jobs for changing their lives.

The Pakistan JOBS project is a USAID funded project designed to improve the competitiveness of the Pakistani economy by strengthening systems for workforce development, encourage Pakistani companies to invest in human capital, and improve access to training, jobs and business opportunities, especially for youth and women.
 
The first phase of the project was for five months (15th Feb 2010-15th July 2010). The target was to train 300 women and placing 80 percent of these trained women on jobs. The second phase was extended for another 3 months (16th July 2010-15th October 2010). The target for the second phase was to train 200 women and placing 50 percent of these trained girls on job. The training centers were set in Peshawar and Rawalpindi. HRDN was successful in training 478 women on Career Management and placing 265 of the trained girls on job. 254 women were trained in KPK and 224 in Punjab.

A module was prepared with the inputs of the employers which were collected during networking meeting and one to one meetings with the employers in Peshawar, Rawalpindi and Lahore. The employers were mostly from the corporate sector. A detailed selection process was designed to interview the girls and accordingly they were selected.

Besides the meetings held with employers to identify the needs of employee’s criteria for their organizations/institutions, they also gave commitments for job placement of the WEE graduates. HRDN is continuing with the efforts to facilitate WEE graduates to find themselves suitable job. The WEE graduates are informed about job vacancies through e-mails and phones for interviews and test according to their desired jobs continuously.

In addition HRDN formally signed MoU with Institute of Management Studies, University of Peshawar, ARID Agriculture University, Rawalpindi and Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi. Though networking with public sector took ample time of the project but success was their realization towards career counseling and management within the universities. Two symposiums were held in University of Peshawar with the facilitation of Institute of Management Studies-University of Peshawar and in ARID Agriculture University, Rawalpindi. It was attended by knowledgeable speakers, academia parents and trainees.    

The project was result and process oriented. It facilitated many women in job searching and positive change in their lives esp. those women who are committed to their career. The capacity building program brought a lot of new ideas for trainees and their knowledge to improve their living standard.

The project has opened a new window such as training young women regarding work ethics and to facilitate them in job placement. HRDN from its platform will continue to facilitate the WEE graduates in placing them on jobs. The trainees are guided on a regular basis. Job opportunities are emailed to them. The employers have also given commitment as soon as they are awarded projects. CVs of at least 200 WEE trainees are shared with them.