In 2010 Pakistan was subjected to overwhelming floods which wreaked havoc in the country. More than 20 million people and over 650,000 houses were at the receiving end of this destruction as per Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) report. The province of Punjab was greatly affected, the district of Layyah, in Southern Punjabin particular. Rivers of this region overflowed due to the enormous downpour and 15 union councils (UCs) of Layyah were devastated.
In order to reduce the suffering of people from diseases and hunger, a program was developed to promote agricultural and helath development in the region and also make stratigies to overcome in future too, Relief International (RI) carried out a thorough assessment in this region. Following the assessment, RI has embarked on a project titled ‘Rapid Livelihoods Rebuilding via Agriculture & Health based Livelihood initiatives’ (RL-RALI), in collaboration with the British Asian Trust (BAT) for the rebuilding of agriculture based livelihoods in District Layyah of Punjab, Pakistan. The main goal of this project was to reconstruct livelihoods as well as health care and encouraging positive economic development in regard to the population of Layyah district affected most by flooding.
OBJECTIVES
- Improvement of livelihood through sustainable agricultural practices via kitchen gardens and establishment of fodder plots in District Layyah, Punjab, Pakistan.
- To establish rural health centers with provision of vaccinations and proper helath facilities to ensure safe and good health in the region.
- Capacity building through provision of trainings and inputs for sustainable development of the flood effected people.
- To establish local governance through local economic development and implementation of project in partnership with local government stakeholders and village-based institutions.
Project implementaion and stratigies
- Recruitment of staff
- Selection of target area
- Baseline survey
- Orientation & coordination meeting with stakeholders
- Formation of community based organizations (CBOs)
- Capacity building of CBOs
- Beneficiaries’ identification with the help of CBOs
- Demo plots establishment
- Technical skill enhancement of beneficiaries in kitchen gardening and fodder
- Agricultural inputs’ distribution
- Health services and provision of medicines
- Evaluation of project
- Continuous follow up.
- Continuous monitoring of project
- 40 CBOs
- 40 Demo plots
- 10 Rural helath centers
- 20 persons were trained in emergencies handling and care
- 10 First aid voulnteers were trained on each localities
- 1400 Persons trained (700 beneficiaries trained in kitchen gardening (70% females) & 700 beneficiaries trained in fodder/vegetable plots)
- Distribution of 700 seeds and 700 tool-kits
Progress Summary
The main goal of this project is/was the reconstruction of livelihoods and encouraging positive economic development in regard to the population of Layyah district affected most by the flooding. Its a good experience to work with community through its local plate form of Community based organizations.We got a positive response in this sense that all community based plate form established their rural health centers/demo plots and mobilized the community for this income generation activity of kitchen gardening. This income generation activity was not only adopted by CBOs but also adopted by other communities and all the voulteers of CBOs are working with the RI team as volunteer and own the work with full participation.
Although we have started this project in July 2012 with limited team but we have achieved majority targets of project in the short period of time that not only show the better planning of project but showed the excellent participation of CBOs and community also.
Cntribution is needed now more than ever to ensure livelihood of the farmers with Program continues to serve those in most need. ( Farmers expections)