A recent assessment, by semiotic consultants, of the Sindh Coastal Areas Development (SCAD) Program conducted by the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) showed a positive impact in the development of sustainable and viable community institutions of the poor and increased incomes, improved productive capacity and greater access to sustainable livelihoods. One key finding was that the average income in the Union Councils where the SCAD programme was implemented was approximately 19 percent higher than in the control Union Councils at the time of the research.
The SCAD program was initiated in 2006 under the Second Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF-II) Project of the World Bank and was designed to address multifarious environment and water management problems in the Sindh coastal areas, in particular the LBOD Backwash Region (LBR) in the districts of Badin, Thatta and Tharparkar and in coastal areas of Karachi. This program has been implemented by ten PPAF Partner Organisations (POs), working in the areas of institutional development, water and infrastructure, development, health and education interventions and livelihoods and enterprise development.
As a result of the program, community organisations had been established along with their associated village organisations and local support organisations. These comprised of community members and engaged marginalized individuals, including those from poor households and women. Thus, this paved the way for inclusive planning as individuals cited a platform to raise their voices and prioritise needs. PPAF has also identified that the sustainability of these community organisations and the capacity building of their members must be addressed in a subsequent phase of SCAD.
The fundamental objective of SCAD related to the livelihood of the individuals residing in the intervention areas. A leading factor which helped improve livelihoods was the implementation of strategic infrastructure according to the needs of the community. Communal needs were prioritised by the individuals themselves in the respective communities through the community organisations; this further allowed for ownership of the infrastructure upon completion. The development of such infrastructure had a direct and indirect effect on individuals' livelihoods - from access to major roads, time saved on acquiring water and provision of lighting during night hours. This has had a direct implication on the productive capacity of individuals, where more time can be allocated to productive activities.
Qazi Azmat Isa, CEO of PPAF said, "Profound socio-economic change is possible in Sindh - we are finally seeing communities take charge of their own future. We are looking for even bigger impacts to become visible in the coming year." Shahnaz Kapadia Rahat, Senior Group Head of Livelihood, Employment and Enterprise Development said, "SCAD has become our 'test case' for a number of innovations, including one financing agreement with our partners for an integrated project, the introduction of Naukri ya Karobar (NyK) centers, Youth Centers (YCs), graduation of CIGs into Production Centers (PCs), and setting up of community Loan Centers. Through the asset transfer, training, community infrastructure, disaster management interventions, we expect to see amazing community transformation."
As a result of the SCAD intervention sustainable and viable community institutions of the poor are empowered to lead their development and have improved access to quality public services. Based on the assessment findings, the impact was positive in several aspects, including higher levels of income, increased ownership of assets and increased savings. Other improvement manifested in higher literacy levels, mobilised empowered communities and inclusive planning.
As one of the largest sources of pro-poor spending in the country, the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund is the lead agency for poverty reduction in Pakistan. It embodies the spirit of public-private partnership to address the multi-dimensional issues of poverty with a view to achieving social and economic change. PPAF is the lead institution for community-driven development in microcredit, livelihood, renewable energy, water and infrastructure, drought mitigation, education, health, disability, skill development and training, social and environmental protection and emergency response interventions. PPAF outreach extends throughout Pakistan as it has partnered with 130 organisations working in over 99,000 villages/settlements with more than 125,000 community organisations and 414,000 credit/common interest groups at the grassroots level in 121 districts.-PR