Prime Minister Imran Khan will launch Rs 15 billion Ehsaas Amdan Programme on Friday (today) designed to provide financial support to the most vulnerable women as well as youth, to earn sustainable livelihood.

The programme would be launched in south Punjab (Layyah) Friday afternoon, and as many as 200,000 families would benefit from it in 375 rural councils of the 23 districts across the country, according to Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Dr Sania Nishtar.

60 percent female, 30 percent youth and 10 percent male would benefit from the programme, she said.

Ehsaas Amdan Programme is one of the programmes being launched under the Ehsaas initiative, with the objective to earning opportunities for the poorest in the underdeveloped areas.

The programme involves giving away small "assets" to those who live below the poverty line, so that they can earn a living and can break free from the shackles of poverty.

Assets include livestock (goats, cows, buffaloes and poultry), agricultural inputs, body of Chingchi rickshaws, and inputs for small retail outlets and small enterprises, Dr Sania added.

Those beneficiaries that require vocational training would be supported to attend courses offered by certified technical training institutes, trainings on asset utilisation and business planning were also provided to eligible household members to help them turn the asset into an economically productive enterprise, Dr Nishtar added.

Districts in Punjab where this programme is commencing include Dera Ghazi Khan, Jhang, and Layyah.

In the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 10 districts will be covered, Upper Kohistan, Lower Kohistan, Palas Kolai, Torghar, Batagram, Shangla, North Waziristan, South Waziristan, Dera Ismail Khan, and Tank.

In Balochistan, there are three districts: Jhal Magsi, Zhob, and Sherani.

In Sindh, the districts targeted include, Badin, Thatta, Sujawal, Kashmore, Shikarpur, Tharparkar, and Umerkot.