A Story of Empowerment
in Rahim Yar Khan
By Dr. Shahnaz Khan
HDF’s
role in improving the lot of the common man is all
too obvious |
“We
have many problems. We used to talk about these problems
but did not know how to solve them. Even if someone suggested
a solution, we could not agree upon it and so nothing would
happen. Then Human Development Foundation started its project
in this area and helped us organize ourselves. So in 2003
we formed this DO (Development Organization) and named it
Alvi DO. Initially we used to sit and talk, then someone
would get angry and the meeting would end. HDF staff would
bring us together again. Gradually we learned to develop
some rules and guidelines for our DO and started taking
responsibilities.” These are the words of Shabbir
Ahmad, the president of Alvi DO in Basti Khandoo in the
union council Amin Garh, district Rahim Yar Khan. He was
giving us a run down of the activities of his DO in a community
meeting during my last visit to the area.
Shabbir went on to say, “To overcome the problem of
scarcity of irrigation water we proposed two projects, a
watercourse lining and installation of a turbine. HDF was
willing to help us but per their partnership policy we had
to raise 20% of the cost. We spent six months collecting
donations to meet this. We also physically carried bricks,
bags of cement and other material for the project. Now after
the completion of the projects, per acre irrigation cost
is Rs. 80 instead of Rs. 350. We share the cost of maintenance.”
Shabbir told us that they realize now that women’s
education is as important as men and so they arranged an
adult literacy course for them. These women are so excited
that now they want to attend formal school.
Their success encouraged them to embark on building a school
on their own. They have collected Rs. 50,000 through local
donations and need another Rs. 30,000 for the project to
be completed. It is a two-room school and will accommodate
40 children.
The story of Alvi DO confirms our belief that people are
capable of finding a solution to their problems and implementing
them, given relevant skills and enough resources. Once the
challenge of organizing people is overcome, people realize
their collective potential and learn to resolve their differences,
it is then that we start seeing the rewards of this hard
work. The Alvi DO members are now demonstrating this to
the neighboring communities. So four months ago the community
in the neighboring village got together and Umer DO was
formed.
We envision communities that are proud, empowered and self-sufficient.
And we are making this vision into a reality - one community
at a time. We have over 800 such DOs all across Pakistan.
One DO represents 10-15 households. So in a village there
may be several DOs. After they reach a certain degree of
maturity they form an umbrella organization which is called
a VDO (Village Development Organization). We are empowering
people by providing them with education, health care, economic
opportunities. Our goal is to develop a critical mass of
such empowered communities to act as a catalyst for positive
change.
HDF has been working in Pakistan since 1999. Our mission
is to bring about a positive social change by empowering
people through an integrated model of development which
addresses educational, health care and economic needs of
the community. With projects in all four provinces of Pakistan
in seven regions, HDF is serving 200,000 people. During
the October 2005 earthquake HDF adopted six villages in
Kashmir and is now in the process of implementing its integrated
model there also.
At this time HDF is running 211 schools with over 8,000
students, eight Community Health Centers and seven mobile
health units. Under the economic development program over
Rs.73,000,000 has been disbursed in loans and over 7,000
people have been trained in different skills. Under the
physical HDF also installs hand pumps, tube wells and has
other water projects.
We believe that hunger cannot be eliminated by giving free
food, health cannot be promoted by opening free clinics
and we cannot get rid of poverty by giving out money. The
only way to make a lasting difference is to change people’s
attitude, thinking and behavior. The change has to be from
within. It is a slow process. There is no instant gratification.
Most of us who started this organization will not be there
to see the full impact of its work. But we know that this
is the only way to help the people of Pakistan, by helping
themselves.
“Allah does not change the condition of the people
unless they change what is within them.” - Quran 13:11
To learn more about HDF visit www.hdf.com. HDF accepts Zakat
donations.
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