New Stories of Success & Courage · 2017. 11. 30. · Fazal's eyes when he received a sewing...

Livelihood Support and Promotion of Small Community Infrastructure Programme

Stories of Success &

Courage

Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund


Contents

IntroductionA Stitch in Time Saves Nine Overcoming Misfortune A Dream RealizedAgainst the Odds Refused to Quit To Greener PasturesUnshaken Spirit A Story to TellOvercoming AdversityFrom Worker to OwnerAge is Never a BarrierThe Blessings of Water The Blissful TransformationA Miraculous Case Bridging the GapThe Path Breaker Hard Work Knows No AgeThe Lifeline Life BlossomsThe Resurgence A Curious Tale The Road to ProsperityConnecting to the WorldA Rejuvenated Life Suspension Bridge Suspending Isolation

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Livelihood Support & Promotion of Small Community Infrastructure Programme

Introduction

Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) is the lead apex institution for community-driven development in the country. It works as a private sector organization in support of public policy to serve the poorest and the most marginalized rural households and communities across the country. PPAF works through a network of 130 partner organizations to tackle poverty at the grassroots. It develops and strengthens institutions at hamlet and village levels federating them upto union council level. These institutions are supported and mobilized to come together to design and implement solutions to their identi�ed challenges and are provided support to access improved infrastructure, energy, health, education, livelihoods and develop resilience to disasters. The result is improved social cohesion, better quality of life and livelihoods.

PPAF launched 'Livelihood Support and Promotion of Small Community Infrastructure Programme (LACIP) in April 2012 with a �nancial assistance of EUR 31.56 million from Federal Republic of Germany through KfW. LACIP aims at improving living standards and quality of life of the poor household's of eight districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is an integrated poverty reduction programme for developing community physical infrastructure, supporting health & education related activities, providing livelihood enhancement & protection and executing activities related to disaster preparedness and mitigation with social mobilization as the basis for all activities.


The programme has been implemented in 57 union councils (UCs) of districts Swabi, Charsadda, Buner, Haripur, Nowshera, Chitral, Dera Ismail Khan and Abbottabad of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province through 27 partner organizations.

PPAF initiated LACIP in eight union councils of Chitral through its partner organizations namely; Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP), Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP) and Mountain Institute for Education & Development (MIED). Under the programme, 477 community organizations, 35 village organizations and 7 local support organizations have been formed in programme areas. In addition, 249 community physical infrastructure projects have been completed, 668 individuals have received skill trainings, 2198 individuals have been provided with productive assets while 16 government primary schools were also strengthened by providing them with missing facilities.

This booklet brings stories of individuals from eight union councils in Chitral who managed to transform their lives by gaining access to improved and sustainable livelihood opportunities under the LACIP.

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A Stitch in Time Saves Nine Fazal Nadir was one of the many poor residents of the Tar village in Chitral district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Before the Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP), one of PPAF's partner organizations, reached Fazal Nadir, he was making a mere Rs. 4,000 per month. With the commitment to eradicating poverty under the livelihood enhancement component of LACIP programme, the team ensured that Fazal Nadir holds his head up with pride, his monthly income now boosted nine-fold to Rs. 33,600 in a span of 3 years.

Fazal Nadir's tale consists of a series of tragedies that could break the spirit of any human being. He become an orphan at a tender age and when he barely became a teenager, an age at which most youngsters begin to explore the wonders of the world, he was the victim of an accident that claimed his leg. Fazal's elder brother took up the responsibility of being the breadwinner for the family since the death of his father but with a huge family to take care of, he was unable to make ends meet with his paltry income.

Fazal understood the burden on his brother's shoulders and his heart longed to share the

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responsibility of supporting the family with him. However, there was no work available for a man who could only make use of a single limb.

Fazal did not let his disability become a hurdle in his quest to earn a living on his own; though deprived of one limb, he had two deft and skilful hands. He started working as a helper for a tailor where he could make best use of his skills. Although he could only get Rs. 150 a day working with the tailor, he kept putting the hard work in and within a span of two years he was not merely a helper but a tailor in his own right. Fazal dreamed of opening his own shop but his �nancial stress prevented him from following that dream. At this time, SRSP found him in low poverty rank during poverty scorecard survey. The SRSP team recommended him for livelihood asset. Then as summer came along in June 2014, hope blossomed in Fazal's eyes when he received a sewing machine, an iron and a sewing kit. These items represented Rs. 44, 900 worth of goods, he would not have been able to afford with his own resources. Fazal was now ready to be a tailor.

A beaming Fazal thanked LACIP by saying, “In this mountainous area, it is very hard to get the material for stitching such as needles, button, measuring tape and matching colours of thread. Now my work is much easier after getting these accessories because if right material is available, I can stitch and work more con�dently.”

Fazal wasted no time in renting a shop and started stitching clothes soon after setting up his shop. Not only did people of the village would come to him, but other tailors sent him work due to his skilful work and commitment. He began to get so much work that he employed two more persons to assist him in cutting and sewing. Fazal's struggle for his family's prosperity led to more livelihood opportunities for people in his village.

Fazal Nadir is now a happy man. With his hard work, Fazal can take care of his huge family, which includes his mother, siblings and their families. The �nancial independence and stability that his shop has given him has made Fazal enthusiastic about embarking on his life's next adventure: he is now looking forward to getting married and settling down.

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Overcoming Misfortune Among the poor residents of the Tar village of the Chitral district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, there is an affable middle-aged man by the name of Sher Nawaz. Four years ago, Sher Nawaz was able to get a meagre income by breaking his back doing some manual labour. His life was in dire straits. Since the day, he came across the PPAF's livelihood enhancement programme, Sher Nawaz was able to get out from the suffocating constraints that had shackled him and now, he earns up to Rs. 30,000 per month. Not only does he contribute to his family income but has also hired two other men to work with him.

Sher Nawaz used to work as a labourer on daily wages but he could not provide enough for his wife and four children. Every day was a new struggle for Sher Nawaz but he did not lose hope. With the passage of time and a little courage, he started a small tandoor (commercial oven) where he used to sell chapatis (baked bread). It was when the livelihood enhancement team of PPAF's partner organization SRSP came down to Tar village, and conducted the poverty scorecard

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survey under the LACIP programme that Sher Nawaz expressed his desire to extend his tandoor. He shared with the team his desire to set up a small hotel so that, where he could serve his customers proper meal Justin addition to chapattis. So on the onset of spring in March 2013, Sher Nawaz received 10 bags of wheat �our, a drinking water cooler, and an exhaust fan under the livelihood component of LACIP to upgrade his current enterprises.

Sher Nawaz refurbished his enterprise and created a separate sitting area for men and women at the restaurant so everyone could sit and enjoy fresh and quality food straight from the tandoor. It is now the only restaurant in the union council, catering to a population of 25,000, making where quality food is served from 6 in the morning till midnight. The helpers he hire are paid well, his cook is earning Rs. 15,000 while the helper manages to make Rs. 12,000 a month. The business is now generating income for three separate households and Sher Nawaz is happy on his achievement.

Sher Nawaz said, “I have paid back all my outstanding loans. I also bought a sewing machine for my wife who has started tailoring at home, she too has started saving money. Now, three of my children are going to school; I am quite relaxed now and busy in scaling up my hotel business.”

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A Dream Realized Even the biggest dreams can be harboured in the smallest places. One such man who aspired to reach lofty heights was Babar Shah, a 50 year old man living in the Tar village of the Chitral district. He had been facing challenging conditions while running his small kiryana (grocery) shop and would wistfully ponder whether his dreams would come to reality. Nearly three years after availing the asset transfer facility under LACIP, the monthly sale of Babar's store has gone upto Rs. 35,000-40,000 out of which, he manages to save 50 per cent. Babar has now started repaying his debts and his children are attending school.

Life was never a bed of roses for Babar Shah. Throughout his life, he has been struggling for the well-being of his family that included seven grandchildren.

Babar opened a small kiryana shop to earn a respectable livelihood and give better education to his children. However, tragedy befell his family when one of his sons got a severe injury that needed to be operated upon .Babar in his desperation took loan to

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save his son's life. He could not repay the loan due to �nancial constraints. His dream of expanding his enterprise to a proper store was in the danger of remaining a dream forever.

When the LEP team of PPAF's partner organization SRSP visited Babar Shah, a hope ignited within Babar's heart. The team assessed him to calculate his poverty rank. He quali�ed for the LEP asset and in April 2014, Babar was given essential grocery store items worth Rs. 45,012 under the LACIP. Babar could now expand his store in the way he had always dreamed about but was never able to do himself.

Babar's store now caters to needs of the people and even keeps adding more items whenever needed. Before this, the village community used to travel long distances to obtain the essential items but now a trip to Babar's store is deemed sufficient. Babar's store hosts a plethora of items which include sugar, ghee, rice, �our, spices, silver pots, herbal medicines, beauty products and other assortments, PCO calling service, sewing kits (such as laces, thread, buttons) and other household products. The list goes on and on.

Babar Shah prides in his success and comments, “It is the only store on the mountainous in union council of ShishiKoh where all necessary items are available that one can buy without travelling to downtown Chitral.”

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Against the Odds For most people, the debilitating disease such as polio would be considered the �nal blow to their chances of having a prosperous future. However, that was not the case for Karam Ali, a 30 year old man who lost his limb due to polio when he was just 4 years old. The LEP team of PPAF's partner organization SRSP met with Karam Ali nearly two years ago, at that time he was trying to climb out of poverty with little resources that were left with him.

Today, his store sells about Rs. 15,000-20,000 worth of merchandise per month out of which he saves Rs. 5,000-6,000. In Karam Ali's life, the dynamics of his household have radically changed for the better. He keeps on adding more items in his store whenever needed, most of his customers are women and children who come to buy the staple household food.

Karam always wanted to contribute �nancially to lessen the burden of his father and brother who worked as laborers but his disability was a major hurdle. He had no clue as to how he could ensure good education

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for his siblings. His disability proved to be an impediment to ful�l his desires but he refused to let that hold him back. With help from his elder brother, he started a kiryana store (grocery shop) where he started selling food items to children.

When the LEP team visited Karam Ali during the assessment process to initiate LACIP, he expressed his desire to have more items in his small grocery store that were in high demand in his area. The LEP team recommended him for the asset transfer and in February 2015, an ecstatic Karam Ali received �our, sugar and rice bags, ghee tins laundry products, spice packets, milk cartons and other eatables worth Rs. 45,000, which was all he needed to expand his store that would match his vision for the future.

Karam Ali is a painter at heart and the vibrant colours of his vivid imagination adorn the walls of his grocery store. He is now an independent person and is happy to share his family expenses. He is the owner of his store and does not need to pay rent. The children of the area love to drop by his shop and pick out their favourite candies. The people of the area are whole heartedly receptive of this new addition to the community.

Karam Ali says with satisfaction, “I was unable to do any laborious work beyond my physical strength. This shop is truly an asset for me and my family, where I am earning well without much effort. Now, I am relaxed and doing my best for a prosperous life.”

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Refused to Quit Youth are full of energy and excitement and there is so much potential that could be harnessed. However, this potential faces the threat to be consumed by harsh circumstances and brutal blows of fate. One such young person was Azimullah, a 20 year old boy belonging to a poor family of Gauche in the Chitral district. He had youth and fervour on his side but the lack of opportunities and the image of a bleak future were crushing his soul. Now after three years of acquiring the training under the LACIP, he is working at FWO as an excavator operator at the Bumburate road construction site. His salary of Rs. 25,000 per month is a substantial contribution towards his family's income now.

With his parents and siblings forming an eight member household, the lack of money has always been an issue. Azimullah could not stand idle as his family found it hard to keep up with expenses.

He started working as a co-labourer on construction sites at a monthly stipend of Rs. 6,000. He became a breadwinner for his

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family at a very young age, but the earning was not sufficient to make sure if he could take care of his family in the manner, he wished.

Frustration began to creep up on Azimullah and took hold of his psyche as he went looking for better working opportunities. He tried his luck at jobs in different trades within this area. However, due to lack of skills, he could not land a full-time job in any department. When LEP team of SRSP reached him and assessed him for facilities under LACIP, Azimullah made his heart's desire heard to learn and become an excavator operator. During his attempts at landing a higher paying and secure job, he had found that it was a highly demanded skill on construction sites. During the assessment process, he ranked low in the poverty scorecard and was found suitable for the Applied Technology Institute - National Logistics Cell (NLC) training.

Under the LEP intervention of LACIP focusing on skill and vocational trainings, he was sent to Dina, district Jhelum, Punjab on September 2013 to get NLC training for three months along with other selected trainees. Whilst there, he learnt to operate the excavator along with other basics of the construction machines. The training ended with a nationally acclaimed certi�cate by the NLC that would give him respect and credibility in the job market.

A visibly satis�ed Azimullah thanked the LACIP and said, “Without this training, I wouldn't have been able to operate such huge machinery and would be working as a labourer. I am really thankful to the LACIP and SRSP teams for their joint efforts for building our capacity through technical and vocational trainings. Now, it is very encouraging to envision a safe and secure future for ourselves.”

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To Greener Pastures Poverty could be more devastating for the young people. In the age when people are full of hope and have an eye on opportunity, young people can be prevented from self-actualization by �nancial constraints. 25 years old Abdul Rauf is one such young man belonging to a poor family of Tar in the Chitral district. He felt helpless until he met with the LEP team of PPAF's partner organization SRSP during their visit to his village to discuss the livelihoods enhancement initiative under the LACIP. He received skills training and started working as a wheel loader on different construction sites and started earning Rs. 25,000 per month. He is now heading to Dubai where he will work as a wheel loader.

Abdul Rauf did not have these possibilities in his life before he received his training. His family consists of 12 members and he faced strenuous hardships growing up. He could not acquire education because his parents could not afford it. His father was heartbroken due to his inability to support his son's education but he could hardly earn enough to make sure there was enough food

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in the house. His elder brother had to move to Peshawar to become a loader but the money that he sent home was still not enough for the needs of the family. These were distressing times for the household and. Being a responsible son, Abdul Rauf felt that he must get gainful employment to help his family. However, without any skill he hardly had any hopes to �nd himself a good job.

During poverty ranking survey LEP team of SRSP found him eligible for support under LACIP. Abdur Rauf shared with the team that if he could learn to operate the wheel loader like his brother, he could earn a stable income as it was a highly demanded skill on construction sites. In September 2013, he was thus sent for training by Applied Technologies Institute, National Logistics Cell for three months along with other selected trainees. Whilst there, he learnt to operate the wheel loader along with other basics of the construction machine. The training ended with a nationally acclaimed certi�cate by the NLC that would give him respect and credibility in the job market.

Abdul Rauf said with gratitude, “I am thankful to LACIP and SRSP for arranging this fruitful training and helping guys like me to earn a respectable living.”

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Unshaken Spirit Life comes with its own share of challenges and opportunities. In our patriarchal society, it becomes even more challenging when a woman has to live without her husband and support her children on her own. Eidun Nisa is one such women living in the Koghuzi village of the Chitral district. The spirited Eidun Nisa is a force to be reckoned who through her determination and support under LACIP managed to set up her own enterprise. Today, she is successfully running her Ladies Shop in Koghuzi where women come for shopping because they cannot go to the main market. She sells both stitched and unstitched dresses and saves Rs. 400-500 on each stitched and Rs. 200 on each unstitched dress.

Life had never been a smooth sailing for Eidun Nisa. Her husband worked as a labourer and had been trying his best to ful�l family needs. But around the time when her younger son was born, calamity struck the household with her husband facing the jail sentence. Eidun Nisa's life came to a crashing halt when her husband was sentenced and sent to jail in Peshawar seven years ago. She

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had nowhere to turn but to except her brother who provided shelter to her and three children in his house. Despite the realization that she could not burden her brother anymore, she could not step outside for family living. There was no one to take care of her children at home.

While survey was being conducted to identify the community members best suited to avail the LACIP , AKRSP team came across Eidun Nisa. She shared her plan for setting up a small shop to cater to needs of the local women that would also become a source of earning to support her family. Eidun Nisa had realized that like her, many women in the village faced difficulty in going to the main market due to distance and social constraints. It was in October 2014, when she attended a one day Enterprise Development Training where she learnt to develop and nurture her enterprise. Within 3 years, Eidun Nisa has become a successful entrepreneur and a beacon of hope and courage for the women of Koghuzi.

Edun Nisa draws a sigh of relief when she says, “I sell two to three dresses daily and the sale increases during weddings and Eid days. Now, I am bearing all family expenses. My brother is also happy that now I am self-reliant. My children go to school now. I am grateful to LACIP for this initiative which is helping several other community members to stand on their feet and earn a respectable living.

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A Story to Tell Most often in a poor household, there are members cannot earn any income even if they want to. In such cases, the burden of responsibility usually falls on one man who must look after all of his family. The head of the household is usually the father but this is not the case for Ha�z-ur-Rahman, a 25 year old youth belonging to poor family and living with parents and seven siblings. Though he wanted to become a helping hand for his father but despite having a passion to earn could not grab any opportunity.

It was after the LEP team of PPAF's partner organization AKRSP visited Ha�z's village of Moroi in the Chitral district, that his life underwent a transformation. Ha�z was provided support to establish a poultry store under the livelihood component of LACIP, he is now earning up to Rs. 40,000 per month. That is a long way from the paltry Rs. 230 a day he earned before the intervention.

Ha�z had to step up to take the mantle from his father, who had grown old and sick with time after having spent an arduous life working to support his family doing labour.

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His father's health was getting worse day by day and as a loving son, he could not bear to let his father toil in the streets any longer. To meet the running expenses, his elder brother started working as a labourer at an early age. Ha�z-ur-Rahman had to reluctantly quit his education when he was in grade 6, he started working on construction sites and started earning a meagre income of 230 rupees daily. This continued for some years until he construction work began dwindling, so did the need for labour. Later, there was no more work and Ha�z was left high and dry without a job.

When AKRSP's LEP team visited Moroi along with the village organization Moroi Payeen, they ranked Ha�z's family poor during the poverty scorecard assessment. Ha�z expressed his wish to set up a poultry store because there are not many poultry stores in the area and the demand was high. The LACIP ful�lled his wish and provided poultry birds and a cage to Ha�z in November 2013. He then kick started his poultry business with 60 birds. On �rst day, he slaughtered and sold 30 chickens and earned a pro�t of Rs. 900. He also attended one-day enterprise development training to develop and grow his business. With available assets, he opened another butcher store on sharing basis where he would sell chicken and his partner would mutton. From humble beginnings, Ha�z was able to transform the shop to what it is today, a poultry and vegetable store that caters to the needs of the village households.

“I started this shop with my savings because there was a lot of demand for poultry in this area. Now, I have two stores. My parents are happy as I am contributing signi�cantly to family's income”, said, Ha�z-ur-Rahman.

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Overcoming Adversity The mountainous regions of Pakistan mask under their majestic beauty a tough life for its residents. The difficult terrain makes activities of agriculture and industry difficult for its inhabitants. While all residents bear similar hardships, women face a disproportionate amount of burden on them. There are few employment options for women, especially those responsible for the domestic duties. In the Baranes village of Chitral, lives Rabia Sultana, a woman who goes through the trials of tribulation for being a woman.

The AKRSP's LEP team supported Rabia to open a small tuck shop a year ago, her shop has become a highlight in the area for children where they come and buy candies, sweets and biscuits. The sale has helped Rabia earn for her family. Her elder daughter has become an essential working member of her enterprise as she registers each sale and maintains a record to keep a check on items that are in high demand.

This initiative also enables the mother-daughter duo to keep an eye on sales, purchase and savings which has allowed

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Rabia to strengthen her enterprise. Rabia manages to earn Rs. 2,000-3,000 per day, all her children have started going to school now.

Rabia's story prior to this support was full of challenges. In order to provide square meal to his four children, her husband painted walls day in and day out but he alone could not keep the family out of deep waters. Rabia had been sewing clothes to supplement the family income but she and her husband still were unable to send their children to school like the rest of the villagers. It was a heart-wrenching sight for Rabia to see her children lagging.

When AKRSP came to her village with LACIP, Rabia requested the team to help her in setting up a cloth shop. She knew that women of her village did not have this facility in the vicinity and a cloth shop would be a pro�table enterprise. Under the auspices of the LACIP, Rabia was provided with a sewing and a peko machine and some unstitched cloth in October 2014. Later, Rabia also participated in two days enterprise development training where she learnt to operate these machines to enhance her business. A simple intervention has become a life altering event in Rabia's life.

Rabia has dedicated a room in her house and named it 'Ali Shopping Centre', where she now sells household items, she has placed a sewing machine in one corner of her shop making it convenient for herself to work on the machine and attend her customers simultaneously. She is expanding her business by adding more and more products. Within two years, she has extended her inventory to include bed sheets, blankets, fancy and formal wear, readymade dresses, makeup cosmetics and other accessories for women and girls. During wedding and eid season, women throng to her store to buy stuff of their choice, at that time Rabia earns twice as much as she would normally.

While acknowledging LACIP, Rabia said, “We have gradually overcome adversity. Now we are in position to feed our children well and expect a bright future for them.

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From Worker to Owner People are sometimes thrown into circumstances that they could never expect in their life. One such story is of Dildar Ahmed, a resident of Balauch village, a man who went from a stable family life to one in sudden crisis. He had to become a helper at a service station in tense circumstances. Now, with the support of LACIP, he has managed to set up his own service station with his income growing by leaps and bounds. Not only does the service station help him support his family, but his enterprise is also a source of income for his employees, comprising a technician and two helpers.

Dildar pays Rs. 700 per day to the technician and Rs. 500 per day to each helper. The service station is well equipped and Dildar has maintained a proper record of all monetary transitions. His earnings have gone up from Rs300 per day to paying Rs. 1,700 making his enterprise highly rewarding.

Dildar's success came after going through unforeseen and tough circumstances. His father worked as a mason and was leading a happy life with his mother and six siblings

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when suddenly his father was diagnosed with a kidney disorder that forced him to discontinue his work. Dildar had to lift the burden that his father could no longer bear as the head of the family since �ve of his siblings were still school going and could not understand the situation that had befallen the family. To save his father from death, the family borrowed a loan for his operation make the life even more difficult. Dildar's dream of acquiring further education was reduced to ashes and he quit his own education after matriculation. Lacking the skills to acquire a job, he sifted the earth for a shred of opportunity but none was forthcoming. It was under these circumstances that he started working as a labourer in a service station. He did all he could to make sure his younger siblings would continue their education and not suffer the way he did.

LACIP came as a blessing in disguise for Dildar, he underwent through necessary processes and was provided assets to set up his own service station at the main road leading to the Balauch village. Dildar expressed his gratitude to the LACIP by saying, “With money, opportunity and commitment, I have managed to transform my life. This pride comes from putting in time and seeing that all the stress and hassle was worth it in the end.”

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Age is Never a Barrier With getting older, it is assumed that his strength begins to leave him and it becomes harder to regain his spirit with time. Tali Baig, an old man residing in the Balach Payeen village of the Chitral district with help of LEP interventions under the LACIP, has managed to set up a crockery business which he runs successfully. The LEP team of PPAF's partner organization AKRSP added Tali Baig in the asset transfer category, and provided him cooking utensils and household crockery.Tali's children have now started going to school. He is now planning to build a small shop inside his home. He hopes his wife could look after shop at home while he will continue selling crockery in the neighbouring villages.

His old age was not treating him kindly when he used to work as a labourer in the nearby market, for which he was receiving nominal wage. His health deteriorated while he strived on a daily basis. Ever since he was a young man, he worked daily and life has been an unrelenting struggle. He did not expect to be carrying on in the same vein while supporting a wife and three children. When

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the LEP team visited the village and met him, he told them that a little help of setting up a small crockery business would help him in securing the future of his family. He received cooking utensils and household crockery of Rs. 45,000 - which he kept in a carrier bag and takes to the nearby villages for sale. He buys wares from the market and then travels to far �ung villages to sell his merchandise with pro�t. He is able to make a satisfying living now.

Baig recognized PPAF and AKRSP as a candle in a dark path. There was no other source of income except labour wages until he was determined as a needy person by the LEP team. The LACIP project has illuminated my family's future to prosperity, Tali Baig added. He is thankful to Almighty Allah and the project, saying, “My pocket used to remain empty in past but with the grace of God, my fate has changed.”

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The Blessings of Water Water is an essential component of life; we cannot survive without it. The population of Chewdoke Bala village was going through this torment as their water supply was not enough to meet the needs of the residents. The water supply is particularly strained in Chewdoke because it lies in the double cropping zone in union council Chitral-II of the Chitral district. There are 175 households who depend on agriculture as the major source of livelihood and water is required for farming also. The water issue felt like a sword dangling on the head of the village. After the AKRSP intervention on behalf of LACIP helped the village to obtain a drinking water supply system.

The village residents have drinking water available in their houses, and their health indicators have improved since the inception of the scheme. The water pressure is evenly distributed and the whole population of 1,575 people is now getting drinking water readily available to them.

However, this was not the �rst water supply intervention made in the village. AKRSP, with

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�nancial support of DFID, had also set up a drinking water scheme for the village in 2000 so that the villagers would have ample drinking water for their needs. However, due to increase in population, the apparatus was unable to meet the increased demand and majority of households were deprived of drinking water. They travel long distances to fetch water from distant locations that would incur a cost on the household resources. An upgrade of the apparatus was the need of the hour.

The members of VO Chewdoke Bala had a meeting in May 2012 to take the issue to AKRSP Chitral, who under the CPI intervention of LACIP conducted a survey and technical feasibility of the DWSS. The setup had already existed and a few adjustments were required to make the setup competent to meet current demands. high-density polyethylene piping of 10,824 feet with 3 inches diameter was installed which enhanced water capacity of the system. Instead of going to far off places to procure water and store it in unhygienic conditions, the people stay at home and reap the bene�ts of having clean drinking water 24 hours a day.

Taj Bibi, one of the bene�ciaries, thanked the LACIP project by saying, “Prior to the scheme, it was very difficult for us to manage water. It caused lot of troubles to women to fetch water. Now we get enough water for our domestic usage which reduced our workload. The new pipeline is efficient and evenly distributes water to all households. This scheme is no less than a blessing for us.”

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The Blissful Transformation There are few living things on this planet that can survive long without a refreshing sip of water. And for the residents of Sweer, a village located in union council Shishikoh of the Chitral district, this holds especially true. The village depends on agriculture and livestock as the main source of livelihood. There are around 400 households who had been previously dependent on an unreliable water supply system for drinking water. Now thanks to the intervention implemented under LACIP programme, the residents of Sweer do not have to step out to bring water for domestic use.

After three years of installing new drinking water supply scheme the rates of water borne diseases are now dipping due to the safe and clean drinking water available at every home. Around 700 individuals breathe a sigh of relief because now they do not have to desperately search water on a daily basis.

Sweer's �rst water supply system was laid by Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) around 20 years ago and it had not been capable of providing the villagers safe

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and clean drinking water. To cap things off, there exists a stream close to the village but the water is unhygienic and not suitable for drinking purposes. There was a silver lining on these dark clouds a few years ago when HDPE pipes were donated to the villages so that they could draw the stream water. However, after a spell of heavy �oods, the system disintegrated and fell apart. The village had no easy access to potable water and as a last resort, the residents used to fetch water from the broken high-density polyethylene pipes. Women were aggravated by the fact that the water had to be stored for days and during that time, it would become a cesspool of water borne diseases that adversely affected the health of the household.

PPAF's partner SRSP conducted the social survey of Sweer under the LACIP programme in which the community prioritized the need of drinking water supply scheme (DWSS).After the approval of the DWSS by the SRSP team, engineers visited the site and conducted a technical feasibility survey. After months of planning and carefully deliberated procedures, the DWSS was recommended in Sweer village and thus, a new era of reliable water supply was ushered into the village.

Sherman Bibi, one of the women who had experienced the insufferable conditions of the past, thanked the project and said, “I have small kids and it was very difficult for me to fetch water while holding them. I used to cover water for 3-4 days that affected our health. Now water is available round the clock and is used whenever needed.”

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A Miraculous Case Access to clean drinking water is one of the basic human rights. However, people living in remote and mountainous areas are denied this basic right because of limited development interventions. One such victim of neglect has been Thingsheen, a small village consisting of 90 households situated in the jurisdiction of union council Chitral II in Chitral district. After the intervention of a drinking water supply scheme in Thingsheen village under the LACIP project, the results were visible to behold.

The scheme has transformed life of the poor community of Thingsheen by providing them clean and safe tap water. Whereas, women and children used to spend one hour daily to fetch water after walking 500 metres, now they are comfortable at their homes and just turn on the tap. Children consequently have more time to focus on their studies and women are using the additional time in productive economic and social activities. Health issues have also decreased, and health indicators are beginning to improve in the area.

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Thingsheen has seen the worst of time. While half of the population had access to tap water, the other half did not have that access and had to make use of stream water to ful�l their domestic needs. The incidents of water borne diseases were widely reported in the village because of its poor drinking water quality. Adding to this situation, animals would use the stream for all purposes. People were facing the daily horror of fetching water from a minimum distance of 500 metres which took a toll on the local population, especially women and children who bore the responsibility of water within the household. Children's education was severely hampered due to the added daily chore of getting water. Women could not manage the other chores of the household and valuable time was being lost. For many years, people tried to grapple with this situation.

As a part of a participatory approach, this problem was identi�ed as priority one in the village and was proposed to the LACIP for their support. The technical advisors suggested a 4-inch pipe line from Chitral Gol to Thingsheen so that long term needs and requirements of the community could be successfully met. The local community came out in full support of the project and donated open heartedly, whether it was free land, labor or construction material. 50 households comprising of 400 individuals are now forgetting that, once it was a nightmare for procuring drinking water.

The village organizations at work around Thingsheen have seen positive impacts that came out with DWSS. A village Lady Health Worker said that, “The number of children suffering from diarrhoea decreased remarkably this year as compared to the previous years. All this relief is due to clean drinking water availability.” A member of the women organization, says, “It seems like we are living in heaven now as water is available at our door step”.

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Bridging the Gap Access to infrastructure facilities could be in some cases more important than their availability. Phatudam was a village that was in this particular predicament. It is far away from the main road across the stream in the union council Ashurate of Chitral. It consists of thousands of people who tend to their lands and their animals, as they are the main sources of income. All other sources of livelihood and facilities such as markets, hospitals, and schools are on other side of the stream. While the resources are available to Phatudam, they must be reached by crossing the river.

Ever since PPAF's partner organization SRSP visited the area and helped erect a 250 feet long foot bridge under the LACIP, 120 households are now able to cross the river without risking their lives and this weather resilient bridge has become the boon of life in Phatudam.

The crossing of the stream had always been considered an act of courage. When water level was low in the winter, people could still try crossing by using wooden beams.

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However, once summer arrived, water level rose sweeping away the wooden beams. To stay protected, people would have to walk 4 kilometres to the nearest bridge which offered a relatively safe passage for reaching other side of the stream. The daily routine of crossing the river became a laborious chore, not to mention the anguish caused by the lack of better alternative in emergency situation. Women could not reach the hospital in time during times of medical emergency. The absence of a bridge had, in a way, cut Phatudam off from the rest of the district.

When SRSP's team reached the village, the community mentioned that constructing a bridge was their top priority. The entire community build a consensus on this. The community organization was formed which collaborated for the construction work and took responsibility of constructing embankments of the bridge. The community members were happy to extend help in construction of the bridge that ultimately minimized their problems with 20 per cent contribution from the community; the remaining funds were provided under LACIP. A wooden bridge was completed in January 2015 addressing the major issue of accessibility of the communities residing in the Phatudam village. Since the construction of the bridge, commuting to Phatudam has become a matter of minutes. No one could believe that just a couple of years ago, this would be a matter of consuming hours. Several villagers had got injured while crossing that stream. This bridge is the biggest step to ensure safety of innocent lives.

Fazl Ilahi, a 20 year old working in Frontier Corps (FC) Peshawar, while explaining impact of the bridge says, “I was born and raised here in Phatudam. Before this bridge, it was very risky and tedious to cross the stream. We had to walk down the hill where we would cross the stream by placing a wood log. We would then climb the hill to reach facilities located on other side of the bridge; these include schools markets, and the hospital. Now, we have easy access to these amenities.”

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The Path Breaker The mountainous hills of Chitral district are undoubtedly majestic and beautiful but harsh terrain tends to curtail opportunities open to the people living in these areas. Zafar Ali Shah is a resident of Koghuzi village, situated 20 kilometres away from Chitral Town-IV comprising 450 households. PPAF's partner organization AKRSP found him eligible for asset transfer facility under the livelihood component of LACIP. The support helped him to increase his monthly earnings from Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 25,000 making it much easier for him to ful�l his day to day expenses.

Zafar is the eldest among his two siblings and lived with his parents, his life prior to setting up his small enterprise was a tale of frustration and misery. His father was unable to generate regular income from agricultural holding because most of it had gone barren. Due to the dire �nancial straits the family was in, Zafar had to go out to make a living for himself. He had always aspired for higher education and managed to complete his masters in Islamic Studies as a private candidate.

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This achievement speaks of his passion for learnings he could not attend the university regularly and had to be at work to support his family.

When LEP team of AKRSP came to Koghuzi to conduct a poverty scorecard survey and interviewed Zafar, he expressed a desire to open a general store. There were not enough outlets where people could make purchases so Zafar for believed that store will meet the needs of the valley. He astutely set up the business on the road side at �rst so it was accessible to everyone in the locality. Because of the success that he achieved in his business, many of his fellow villagers started opening stores through PPAF to meet the market gap in the valley. Zafar is satis�ed with the direction that his life has taken and he hopes to keep on supporting his family with the savings and pro�ts from his store.

A visibly grateful Zafar said, “I am thankful to LACIP for the support and hope that such initiatives will also allow other poor to improve their living standards.”

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Hard Work Knows No Age While everybody expects the young to be the most energetic and hardworking, sometimes older and experienced men summon the courage and willpower to astound the people around them. Khush Gulab is an epitome of this phenomenon, a 65 year old man belonging to a very poor family in the Tar village of the Chitral district. Nearly three years after the LEP team of PPAF's partner organization SRSP came to Tar with the LACIP, Khush Gulab has acquired a total of 17 goats. Not only did he sell four of his goats for a healthy sum of Rs. 60,000 but he also was able to sell cheese for Rs. 50,000. His improving fortunes have enabled him to send his children to school.

Previously, Khush Gulab used to work as a small herder which was a pittance for a living on which he had to sustain his wife and three children. He used to sell milk and calves, a job he could not scale to the level where he could maintain a sustainable level of income. In his old age, it became difficult for Khush Gulab to envision a better future for his family. It was in those days that the LEP team of SRSP reached the village of Tar and assessed poverty scores

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of the residents. Khush Gulab quali�ed for the asset transfer under the livelihood component and received assets worth Rs. 48,000 to set up his own commercial animal husbandry. 60 per cent of the population in the union council kept livestock as a source of income and Khush Gulab was aware that if he could establish a commercial goat husbandry business, he could cater to the high demand that existed within the community. To begin with, he purchased six goats to start his business which began expanding with each passing day.

Later, Khush Gulab opened a restaurant in the hilly mountains that surrounded the Tar village. The restaurant's inception led to the need of a helper and Khush Gulab employed another community member. Khush Gulab recognizes the deep impact that entrepreneurship can have within an area and how it could lead to multiple household reaping direct bene�ts. Khush Gulab is one man who can now look to the future and dream without restraint the possibilities that are contained within it.

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The Lifeline Agriculture is the backbone of Pakistan's economy and it is no less true in the hilly terrains of Chitral. Madaklasht No.1 is an example of this, a village in the Chitral district has 140 households. Being a predominantly agricultural community in a mountainous terrain, the village is always plagued with the issue of water sufficiency. The growth and prosperity of the community hinges on water availability. After the LEP team of PPAF's partner organization SRSP visited the village under the LACIP initiative, the village was able to rehabilitate the irrigation channel that had been destroyed in the heavy �oods.

As the water began into the �elds once again, productivity of the lands increased manifold. The free availability of water also meant that the villagers could once again reclaim barren land. Madaklasht no. 1 has now transformed into a thriving community, with each farmer now producing approximately 20-30 maunds potato per annum (1 maunds = 40 Kgs) of which 7.5 maunds sold commercially for pro�t. The village had outgrown subsistence farming and now gearing towards becoming a place for commercial agriculture.

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Madaklasht no. 1 did not have to set up an irrigation system from scratch. A water course already existed in the area to carry water to the cultivated land. But like most things that were lost forever in the heavy �oods, the system also fell into disrepair and the water accessibility of the cultivated �elds was severely compromised. The village farmers made a makeshift wooden conduit over the stream where the channel was crossing. At its best, it proved to be a temporary measure. At its worst, the conduit resulted in water being wasted due to leakages before reaching the �elds. The regular maintenance of the channel was a difficult task and farmers were always anxious about the yields they could expect from their �elds.

When SRSP conducted the social survey of the village to initiate schemes under the LACIP, the villagers unanimously decided to ask for a water irrigation system. With a 70% PPAF share and a 30% community share, a 180 feet long retaining wall was built within three months. The water channel is bene�ting over1,400 people directly by providing adequate water to the �elds. The maintenance committee carries out regular repair and maintenance work of the channel and thus the community retains the ownership, in name and spirit of the water channel. Farmers and women of the community now spend their spare time in making and selling handicrafts. There is a pervasive air of triumph within the village.

Qazi Zahir ud Din, president of the community organization acknowledges the current situation by saying, “Before the construction of retaining wall, most of the water was wasted before reaching the �elds. We used to build makeshift water channels with wood logs but days of such persistent problems are truly over.”

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Life Blossoms Water stimulates the productivity of a society. Modern cities have been founded on river banks where water is easily accessible. The unavailability of water in an area could pose serious threat to the community. The village Shachar Baren is located in the Koh valley of the Chitral district in which a community of 40 households are dependent on livestock and agriculture, farmers toil in the �elds all year to grow wheat, maize, rice and pulses. The degraded condition of existing water channel had drastically reduced the productivity . The excessive leakage was the critical factor behind the loss of water in the irrigated lands, thus reducing the size of the cultivable land.

The LEP team of PPAF's partner organization AKRSP has helped restore the water channel under the LACIP- initiative, people now have more land for cultivation and water is distributed to all �elds as per scheduled time in a day now. No corner of the irrigated land remains deprived of water and the land productivity has also increased manifold.

Things were not always this way, as before

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the restoration of the water channel, people were worried because they were not able to cultivate on their land substantially.

The situation was seriously affecting their only means of livelihood. The issue was discussed in a meeting of VO members held in April 2013 with AKRSP Chitral. Under the LACIP, AKRSP conducted the social survey of the village in which the community raised their most important problem, which was efficient irrigation system. PPAF engineers proposed the need of lining the irrigation channel to counter the water seepage from the degraded water channels. Villagers were over -eyed when the lined water channels became functional in April 2014 and an adequate amount of water began to nourish the crops that had been deprived for so long. Ever since the new system has been operational, barren lands have been reclaimed for irrigation and Shahar Barenis has more land under cultivation than ever before.

Some of the bene�ciaries of the scheme were effusive in their praise for the new irrigation scheme. They said, “The channel has restored irrigation water for the cultivated land and has increased our household income. We are thankful to LACIP-AKRSP for resolving our long standing issue that has brought many positive changes to our economic status.

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The Resurgence The hilly landscape of Chitral at times creates serious connectivity issues for its residents. Pockets of population are separated from each other by inaccessible roads or streams. Boliogh is a village located away from the main road across the river in Union Council Chitral II of the Chitral district. A small village of 60 households, the residents of the village have no means of livelihood within Boliogh and have to go down to the city to earn a living, most of them engaged in manual labour. Markets, schools, hospital and other necessities of life are situated on the opposite side of the river, and this was a matter of life and death for the residents of Boliogh.

Under the LACIP, the LEP team of PPAF's partner organization AKRSP proposed and helped construct a bridge 85 feet long and 8 feet wide to connect Boliogh to the other side of the river. Now, the residents can cross the bridge without having to put their lives at risk. The Boliogh community couldn't be more relieved.

Boliogh was previously connected by a footbridge over the river but as with most

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infrastructures, after the �ood the footbridge was severely damaged and became unsafe to cross. Despite the fact that it was extremely dangerous to cross this bridge in the high water tide of the summer, people risked their lives every day to make it to the other side. Things wouldn't be any better in the winter as heavy snow blocked the bridge. The next alternate route was a bridge located miles away from the village. It was a conundrum for Boliogh that could not be solved. There had to be a better way to cross the river without endangering lives of the villagers.

When AKRSP entered the village for the social pro�le survey, the villagers seized the opportunity and united to demand that a bridge be constructed to connect Boliogh to the other side. Community organizations were formed who collaborated for helping with wood, steel and iron work, construction of protection wall along with left and right embankments of the bridge. Every able man and woman contributed to the construction of the bridge by providing both skilled and unskilled labour. In April 2016, all these efforts bore fruit and the bridge was �nally open for the people to walk. The bridge has reduced the distance for the residents, which has resulted in a less tiresome daily routine. Not only the bridge but now the link roads have also been made that reach all the way up to the village. Goods are easily transported to market and children and students �nd it much easier to go to school. Just a year ago, such comfort was a dream for the people of Boliogh.

The beaming children of Boliogh explain the enormous impact on their lives created by the bridge by saying, “We are now happy that our distance to schools is reduced and now we get more time to play. We can envision a better future for ourselves as the major issue has been resolved.”

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A Curious Tale A makeup kit is a small item in itself and it would be incredible to imagine that it would have the power to completely transform lives. However, Amina Bibi's story tells what makeup skills have done for her, a transformation that few people can imagine to take place. Amina – a 24 years old girl living in the Chewdoke Bala village in Chitral, had big dreams that were in danger of withering away unful�lled. Amina is a graduate and was determined to have her own enterprise instead of seeking employment in the outer world. The problem was that as a woman, she had limited opportunities in the village. However, as the saying goes, a problem for one person is an opportunity for another.

Today, with the support of PPAF's partner organization AKRSP under the KfW �nanced LACIP, Amina now proudly owns a lace and cosmetics store to which all the women of the village �ock for purchasing cosmetics and other beauty items. Amina has upscaled her enterprise to the point that she now earns an impressive Rs. 1,500-2,000 a day, earlier she was earning Rs. 500-700 only . She is

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comfortably saving half of her earnings to ful�l her other needs. Amina's life has been a series of twists and turns. Her parents worked day and night to feed their 10 children but making ends meet was never an easy task. Her mother used to sew clothes from the con�nes of her home to put food on the table. Amina sought to share her mother's burden but it was difficult for her to step outside the house. When the LEP team of AKRSP talked to Amina, she shared her vision of setting up a cosmetics shop in her house where she can sell items such as cosmetics, jewellery, garments, laces, thread and buttons. As a practise women would not go down to the main market to get these items and instead they would send children to purchase for them. Children being children, they would return with the wrong item. Amina understood that women would prefer to shop for themselves at a location that was more convenient for them.

In November 2013, Amina received a small consignment of cosmetics under LACIP's livelihood component. She also attended s 2-day Enterprise Development Training where she learnt to strengthen her marketing skills and to grow her enterprise. As a result from a single room in her own house, Amina began her modest shop and worked hard on it. Today, Amina supports her family on the income of the shop and women around praise Amina's spirit in managing and running the shop for them in their area. She has displayed in her shop varied items such as glittery laces, threads, hand-woven garments for kids, fancy buttons and much more. She supports her family and her parents are proud of her accomplishments in the past four years.

“I wished to establish my own business; I had the passion but had no money to materialize my wish. With help of this programme, I started my own store within few months and began generating revenue for my family”, Amina added with a smile.

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The Road to Prosperity A small village Morai Bala situated in the hills of the Chitral district was facing accessibility issues due to absence of a link road. The inhabitants earned through Farm labour and tenant farming, unable to support their families on meagre income, people had to abandon their territory to seek greener pastures; communities started migrating to bigger cities such as Karachi and Lahore to �nd better livelihood. When AKRSP, PPAF's partner organization, helped construct a link road to the village under the LACIP, the economic landscape of the village was revamped.

The road enabled safe access to services, making a safe route in case of any disaster and reducing the cost of travel. School attendance went up while farmers felt jubilant for selling their produce at a better price in the market. They could �nally use the mechanized methods for farming (including use of tractor for sowing) as they had once dreamed. It became easy for vehicles to drive to the village. It was not long ago when villagers had to walk atleast a kilometre to reach the main road for groceries and other

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household items. Women, children, elders and people with special needs were not able to take this route. Children were afraid to go to school when it rained. The patients had to be carried on shoulders to reach the main road in times of medical emergency. The poor people of Morai Bala were wary of the promises made by political leaders to construct the road. In order to tackle this situation, AKRSP visited Morai Bala village and two other villages to inform them about the bene�ts of forming community organizations (COs) and providing guidance on record keeping and decision making. Funds were provided to the CO for constructing a link road under the LACIP. Concerted efforts and hardwork resulted in timely completion of the project and Morai Bala got connected to the main road. The road has led to the rebirth of the village as life has changed for the better for all its residents.

A polio worker who had previously found it extremely difficult to reach Morai Bala responded with optimism, “We feel safe travelling on the road and we can reach the communities safely with this newly constructed passage.” The feedback of the community has been overwhelmingly positive. A resident reveals, “The value of our land has increased. We feel safe while travelling and satis�ed with process adopted by AKRSP. Our livelihoods have improved after having access to the main market and we have started employing improved techniques for farming. Social cohesion has brought the community together and we interact more frequently with communities living in other areas.”

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Connecting to the World A well interconnected road network is an essential component for economic activities. Like many other villages in the Chitral district, Gaht Payeen was a small disconnected village located in the Mulkhow valley with 70 households and population of 650 people. Scattered over the hills and cut off from the district the small rural economy is hardly offering livelihood opportunities for increasing village population. AKRSP, PPAF's partner organization, helped the residents in construction of a link road which connected them to the main road.

This link road has increased economic activities in the village due to easy access to the market. People use their time more productively. The price value of the land has increased and Gaht Payeen is attracting communities for settling in. The link road has made it easy for everyone to access basic amenities of life. Earlier, the residents of village Gaht Payeen were facing huge socio-economic problems due to dilapidated link road. The area remained cut off from other villages. This situation affected the accessibility of the villagers to nearby places.

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The farmers were not able to sell their agriculture produce to the market and this was severely inhibiting their potential income. In times of medical emergency, the villagers were left with no other resort but to pray to the Almighty that they get through their predicament.

Under the LACIP, AKRSP conducted the social survey of the village after the VO had passed a resolution. The community had only one demand of improving the existing link road. Once the process had been initiated, PPAF engineers visited the site and conducted a technical feasibility survey. Both PPAF and the community pooled their resources to ensure timely construction of link road and the hard work put in by all stakeholders culminated in successful construction of road in September 2014. The story of the village after the road's reopening has been nothing short of a fairy tale. It shows how a little help and collaboration could go a long way in reversing the fortunes of a community.

Zubair Muhammad while praising the LACIP said, “We were facing many problems due to the damaged road. It was very difficult for villagers to commute. We could not reach the market in time for business which affected our household income. Children were also suffering while going to school. Now we are connected and full relieved.”

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A Rejuvenated Life Access to basic facilities is one of the fundamental human requirements accorded to all citizens of the country. However, because of difficult and limited development in remote areas, people are denied these basic rights .Singoor is one such small village, consisting of 200 households within the jurisdiction of union council Chitral II. The village was cut off from the Chitral city due to absence of link road. Under the KfW funded LACIP programme, residents of Singoor village constructed a 1750 feet long link road from Shanal to Shah Merandeh which connected Singoor to the district.

This scheme has transformed lives of the villagers and has provided immediate relief to local people by connecting Singoor to its neighbouring villages. Now, men can commute to other areas to seek better livelihoods while women and children enjoy accessing local facilities comfortably and safely. Before the intervention, half of Singoor's population had to walk back to the main road, an uneven and exhausting 20 minute burden those who could walk such distances. Medical emergencies could be a

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traumatic experience because no one could hope to reach hospitals in time; women and old people were the prime victims of the non-availability of a safe route from Singoor. Life had become an unceasing struggle for the people residing in these areas. For many years, people had left it up to fate, thinking that their situation might never change.

As a part of the participatory approach undertaken by PPAF and its partner organization, this problem was identi�ed as a priority and proposed for sought under the LACIP. Local communities rose to the occasion and wholeheartedly contributed in the form of free land, labour and local materials for the construction. Today, 200 households comprising of 1600 individuals are directly bene�tting from this link road. Children have more time to focus on their studies and women are using additional time in carrying out economic and social activities. An overall sense of peace and satisfaction has descended upon the residents of Singoor.

A community member recalls the terrible conditions before the road was built and thank LACIP for helping them construct this road. He says, “Pregnant women suffered due to the unavailability of a road. The mortality rate has decreased remarkably after the completion of this link road.”

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Suspension Bridge Suspending Isolation

Isolation could be a terrible punishment for a community as it prohibits them from making strong human bonds preventing collaboration to enhance their livelihoods. The villages Lanjar and Laow were in such a predicament. They are located across the stream from the main city in the mountainous area of union council Shishikoh in the Chitral district. With 110 households between the two villages, the residents of these villages were leading isolated lives, they were sustaining themselves on the produce of their agricultural land and few animals which each household could maintain on its own. For everything else, they had to cross the stream, which was a perilous task for the communities.

After the construction of the bridge as part of the LACIP, Lajar and Laow were brought out of isolation into the real world. Not only has this ended their time in the wilderness, but the bridge has also provided an alternate route to neighbouring villages when their route of only choice are buried under snow in the winter. More than 10 villages have its residents cross the bridge every day, who can

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now access hospitals, market and school within reasonable time. The water, once threatening enough to carry away those caught in the current, does not reach the bridge and even in times of �ooding the villagers can carry out their errands with ease.

Things were not as simple for Lajar and Laow before construction of the bridge. A wooden bridge was the only means to cross the stream. This narrow bridge could only be used by pedestrians, cars or ambulances could hardly make it on these roads to access these villages that lay at a distance of 1-3 km far from the main road. A link road was constructed by the community at their own for which they carried the building material on donkeys or on their own shoulders. When the glaciers began to melt during the summer, the wooden bridge would be submerged in the rising water and even that only way of crossing over to the other side was lost to the villagers. It was a particularly concerning thought for school-going children, women and old aged people. In times of sickness, they would stare helplessly, thrown at the mercy of their fate.

So when PPAF's partner organization SRSP conducted the social survey of the villages under the LACIP, the community expressed their interest in constructing a bridge to bridge the gap between villages. Four community organizations joined hands, pooled resources and collaborated to provide wood, steel and construct embankments of the bridge. With 20 per cent share of four community organizations and remaining funds coming in by PPAF an 80 feet long wooden bridge was built over the stream in three months' time. The level of pride and ownership shown by the residents of Lajar and Laow is exemplary. They are concerned for its maintenance and the village committee keeps a regular check to carry out necessary maintenance work.

Dolat Khan, a local resident said, “The water �owed over the narrow wooden bridge in times of �ooding. My 12 years old daughter slipped into the stream and lost her life, I am glad that this will not happen again”.

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Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund Plot 14, Street 12, Mauve Area, G-8/1, Islamabad, Pakistan.

UAN: +92-51-111-000-102, l Website: www.ppaf.org.pk

The emblem denotes three words: Ishq, Ilm, Aml meaning profound love,knowledge and action the core values of PPAF.

New Stories of Success & Courage · 2017. 11. 30. · Fazal's eyes when he received a sewing...

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