PPAF programs for socio-economic uplift in Khushab

 During the inaugurating of Delay Action Dam at Sadiqabad, district Khushab, the community organizations demanded from Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) and government to provide more and more micro finance credit schemes.
The Delay Action Dam along with modern irrigation system including Sprinkle and Drip Irrigation, water pumps were installed in different parts of the district through financial assistance of the PPAF.

The locals, particularly female, demanded more micro finance credit facilities so that they might increase their small business entities through purchase of sewing machines and other livestock. Chief Executive Officer PPAF Qazi Azmat Isa inaugurated the above different schemes with the collaboration of local community organizations. A group of journalists also checked these completed schemes in the district. Azmat said that the PPAF has launched an integrated and multi-pronged programme aimed at socio-economic empowerment and improvement in the livelihoods of the poor communities in Soon Valley, district Khushab, which is inclusive, transparent and socially-cohesive in process and aims at articulating the voices of the poor.
Within the programme, there is a special focus on women, persons with disabilities, vulnerable and marginalized segments of the communities. Through its partner organisation namely Soon Valley Development Programme (SVDP), PPAF, in the first phase, issued grant for Efficient On-Farm Water Management schemes as a pilot project and 34 sub-projects were executed in the Soon Valley, which has three wetlands of international significance and provide a unique sanctuary to a host of migratory birds during winter season. Pressure pipes were laid at 373 tube-wells to irrigate 1,827 acres of land in different villages in six union councils across the Valley. Over 847 households and 4,842 persons benefited from this project. After a successful initial partnership, PPAF offered SVDP a Drought Mitigation and Preparedness Program (DMPP) to be implemented in four union councils of the Soon Valley in 2004. This included a water balance model for future, envisaging change in crop pattern and construction of physical infrastructure projects like delay action dams, check dams, rainwater harvesting ponds and efficient irrigation schemes.
In January 2005, PPAF offered SVDP) another DMPP project to cover the remaining two union councils in the Soon Valley, which is also a habitat of Urial. With this financial support from PPAF, the SVDP has completed, initiated 249 projects of different natures to sustain groundwater resources in the area for future besides increasing the incomes of the small farmers.
After completion of the DMPPs, the PPAF awarded Second Generation Interventions project and Integrated Water Efficient Irrigation Project to support DMPPs interventions and enhance conservation impacts. The activities included awareness building, social mobilisation and social organisation of the stakeholder communities, particularly small farmers. Delay action dams, check dams, pipe irrigation, rain water harvesting ponds, drinking water supply schemes in hard areas, access tracks, natural resource management projects (contour walls, seeding, plantation), solar pump irrigation, solar lighting, tunnel agriculture, enclosure to monitor vegetation cover, bubbler irrigation, bio-gas digesters, precision land levelling, sprinkler irrigation, drip irrigation, community-based mini weather stations and ground water monitoring at 43 sites in six union councils of the Soon Valley. These interventions have greatly helped to mitigate impacts of drought in the area.
With the financial support of PPAF, SVDP has disbursed Rs 90.7 million among 5,030 borrowers, including 2243 females, with a recovery rate of 98.6 per cent. The borrowers have spent this money on livestock, commerce, agriculture, handicraft and other businesses.
Through these interventions, awareness raised among communities about sustainable natural resource management. Social mobilization and organisation of communities, particularly small farming communities
has resulted in coherent response to challenges of natural resource management, ground water resource management and forest management. Women have become an integral part of the community organisations. Ground water recharge has increased in accordance with data obtained from 43 selected sites from all six union councils of Soon valley.
The farming community is better off after effective measures taken by PPAF through SVDP through better crops, water and diesel saving and good economic returns from crops. Income generation opportunities have increased for labour community.
Availability of water for local communities and livestock during dry periods of the year has also increased considerably. Provision of drinking water facility to the settlements affected from drought has change the living standard of the local communities. This has reduced the workload of the females.