On The Road For A Better Tomorrow

By Seema Khattak
Social Organizer, Mardan Region

The rural poor of Pakistan are the most neglected segment of the population as a whole. They are isolated from the main economy. They exist in a scenario of limited financial resources, low literacy rate, unemployment, high inflation rate less hope, the only option left with these rural is to make use of the available resources and self-employment through up grading their skills.

HDF, an Organization is working for the last four years in the Mardan Region & is working with the four components i.e. economic development, education, health, & CPIs. And so is making its best ever efforts to improve the living conditions of the rural poor through their willingness & cooperation. Each aspect of the Organization leads the communities towards self-reliance & development. It is working as an institution to promote community service, volunteerism & philanthropy .The Organization fosters the communities with technical assistance in capacity building /development. HDF is helping the community in empowerment & participation at every stage of decision-making.
Here is the golden example, which I want to share with my readers & that will be a validation that HDF is not only working for the development but also exploring the opportunities that directly address the emerging issues of the women. It is a bare fact that there will only be a sustainable development when women play an equal part in every walk of life.

This is a story about an ambitious community member of Bakri Banda II. This lady naming Husana is a very poor, needy but self-made lady. She is married and having four children, her husband is daily wager earning Rs. 1500/- per month. So they are trying very hard to make ends meet. Another heart breaking fact about her is that her in-laws do not accept her, as she can’t provide them enough dowry. As a result she is living with her parents along her husband & children.

Since this is a targeted area of HDF, When the community started working with HDF and formed organization, that lady joined the organization and became an active member. She started active participation in the meetings of the organization and regularly submitted her savings. Her savings stand at Rs. 350/-. When HDF started its capacity building program i.e. Basic Garment Training, she joined it.

She started her work very actively and punctually and presented her self as a brilliant, talented participant of the training. She even started helping her other participants of the training program. According to her training teacher, “She is the most refined and promising trainee of the program”. The social organizer in the area discussed Husna’s talents and desire to work with the HRD coordinator of Mardan region. Together they decided that she would be good source of motivation for the rest of the community. So they decided to accept her as a master trainer and work for HDF skill enhancement program.

At the same time a demand for a trainer came from another area, Faqir Killi of the Union Council Maho Dheri .As the lady Husana had all the good qualities of a trainer and had very good communication skill, consequently she is hired as master trainer for imparting training in the said area. Now on the one hand, this lady has been rendering her services as a best trainer for the community skill enhancement and on the other hand she is helping her husband to support her family financially in a better way. At the same time, she is working as an activist to pave way for the interventions of HDF in the related area as well. And is engaged cordially in strengthening the community in capacity building. She expressed her enthusiasm in the following words;“ To me it was a dream to work outside of the house. While I wasn’t permitted outside however when I joined the organization of my village, it gives me the vigor to have built confidence & get a chance to work & support my family”.

Enhancing the skills of women in sewing /stitching/embroidery is a traditional, stereotypical training but is laudable achievement both for HDF and community women who have taken the initiatives to cross the boundaries of four walls and traveled out to learn some skills at the centers. The most appreciating and remarkable accomplishment is that such activities would provide the women /community members with sense of achievement and self-confidence.

Date/Time Last Modified: 8/3/2003 10:02:41 P