Sustainable Livelihood & Community Development

Rural Aid’s programs are in line with 2023-2027 Strategic Plan, contributing to the strategic theme-1 “Encourage inclusive rural growth leading to economic development and enhancement of employment opportunities” and strategic objectives “Strengthening of institutions to increase rural productivity, Increased access to markets and social safety nets, creation of employment opportunities, enterprise development and Income generation” and SDG 1 No Poverty, SDG 2 Zero Hunger, SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth, SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.

Rural Aid implementing the following programs:

1. Human & Institutional Development (HID)
2. Community Development Actions
3. Sustainable Livelihood
4. Community based Humanitarian Initiatives

Rural Aid’s participatory integrated community development approach works through boosting active community involvement and participation in problem identification, planning, implementation, monitoring & evaluation process, advocacy, collective development actions, ownership development and empowerment. Our participatory approach helping partner communities to build strong connections with market & safety nets, enhance local socio-economic development, create more vibrant, climate friendly and resilient communities.

Rural Aid’s community mobilization approach ensures participation and inclusion of the marginalized segments, particularly women, persons with disabilities, transgenders and

minorities in the development process. It helps them to develop effectual local level institutions to pool and mobilize their resources for improving their livelihood’s Rural Aid has established grass-root level institutions that provide a platform to the partner communities to take part in the decision that effects their lives and they can take ownership of their self-development.

Rural Aid is promoting the livelihood on sustainable basis of socially excluded and low-income communities

by building the entrepreneurial & technical capacities, provision of livelihood support and linking with service providers, markets and safety nets. Rural Aid strengthening of democratic and administrative institutions focusing authorities, men and women, youth, ethnic minorities and vulnerable groups. Sustainable reduction in gender-based violence, abuse and exclusion and strengthening of institutional mechanisms ensuring access to justice and fundamental and democratic rights.

Education, Literacy and Health

Rural Aid’s programs are in line with 2023-2027 Strategic Plan, contributing to the strategic theme-2 “Increase equitable access to quality social services, including health, education, WASH” and strategic objective “Increased access to quality education and health services for marginalized segments” and SDG 3 Good health and well-being, SDG 4 quality education and SDG 5 gender equality.

1. Education Program

Rural Aid is promoting girl’s education, joyful learning, support retention and high enrollments and a happy, healthy & secure childhood through community-based initiatives. Rural Aid is implementing the following education, programs:

A). Community model schools: Rural Aid is providing quality primary education in rural areas through community model schools, teacher training and promoting girl’s education, child friendly environment and joyful learning to school going children in rural areas. Rural Aid also implementing dosti sport program for the retention and mental, physical and social growth.

B). Enrollment of out of school children: Rural Aid is working for the enrollment out of school children by engaging community based trained youth volunteers, community activists and school management.

C). Education First: School Renovation: The education first project providing the missing facilities and rehabilitate schools, enhance the capacity and quality of education in target schools through

rehabilitation and provision of facilities including construction of classrooms, wash rooms/toilets, clean water and safe sanitation facilities, computer and science labs, furniture for students and teachers, earth filling and playground leveling, etc. The education first project helps to improve quality education, child friendly environment, increase enrollment of out of school children and their retention.

2. Literacy and Skill Development Program

 Rural Aid is empowering women and girls for sustainable development through community mobilization, forming women’s support groups, promoting gender equality and women participation in decision-making and local development at all levels, and educating non-literate women and girls (14-40 years) by provision of functional, livelihood & financial literacy, enterprise development and low-cost income generation skills to empower rural women and girls.

3. Health Program

Rural Aid’s Health program focuses on improving maternal and child health indicators in the forgotten

communities of Pakistan. Rural Aid accomplished this by improving the nutritional status of children & childbearing women, ensuring community involvement in the promotion of health, awareness raising programs, providing health screenings and diagnostic services through community health centers and mobile health camps. The primary objectives of our health program are:

• To reduce Maternal and Child mortalities and morbidities through medical support and referral services.
• Increase access of remote rural communities to existing health services and adopted safer health practices in terms of nutrition, vaccinations and basic health as a result of increased knowledge of reproductive, maternal and infant health through integrated health literacy.
• Rural communities linked with existing health facilities through a smart phone referral and advice system leading to a greater number of women accessing pre and postnatal care and increased medical referrals where appropriate, resulting in a reduction in maternal and infant deaths.
• Self-supporting women’s health committees and Men’s support groups (MSGs) at community level will share knowledge and learning with their local community through a series of sensitization events leading to improved awareness and access to community midwife service and reduced maternal and infant deaths.

Community Health Centers are established in remote rural areas to provide basic health & mother & child health services to the rural population, these services include reproductive health, pre & postnatal services, referral services, counselling, primary health, malaria treatment, nutritional support and immunization. Rural Aid uses high end technologies and smartphones to improve maternal health indicators in remotest rural areas. Rural Aid Pakistan is also building the capacities of health professionals and community midwives in remote rural part of Pakistan.

5.1 Integrated Health Literacy: The integrated health literacy sessions were designed and delivered to

encourage rural communities to adopt appropriate behaviors & safer health practices.

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH)

Rural Aid’s supporting partner rural communities in order to improve their quality of life and productivity, ensure water-stricken communities have adequate & sustainable access to clean water, improve knowledge, capability and skill for adoption of safer WASH practices, conservation and use of natural resources through community productive infrastructure schemes and improved water & sanitation facilities.  Rural Aid is providing sustainable WASH services and ensuring open defecation free communities through affordable, appropriate technology and behavioral change.

Rural Aid is implementing the virous community-based WASH initiatives and contributing the Rural Aid strategic plan 2023-2027 Strategic theme -2 “Increase equitable access to quality social services, including health, education, WASH and Strategic Objectives “Improved access to clean drinking water, public and environmental sanitation and hygiene promotion, strengthening of institutional mechanisms” and SDGs 3 Good Health and

Well-being, SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation and SDG 13 Climate Change.

 Rural Aid’s WASH program provides expertise and interventions aimed at saving lives and reducing illness by improving access to healthy and safe water, adequate sanitation, and improved hygiene. The WASH program works on long-term prevention and control measures for improving health, reducing poverty and improving socio-economic development as well as responding to emergencies and outbreaks of life-threatening illnesses.  Rural Aid’s approach towards community led WASH includes promoting access to safe water, household water treatment options and water safety plans, which identify water quality threats in community water systems and water utilities, while implementing solutions to those threats; Improving the efficacy, sustainability and integration of hygiene and sanitation interventions into communities and institutions, such as schools; improving access to safe water, improved sanitation, sufficient hygiene infrastructure and adequate waste management in healthcare facilities in order to improve access to quality healthcare. In order to promote safe WASH practices in the communities, Rural Aid carried out the following projects in rural communities of Pakistan:

1. Installation of 500 shallow tube wells for vulnerable communities of district Multan
2. Installation of 467 shallow tube wells for vulnerable communities of district Khanewal
3. Installation of 41 deep wells for vulnerable communities of district Kotli – AJK

Table of the key activities and cross cutting themes implemented:

The Rural Aid’s WASH program made significant contributions to the following sectors:

• Improved health & nutrition by reducing the incidence of waterborne diseases and respiratory infections amongst the children and women.

• Livelihoods: improve water security and reduce hunger, water for productive uses in growing vegetables & fruit trees on homestead forms and animal drinking.
• Increase School Enrollment Education: WASH projects have opened the path for stronger education outcomes, including protection of children especially girls from harm – availability of safe water at door step reduced the time spent of fetching water from far flung areas and labor involved in daily water parade.

• Women and Child protection & participation: WASH water projects are promoted and respected the rights and dignity of women, boys and girls, especially the vulnerable segments. The availability of safe drinking water at nearby locations reduced the risk of abuse and exploitation of both boys and girls, as well as minimized the risks of physical and sexual violence.

Climate Actions

Rural Aid Pakistan is working on climate change, disaster risk reduction and food security by applying inclusive and holistic transformational development approach to reduce the severity of human induced climate change & its impacts and contribute to achieve SDG 13 climate action, SDG 7 affordable and clean energy, SDG 12 responsible consumption and production and SDG 15 life on land.

Rural Aid programs and actions are in line with Strategic Plan 2023-2027, contributing to the strategic theme-3 “Reduce vulnerability to natural disasters, food insecurity and climate change” and Strategic objectives “Management of natural resources, land, water, energy, biodiversity and resilience for adaptation to climate change, Humanitarian response, Disaster Risk Reduction and integration of social safety nets, Climate change Adaptation and Strengthening of food security mechanisms”.

Rural Aid is building resilient communities, improving livelihood and food security on sustainable basis by building capacities, changing traditional behaviors and agricultural practices. We are improving education, awareness raising, human & institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation and climate impact reduction and promoting climate smart agriculture, protecting natural resources including water, air, environment and biodiversity. Rural Aid implementing the following climate actions:

Rural Aid Pakistan is working on climate change, disaster risk reduction and food security by applying inclusive and holistic transformational development approach to reduce the severity of human induced climate change & its impacts and contribute to achieve SDG 13 climate action, SDG 7 affordable and clean energy, SDG 12 responsible consumption and production and SDG 15 life on land.

1. Promoting climate smart agriculture and Solar Powered Water Irrigation Technologies:

Installation of solar powered drip irrigation systems in rural areas and building capacity of small farmers and women. The grant contracts were signed between Mr. ITO Takeshi, Charge d’ Affaires ad interim of Japan to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and CEO Rural Aid Pakistan at the Embassy of Japan in Islamabad on March 7, 2023.

This project improving agricultural infrastructure in an environment-friendly and sustainable way, and contributing to boosting farmer’s income with the efficient increase in food crops.

The project aims at promoting and complementing the solar powered water irrigation technologies in rural areas by coupling them with drip irrigation systems. That are known for rationalizing water usage to appropriate levels. Project is considered to be a climate action designed to create resilience among the vulnerable farmers to sustainably utilize water resources while using renewable energy. Project envisages that through rationalizing the water use and appropriating the irrigation discharges to the required levels, not only the quality and quantity of produce can be improved but underground water reserves can also be enhanced that are depleting fast due to excessive drilling and extraction in Pakistan.

Low income and vulnerable farmers will have improved skills, technologies and knowledge to apply for their uplift and mitigating the impacts of climate change on agriculture Rural Aid is mobilizing the farmers, forming & straightening the farmer support groups (FSGs) at community level. Rural Aid is building the capacities of small and low-income farmers on climate change adoption, climate smart agriculture techniques,

water management and short-term profitable crops to improve their livelihood on sustainable basis, combat the water shortage and energy deficiency in the way of cost-effective irrigation and rationalize consumption of water.

At the signing ceremony, Mr. ITO congratulated the Rural Aid on winning the grants from the Government of Japan. He also expressed his expectation that the development project in cooperation with local communities would have a positive impact on uplifting the living standards of Pakistani people at the grassroots level. The Government of Japan will provide further flexible and timely support for local NGOs through grant assistance to improve the social-wellbeing of the people of Pakistan at the grassroots level.

2. Promoting Nature-based Solutions

Rural Aid promoting nature-based solutions and actions to sustainable management & use of natural features and processes to tackle socio-environmental issues including climate change, water security, water pollution, food security, human health, biodiversity loss, and disaster risk management.

Rural Aid is implementing the following community-based actions for climate change adaptation to reduce risk and vulnerability to climate change, strengthen resilience, enhance well-being and the capacity to anticipate and respond successfully to change.

2.1            Go Green Campaign: tree plantation at household, community, public and school places through trained youth and community volunteers

2.2            Promoting organic green houses and kitchen gardening by involving rural women

2.3            Sustainable management, conservation and use of natural resources

2.4            Responding disasters and disaster risk management

3. Improving Education, Awareness and Building Resilient Communities

Rural Aid is educating, raising awareness and building human & institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation and climate impact reduction.

Rural Aid’s participatory integrated approach works through boosting active community involvement and inclusion of all marginalized groups, ownership development and empowerment. Our participatory approach helping partner communities to build strong connections with market & safety nets, enhance local socio-economic development, create more vibrant, climate friendly and resilient communities.