Annual Report schools in the villages and remote areas of four districts of Sindh – Khairpur,...

2015-16

Annual Report

CONTENTS

01 Vision, Mission and Values

02 IRC Ideology

03 IRC At A Glance

04 Highlights of 2015-16

05 Program Performance

06 Education and Literacy Program (ELP)

15 Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP)

20 Governance, Democracy and Human

Rights Programme (GD&HP)

22 Human Resources

22 Financial Resources

22 Challenges for future

ANNUAL REPORT 2015-16 1


1. IRC Ideology

In Pakistan, society is stratified into classes - the elite have benefitted from economic policies

almost exclusively and on the other hand, the poor, particularly those who live in far-flung,

rural areas are lagged behind. They are the ones who have been leading their lives under

highly authoritative and oppressive feudal structures. They include landless peasants and

labourers, the uneducated children of poor communities, minority groups, women and all

those who do not have a voice and who lack access to resources, services and other

opportunities. The IRC mission is to work with these groups, equip them with necessary skills,

give them confidence, and provide platforms for exploitation of their potential. IRC

facilitates their engagement with each other, with the rest of the society and the powerful

state institutions.

To do this, IRC takes a three-pronged approach: educate children, and, if and where possible,

adults; enhance income levels through broadening of the livelihoods base and improved

market mechanisms; and ensure the participation of marginalised communities in their own

development processes.

Integrated within the entire programme are core values that IRC adheres to. These are:

equality of human beings; dignity of labour; respect for all religions, races and languages;

honesty, integrity and simplicity; and celebration of diversity.

IRC’s work contributes directly towards the following Sustainable Development Goals

(SDGs):

The organisation tries to follow an integrated approach wherever it is possible. Since

locations of the projects are not always in control of IRC, it remains a desirable situation

rather than an essential one. Linkages between various components of each initiative and

among diverse initiatives are tried hard. The creation of synergies is considered important

for optimisation of benefits and sustainable development.


2. IRC at a Glance (2015 & 2016)

Established and Registered

Established in July 1999 Registered under Societies Act 1860 (Reg. No. KAR 568)

Board of Directors 11 members from diverse development background

Outreach 8 districts of Sindh – Khairpur, Ghotki, Sukkur, Kambar-Shahdadkot, Larkana, Dadu, Jamshoro and Karachi (Coastal Area)

Thematic Areas

1. Education and Literacy 2. Sustainable Livelihoods 3. Governance, Democracy and Human Rights 4. Disaster Response and Risk Management.

IRC’s Own Schools 55 schools in the villages and remote areas of four districts of Sindh – Khairpur, Dadu, Jamshoro and Rehri Goth of Bin Qasim, Karachi Enrolment is 8389 (girls) with 421 teachers

Non-Formal Education

30 Non-Formal Centres for 1048 adolescents who have missed their first chance of going to school

IRC’s Government Adopted Schools

37 government schools in Keamari and Ibrahim Hyderi, Karachi 13 in Dharki, Ghotki 2 in Saleh Pat, Sukkur Total enrolment in all these schools is more than 8000

Khazana Crafts Centres

Two Khazana Crafts Centres (handicraft training and production centres with shops) – one in Khairpur and the second one in Kotdiji

Women Artisans earning livelihood

Altogether 100+ women remained engaged in the production of Crafts for Khazana during 2015 & 2016

Technical and Vocational Training

Under EQUATE, preparatory training was given to 1100 youth (203 girls) and then technical training was given through technical institutes

IndusBits at Jamshoro

Digital design training was imparted to 27 boys and 7 girls for one year. The courses were on computer skills, web design, graphic design and entrepreneurial skills. Two batches are under training now.

Number of Projects during 2015 & 2016

Altogether 19 projects were implemented - 10 in Education; 4 in Sustainable Livelihoods; 3 in Governance, Democracy and Human Rights; and 2 in Disaster Risk Reduction.

Donors in 2015 & 2016

PPAF, DIL, Packard Foundation, OxfamNovib, Karachi Youth Initiative, USAID through IRD and Chemonics, Unicef, Engro Foundation, Government of Sindh, Trocaire, Alif Ailaan (UKAID)

Training Facilities Residential training facilities in Khairpur, otherwise fully equipped training rooms in Shahdadkot, Dadu and Jamshoro offices also.

Human Resources

Altogether IRC had 1035 staff on December 31, 2015

Program Staff 148 Teaching staff 636

Operational Staff 23 Non- Teaching staff 154

Support Staff 49 Social Enterprises 25

Towards Sustainability

IRC has its own offices in Karachi, Jamshoro and Khairpur


3. Highlights of 2015-16

A research study to assess and learn from the success stories in gender equality in

education was initiated and completed. The study is helping IRC initiated Gender

Working Group in its education campaign for gender responsive budgeting.

Another achievement in the same direction has been the approval by the Government

and allocation of budget for establishing a Gender Unit within Academic and Training

Section so that gender sensitive materials and physical infrastructure can be developed.

Partnership with Sindh Education Foundation (SEF) in Karachi, Jamshoro and Sukkur has

been a big highlight of the reporting period. IRC is working with 37 schools in Karachi, 22

in Jamshoro and 18 in Sukkur under this partnership having an enrolment of about 12000

students.

IRC has been selected as Educational Management Organisation (EMO) under Public

Private Partnership policy of the Government of Sindh.

30 Non-Formal Education Centres for out of school adolescents have been developed. 28

of these centres are in functioning in the afternoon shift in Government Primary Schools.

Unicef has provided funding for this initiative.

IRC organised a Taaleemi Mela for schools of Dadu and Khairpur in Kotdiji. 25 schools

participated in the Mela and showcased their projects. Senior Minister for Education, Mr

Nisar Khuro was the chief guest at the mela.

In 2015, 97 students (19 boys and 78 girls) appeared for their Matriculation exams from

IRC’s Sojhro Schools System. 5 of them passed in A-1 grade, 53 in A, 32 in B, 4 in C and 3

in D or failed. All these students are from villages of Khairpur, Jamshoro and coastal areas

of Karachi.

Building upon its work with artisans and its experience of technical training, IRC

implemented a Community Development Project supported by Government of Sindh in

Kotdiji. 640 youth and women were trained under this project.

The District authorities in Khairpur have handed over the management of DRR Park in

Kotdiji to IRC. The park has been renamed as Heritage Park and is open now for visitors.

IRC organized a series of five-day ‘Khazana tours: Discovering Hidden Treasures of

Sindh’ around the most historic and cultural sites. An attractive tour brochure has been

developed.

1800 trees have been planted in operational area, inside the schools and in villages. IRC’s

nursery at Khairpur is promoting plantation of trees and flower plants in the area.


4. Program Performance

IRC works in four broad themes, under which it

implements various projects that contribute to

the overall mission of the organisation. While

several projects are multi-faceted, each has a

major focus aimed towards a specific

programme. The four themes or programmes

are:

Education and Literacy

Sustainable Livelihoods

Governance, Democracy & Human

Rights

Disaster Response and Risk

Management.

Each of the four programmes is aligned with

one or more of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to which Pakistan is committed

to achieving.

Cross cutting themes that form the building blocks of IRC’s work include: Gender equity;

Collaboration with government; social mobilisation and capacity building; and

environmental sustainability.

IRC started its field-work with capacity building of Community Based Organisations (CBOs)

in Dadu and Khairpur districts in the year 2000. In consultation with partner CBOs, Education

and Literacy Program was added in the year 2001 with interventions in girls’ education. For

four years, IRC unsuccessfully struggled with Micro-finance programme as a means for

poverty reduction but finally quit in 2008. The story of the failure was a great learning

experience. It was followed by development of crafts as a source of sustainable livelihoods.

Governance, Democracy and Human Rights was always on the agenda in one way or the

other particularly in capacity building of CBOs.

During the reporting period, IRC worked on all the four programs mentioned above and had

its outreach in seven districts of Sindh: Ghotki, Khairpur, Sukkur, Kambar-Shahdadkot,

Dadu, Jamshoro and coastal areas of Karachi.


5. Education and Literacy Program (ELP)

As the flagship program of IRC, the ELP has been in

operation since 2001. IRC educates rural children

by setting up its own schools at the village level,

lends support to government schools through

public-private partnerships, and conducts

advocacy based on research and field learning. It

runs a self-designed education model, which is cost

effective, feasible and scalable, well suited to the

rural areas particularly for girls.

5.1 IRC’s Own Sojhro

Schools

At present, IRC runs 55 schools of its own, with

8,389 children, in four districts of Sindh - Karachi

(coastal area of Rehri Goth), Khairpur, Dadu and

Jamshoro.

IRC has been working for educating girls in Sindh

for over 14 years, and Development in Literacy

(DIL) has been a long and trusted partner. There are

17 schools running currently, with a total enrolment

of 2485 children and 148 teachers. The schools

have produced about 900 matriculates in the last

few years. Another long time partner and

supporter of IRC is Pakistan Poverty Alleviation

Fund (PPAF). Altogether the details of IRC’s own

schools are as under:

5.1.1 Salient Features of IRC Education Model Community participation: Each school has a Village Education Committee for increasing community’s involvement in school affairs. Local Female Teachers: Preference is given to local female teachers, if available. This practice is contributing in making co-education acceptable for the community. Admission policy for boys: Admission of boys is tied with the admission of their female siblings or cousins. If parent send their girl child to school, one brother or cousin becomes eligible for admission. Teachers’ Development: Short, frequent training workshops and their rigorous follow-up are done on pedagogy and contents. Weak content knowledge of teachers is a serious challenge for IRC. Flexible vacations: In order to allow children to accompany their parents on farm work such as cotton and chilli picking, IRC schedules two weeks holidays in this season and deducts these days from summer vacation. This is gradually becoming difficult as the government insists that non-state providers should follow government’s holidays. Small payment for learning: IRC does not provide completely free education. A nominal fee from Rs 50 to Rs 200 (in classes IX and X) is charged to instill a sense of worth among communities. Additional modules: Realising the inadequacies in curriculum, IRC added two modules: Reproductive Health Education and Environmental Education at the secondary level Theatre for change: Training of children on the use of theatre for bringing out social change has also been introduced in a few schools.

District No. of

Schools No. of

Teachers

Students

Boys Girls Total

Khairpur 26 239 1745 2842 4587

Jamshoro 11 77 621 969 1590

Dadu 9 39 191 569 760

Karachi 9 66 789 663 1452

Total 55 421 3346 5043 8389


5.1.2 Highlights of IRC School Program during 2015-16:

During the year, 20 alumni of IRC Sojhro Schools have come back to the system as

teachers. These girls are from Khora, Sobho Dero, Razal Memon and Kumb Schools. This

has made the number of alumni teachers as 48 out of a total of 148.

1n 2015, 97 students, 19 boys and 78 girls, appeared from IRC’s Sojhro Schools System. 5

of them passed in A-1 grade, 53 in A, 32 in B, 4 in C and 3 in D or failed. All these students

are from villages of Khairpur, Jamshoro and coastal areas of Karachi.

Four girls now are studying in Engineering Universities. Several of them are continuing

their general education in colleges and Shah Abdul Latif University.

In 2015, classes IX and X from Khora and Sobodero appeared in Class IX examination.

Now seven schools of IRC that are functioning up to High School, 5 in Khairpur and 2 in

Karachi. Girls have also appeared in Matriculation from Amri and Khanote schools of

Jamshoro after self-study and taking help from their elementary school teachers. IRC has

not yet started secondary section in these schools.

Solar panel system has been installed in Government High School Kotdiji in order to

address electricity load shedding. Generators have been provided to other two adopted

government schools, Government Girls School Kotdiji and Government Higher

Secondary School, Kotdiji.

Construction of five additional rooms has been completed in Sojhro Elementary School

Larhi and construction of an Elementary School has been started on a plot of land

measuring 900 sq yds in Manzoorabad, District Jamshoro.

Teachers’ training was very generously supported in DIL-supported schools whereas no

such investment was made in the other schools.

Meetings with Village Education Committees (VECs) and Mothers’ Groups continued but

in some clusters they were not given their due importance.

IRC Sojhro School in Village Bugro was constructed to replace the school in Makol. This

school has an enrolment of 145 children at primary level.


5.1.3 A Little Direction Goes A Long Way

Waqar Ali Wassan is a graduate of IRC Faiz School Kot Diji. He joined the school in 7th class

in 2010, shortly after it had opened. In 2014 he graduated obtaining an A grade. He is currently

studying Pre-Medical Intermediate at IBA Community College. He is the first student from

IRC Faiz school to qualify for this highly esteemed college. There, he is preparing to sit for

Aga Khan University Examination Board exams, which are more demanding than the local

board exams and therefore of more merit. Although the fees are much higher than he can

easily afford, and despite the fact that his father passed away in 2010, Waqar’s uncles have

fully supported his efforts for a better education and a brighter future.

My name is Waqar Ali Wassan. I am from Village Haji Nawab Khan Wassan. I used to study at my

local government school. Despite regularly attending school, it was my misfortune that only our class

teacher used to take periods and other teachers were absent. I heard about the new IRC School that

had opened in nearby Kot Diji. I took admission and joined in Class 7.

On my first day at IRC Faiz School, the teacher asked me to read the English textbook. I read the

lesson with full Sindhi meaning and the teacher was very impressed but unfortunately in other subjects

I could not answer the questions. Over time, with the help of my teachers and the school Principal, I

improved myself and became a good student. I learnt so many things in my lessons and more than

this I learnt how to behave with others. Our school organized many extra and co-curricular activities

and by taking part in assemblies, speech competitions and functions, I grew in confidence.

Unfortunately in the 9th class board exams, despite my usual efforts, I got less marks than I and

everybody else had expected. At the time I was really upset and disheartened but I put this setback

behind me and focused on my 10th class subjects. I took the best marks in the school that year and

averaged an A grade.

When I left IRC Faiz School I had to decide where to continue my studies. Of all the colleges offering

intermediate classes, IBA Community College Khairpur stood out. It was the only institute that was

affiliated with AKU-EB and I was most interested in this because it rewards merit and hard-work and

is highly valued by universities and employers. I knew admission would be tough because of my

background and it might have been too expensive but my family encouraged me to go for the

admission test anyway.

The test was so difficult and there were over 50 students for only 13 vacancies, but my years at IRC

Faiz School had prepared me well and I qualified in 5th position. My family have made sacrifices to

cover the tuition fees and since August 2014 I have been travelling daily to Khairpur for my classes.

Travelling such a distance to college every day is tiring and there is a gap in knowledge between myself

and my class fellows who were educated from expensive private schools. I am working hard to bridge

this gap. It is tough to go from top of the class to the bottom but by putting ourselves in such positions

we learn more. I understand that we must struggle for our education and I am grateful for the

opportunities I have been given.

Although I have moved on, I still feel proud of being a student of IRC Faiz School Kot Diji. I will always

work hard so that my teachers and my family can be equally proud of me!


5.2 IRC’s Adopted/Partner Government Schools

IRC’s education initiatives do not exist in isolation but are intricately linked to the educational

system run by the government. It is IRC’s strong conviction that there is a need for civil

society to develop a sense of ownership of public sector institutions. In pursuit of this, IRC is

engaged in the following Public-Private Partnership initiatives:

5.2.1 Partner Government Schools in Karachi:

Since 2009, IRC is working in 37 government schools located in coastal belt of Karachi.

Specifically, these schools are located in Kemari and Ibrahim Hyderi. IRC’s interventions are:

105 additional teachers, teachers’ training, minor repairs, provision of non-teaching support

staff, and provision of stationery and sports materials. Over the years, the attendance,

performance and enrolment of these schools have increased quite remarkably.

IRC’s funding from PPAF for supporting these school got expired on 31 March 2015 so IRC

withdrew from the schools. The communities later on requested the Government to bring

IRC back and then the Government with its own resources funded IRC’s interventions. Now

the funding is being done through Sindh Education Foundation.

5.2.2 Engro and PPAF - Sukkur Schools Project

Under a long-term partnership with Engro Foundation and PPAF, IRC got engaged in quality improvement of 2 Schools in Saleh Pat and Nara desert of Sukkur in 2014. At the time of taking over, one school was closed and the other had an enrolment of only 35 students. Now both the schools are functioning well and have shown a good improvement in enrolment and retention.

Main activities during the years have been recruitment of teachers, major repairs and provision of missing facilities, meetings with communities, and trust building with government teachers. Children from a radius of 3 to 5 km are attending the schools.


5.2.3 Improving Sexual and Reproductive Health through

education

The project aims at improving sexual and reproductive health of adolescent boys and girls

through proper education

and guidance called Life Skills

Based Education (LSBE). This

module is introduced in class

VI and continues till class VIII.

The project has completed its

pilot phase of three years in

Khairpur in 2013 and then the

second phase of 50 schools of

Jamshoro and Khairpur. The

project has now come to an

end. The challenge for IRC is

to continue this education

through its own resources.

The syllabus has been

designed with the support of

Aahung, an NGO known for

its specialization in

Reproductive Health. Separate books for girls and boys have been developed and distributed

in Urdu and Sindhi languages.

Advocacy with Government of Sindh continued during the year for inclusion of parts of these

modules in mainstream curriculum.

5.3 Special Projects / Contracts

In addition to regular management and monitoring of above-mentioned schools, IRC

implemented following projects under the thematic area of Education and Literacy during

2014.

5.3.1 Enrollment Enhancement through Whole School

Improvement

It was a one-year initiative, focusing on providing support to government schools in Bin

Qasim and Kemari Towns, which are amongst the most violent areas of the city. Creative

Associates and Karachi Youth Initiative (KYI) supported the project.

5.2.4 Preferring education to marriage

Nazish Mallah is a 15 year old girl from Amri Village, Taluka Manjhand

district Jamshoro. Her father is a farmer. She was a student of Class X

in IRC Sojhro School Amri - one of the schools where Life Skills Based

Education (LSBE) has been taught.

Nazish became well aware of her rights and the issues of early marriages.

When her parents decided to have her married to her cousin, she

discussed her concerns with her mother, requesting for the wedding to

be delayed to continue her education. Her mother agreed, but her

father was still adamant.

As IRC was also working with communities on Reproductive Health

issues, Nazish requested her father to attend one of their meetings.

After a few sessions, her father, too, understood the problems of early

marriages and agreed to let his daughter continue with her studies.

Nazish passed Matric with A-1 grade and is now teaching at the same

school where she studied. “My parents are proud to have me as their

daughter”, says a gleeful Nazish


Packages containing school bags, shoes, uniforms, books, copies and stationery were

distributed to 1845 students; 106 School Management Committee members were trained

through a four-day social mobilisation workshop; a winter camp was organised, 50 junior

leaders were trained; and 50 students were taken to Mohatta Palace for an exposure trip. As

a result, more than 200 students immediately got enrolled.

5.3.2 Revitalization of Government High Schools

Lyari is one of the most under-privileged and disturbed areas of Karachi. Under this project,

IRC worked for the improvement of 10 Government High schools and their neighbouring

schools in Karachi.

This project required assessment of schools’ needs, repair and rehabilitation of worn out

rooms and spaces, training of School Management Committees (SMCs), training of teachers

in English language, Science, Mathematics and Computer Skills. In all the schools, literature

on peace and tolerance were supplied and Peace Corners were established.

5.3.3 Community Mobilization Program (CMP)

With the support of USAID, this project is being implemented in 7 districts and two towns of

Karachi for the last three years. CMP is a component of Sindh Basic Education Program of

the Government of Sindh and is aimed at increasing community’s involvement in school

reforms, improving child nutrition, and increasing enrollment.

The project has three implementing partners viz. International Relief and Development (IRD)

as the lead partner with Indus Resource Centre (IRC) and Health and Nutrition Development

Society (HANDS). IRC’s responsibility is to implement project activities in Khairpur Mirs,

Kamber Shahdadkot, Dadu and Karachi.

The key activities in 2015-16 have been mobilisation of communities around Hub and

neighbouring schools. The project has entered into an interesting phase as the construction

of a few schools has been completed and the process of handing over to selected EMOs has

started. This is posing new challenges for the team.

5.3.4 The Sindh Reading Program (SRP) Project

This is another component of Sindh Basic Education Project for five years, funded by the

USAID. IRC along with Chemonics (lead partner) and HANDS is implementing the project in

the same districts where it has presence for CMP.


The project aims to increase the reading skills and mathematics abilities of the students in

early primary grades. Four components comprise the project: enhanced teachers’

competencies, improved assessment practices, improved access to reading and

mathematics materials, and enhanced participation of parents.

During the reporting year, 3000 teachers were trained for 10 days each. One remarkable

feature was the teachers attended this training inspite of summer vacations.

5.4 Research and Advocacy

Basically IRC is not a research and advocacy organisation. It is an implementing organisation

but following the mission ‘lessons learned from the field become the agenda for research and

advocacy’, it remains actively involved in various advocacy initiatives on education.

5.4.1 Engagement with Public Sector for policy dialogues

IRC remained involved mainly in the following:

a. Education Sector Plan: Four members of the IRC team remained engaged as Task

Force members in preparation of Education Sector Plan. They participated in Early

Childhood Education, Non-formal Education, Secondary Education and Social

Cohesion. This was a good forum to share IRC’s learning and experience with rural

marginalised children.

b. Sindh Teachers’ Education and Development Authority (STEDA): As a

member of the Board of Governors of STEDA, the Executive Director contributed in

discussions on teachers’ training. Being an apex body of teachers’ training, STEDA

forms the training policy and ensures its quality.

5.4.2 Research in collaboration with SAHE

IRC was invited to be a partner in Alif Ailaan and SAHE initiated research on “Voice of

Teachers”. The research had to probe and document: the concerns of the teachers

pertaining to their roles, the issues and challenges faced by them in carrying out their

professional obligations, and their ideas and vision of reforms in the education sector. This

research was a part of Alif Ailaan’s campaign on this subject. IRC contributed in the field-

work in Sindh - Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Shikarpur and Thatta District. In this regard, 45


public and 15 non-governmental primary and secondary schools were covered. A total of 139

Head teachers and 243 teachers were interviewed.

In addition to the above, IRC staff participated in several seminars and discussions related to

The Sindh Children’s Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2013. The purpose was to

strengthen the voice of civil society for putting pressure on government for developing Rules

of Business and mechanisms for the enforcement of this Act.

5.5 Challenges

Higher education of girls is not easy. There are issues related to permission and resources.

Quality of education needs to be improved.

Apprehension in scaling up is widespread in the organisation as IRC is still operating at a

modest level.

Funding as usual is an issue and will remain so.

The use of Technology is quite primitive in IRC, this needs to be improved.


6. Sustainable Livelihoods Programme

(SLP)

The Programme aims to assist in reducing poverty and also help in sustainable use of natural

resources. As such, it is to eradicate poverty and hunger, and to ensure environmental

sustainability.

Education, by itself, is unlikely to improve the quality of life. People need dignified and

adequate employment that can support their needs and aspirations. It has been noticed that

most of the rural population is directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture. This sector

although crucial for Pakistan’s survival is becoming more and more vulnerable and

unpredictable because of climate change, population pressure and other inherent issues of

the sector. Now there is an urgent need to look for other sustainable livelihoods options and

also to work with landless farmers for reducing their vulnerability.

The Programme aims to

Equip communities with necessary skills to increase their livelihood options

Assist in developing linkages to seek markets and partners

Enhance the knowledge and willingness to adopt sustainable and environmentally

sound practices

IRC has three major components under this component: technical and vocational training;

agro-based livelihoods and crafts promotion.

6.1 Technical and Vocational Training

Tertiary general and professional education and subsequent employment is not a practical

option for a population that constitutes more than half of the 180 million in Pakistan. It is

necessary to build a cadre of individuals who possess skills in the technical and vocational

areas and to provide them with employment opportunities, including self-employment.

During the reporting year, IRC implemented two projects namely, Enhancing Quality and

Access to Technical, Vocational, Education and Training for Employability (EQUATE) Project

funded by Oxfam Novib, and Changing Lives through Technical and Vocational Training

sponsored by Community Development Programme of Government of Sindh. Both the


initiatives aimed at enhancing technical and vocational skills of rural youth, mostly

matriculate young boys and girls or school drop-outs at the senior level. This was the first

time that IRC entered in this field on a rather large scale, as prior to this IRC had offered short

training programmes during rehabilitation of flood emergencies.

The approaches followed in the two projects were a little different. In EQUATE, the target

communities were mobilised, potential beneficiaries were identified, they were given an 8-

week preparatory-cum-grooming course and then were sent to various TVET institutes for

learning their preferred skills. In the other project, the time and resources did not permit for

a lengthy process and since the targets were small, the technical and vocational training was

given in-house.

The achievements under both the projects has been as follows:

1170 youth received their technical education. 80 % of them are either self-employed

or are doing jobs.

Lives of 70% of 640 women have been improved through thorough improvement in

their skills in handicraft, designing, production and entrepreneurial skills.


Salient Features:

The direct beneficiaries were selected from eight rural union councils and 53 villages

of Gambat and Khairpur Tehsils of District Khairpur.

Practical kits were given to students to facilitate them in practical training.

As a result of this increased demand in technical training, the local infrastructure for technical

and vocational training has also shown signs of improvement. More and more private

vendors are approaching IRC with an offer to provide quality training to the youth particularly

women who have cultural barriers in mobility.

6.2 Crafts Promotion

Khazana Crafts (KC) is a Not-for-Profit initiative by Indus Resource Centre, established to

provide sustained craft production based livelihoods to rural women, increase income levels

for poor households, and refine the quality of hand made products depicting the culture and

traditions of Sindh.

KC is consistently creating handicrafts and textile-based lifestyle products, at an economic

and affordable cost whilst empowering marginalised craftswomen from all over Sindh since

2007.

It started as a training centre that was later on converted into training-cum-production

centre in Khairpur. To overcome marketing challenge, IRC had set up four stalls at weekly

Defence Sunday Bazaar, Karachi in 2008 along with an outlet centre in Khairpur. Over the

years KC along with its product range has grown considerably in all dimensions such as hiring

a professional designer in-house, the number of artisans engaged, the number and variety of

customers and the systems necessary to support an expanding activity. AN outlet was also

opened in Karachi. At present there are two crafts training and production centres, one each

in Khairpur and Kotdiji, and three sales outlets, one each in Karachi, Khairpur and Kotdiji.

Some of the KC features include:

Work with permanent in-house designer

Consultant team of textile designers and artisans to produce an exceptional variety

of hand crafted goods to the market.

Industrious work direct from the hands of female artisans, transformed into unique,

affordable and good quality products.


6.3 Agro-based Livelihoods

Promoting Sustainable Agriculture Practices and Diversified

Livelihood Options by Developing Community Assets and Local

Leadership Project

Despite the destruction caused by the floods of 2010, agriculture still remains the main

source of livelihood for most rural communities in Pakistan. However, they also remain the

most vulnerable because of this dependence. In addition, poor farming practices in the form

of excess use of chemical fertilizers, hazardous pesticides, mono-cropping, and scarcity of

irrigation are some of the main reasons for soil degradation and low productivity.

With support from Trocaire, IRC is implementing a three-year project in six villages of two

union councils - Taluka Khairpur Nathan Shah, district Dadu. The project aims to promote

sustainable agriculture practices and identify and support diversified livelihood options that

will enable farmers to use environmental friendly ideas that will sustain their lands and

productivity.

Key Activities during the reporting period

The key approach to promote sustainable agriculture practices is through community

mobilisation, capacity building and small contributions to build enterprises at local level. In

this regard, the following activities were carried out under the project:


Communities were organised into six village-based organisations and were provided

training on organizational management

Two demonstration sites on organic farming and sustainable agriculture techniques

were established

150 farmers are being trained in six farmer field schools (FFS)

More than 2200 trees were planted in project area through awareness raising

campaign

As a result of this project,

Change towards collectivism in community is beginning to be observed

The demonstration sites are showing promise and farmers are very interested

The farmer schools are motivating the farmers to use the new methodologies being

taught

Women are active in enterprise development


7. Governance, Democracy and Human

Rights Programme (GD&HP)

The Programme aims to:

1. Enhance democratic systems and values in rural communities

2. Assist in bridging the gaps between community groups and government

3. Build awareness and capacity of civil and state actors to fulfil their roles and

responsibilities to each other

4. Promote understanding of rights and obligations of different groups

7.1 Long-Term Election Observation and Oversight in Pakistan

Project (LTEOOP)

IRC is working to bring communities and their elected representatives together, and has

played a major role in sensitising and providing a platform to voters, before, during and after

the national and provincial elections of 2008 and 2013. It has brought elected representatives

and their constituencies together to discuss their problems, and through monitoring the

electoral process and holding consultations with relevant stakeholders, has provided

recommendations on making the election process more transparent and accountable.

The work involved work on pre- and post-election processes, to observe these, and obtain

ideas from the electorate on election reforms. The process includes consultative sessions

with politicians, citizen groups and the media, identifying the issues and developing

recommendations as an input into a policymaking process. The entire initiative is supported

by the Free and Fair Elections Network (FAFEN).

7.2 Rehabilitation of the Sindh Government Dar-ul-Amans Project

The government-run Dar-ul-Amans (DuAs) are presumably safe havens for women who have

been forced to leave their homes due to physical or emotional trauma inflicted on them or

their children by their immediate family members. These institutions are their last hope for

shelter and safety.

The province of Sindh has taken steps to address violence against women (VAW) by enacting

the 2013 Domestic Violence Act and adopting Standard Operational Procedures (SOPs) for


government-run shelters. However, the condition of these shelters remains poor and women

are often considered to be prisoners.

This project aims to initiate a holistic approach by bringing together the diverse strengths

and roles of three civil society organizations (Rozan, ShirkatGah-Women’s Resource Centre,

Indus Resource Centre), and two government departments, the National Commission on

Status of Women (NCSW) and the Sindh Social Welfare Department (SWD).

IRC was in charge of infrastructure development and its upgradation for better living

standards in the Darul Amans of Sukkur, Hyderabad and Larkana. The project was of one

year’s duration.

Objectives

1. Women survivors from domestic violence, in three districts of Sindh, benefit from a more

conducive environment, referral pathways and community accountability for services

2. State institutions at sub-provincial level more effectively manage gender-sensitive issues

and take proper measures in supporting women survivors of VAW including those from

minorities and marginalised groups

3. A robust data analysis system, appropriate SOPs, and enhanced knowledge base in place

4. Analysis of three DuAs and their need for physical infrastructure, gaps/needs assessment,

prioritizing those needs and proper budgetary allocations

5. Construction of infrastructure where required

6. Procurement and purchase of necessities to ensure better standards of living and

conditions in DuAs

7. Identify, contract and monitor work and supplies

The last four objectives are related to IRC’s scope of work.

Key Activities during reporting period

Need assessment was conducted and equipment, furniture/fixture and utilities materials

were distributed in the three DuAs.

The construction work has been started in Hyderabad Dar-ul-Aman.


8. Human Resources

IRC’s staff strength has grown multiple fold and currently stands at over 1000, spread over

seven offices and all of the projects mentioned above, in addition to core staff who provide

managerial, finance, personnel and administrative support.

9. Financial Resources

Relationship with Donors and Partners

Over the past few years, and especially in 2014, IRC is adopting different strategies to

diversify its donor base. Due to its consistent credibility, new donors are beginning to

approach IRC, and multi partner projects are beginning to be developed for implementation.

The latter are very effective, as they bring in different capacities and experiences as well as

the ability to work in different areas simultaneously.

PPAF, Oxfam Novib and USAID continue to be trusted partners, as are the Lucile and Packard

Foundation.

10. Challenges for future

Need to strengthen work for women empowerment and violence against women

Request from organisations to work in promoting tolerance and against sectarianism

Endowment Fund or other sustainable funding mechanism for own Sojhro schools

Khazana’s sustainability


Head Office

D-42/B, Block 1, K.D.A Scheme No. 5

Near Ziauddin Hospital, Clifton, Karachi,

Sindh, Pakistan

Tel: 92-21-35822239, 35838690

Fax: 92-21-35822239

Website: www.irc-pakistan.org

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