BISP News Today – September 5-7, 2015

1

1. BISP HOLDS FIRST WOMEN

EMPOWERMENT CONFERENCE

Published in Pakistan Today, Sep 7, 2015

Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP)

on Sunday organized the first Women

Empowerment Conference to draw a

framework for empowering women, by

helping them play pro-active role in the

society.

Addressing participants of the

conference, BISP Chairperson, Marvi

Memon said the main focus was to take

BISP beneficiaries committees (BBCs) on

one platform in order to replicate

internationally successful women

empowerment programmes in Pakistan.

Memon said that all the concerned

quarters would be taken on board to

achieve this objective.

During the brainstorming session,

participants praised the efforts of BISP for

poor women of the country and gave

their input for its improvement.

It was discussed that BISP may coordinate

with organizations that are already

undertaking projects for women’s

empowerment. Through this coordination,

financial and educational support to

women might be initiated. The institutional

coordination might also be made

successful by social mobilization and

promoting the concept of women

leaders.

It was also discussed that the areas in

which beneficiaries of the programme

had abundance of certain products like

milk and dates, might be identified. These

beneficiaries could then be connected to

the markets and a market place could

also be allocated for them where they

could showcase their products for sale.

The brainstorming session also discussed

that the feedback of women included in

BBCs on their problems could help to

design projects which could address their

issues related to education, health and

finances.

A project entitled “Zero Hunger

Programme” under National Rural Support

Programme (NRSP) was also discussed.

2. MARI MEMON PAYS

TRIBUTES TO MARTYRS OF 1965

WAR

Published in Business Recorder, Sep 6,

2015

KARACHI: Minister of State and

Chairperson of Benazir Income Support

Programme (BISP), MNA Marvi Memon,

has paid rich tributes to the personnel of

the Armed Forces of Pakistan for the

defence of the country.

She was addressing a public meeting in

connection with the Defence Day of

Pakistan held here on Sunday under the

auspices of Pakistan Muslim League-

Nawaz (PML-N) Youth Wing, District

Korangi.

She said that the Armed Forces of

Pakistan had successfully thwarted the

aggression of the enemy 50 years ago

and defended the country.

BISP News Today – September 5-7, 2015

2

Ms. Marvi Memon said that today the

Pakistan Army is defending the country by

waging the operation `Zarb-i-Azb'.

She said that for the defence of the

country, the services of Pakistan Army are

very appreciable.

The Chairperson BISP said that today the

entire nation is paying tributes to the

Armed Forces of the country for their role

towards the defence of the motherland.

She stated that today is a big day as 50

years ago we had frustrated the evil

designs of the enemy and taught a lesson

which the enemy would remember

forever.

Ms. Marvi Memon said that during the era

of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Pakistan

had become an atomic power.

Today the government is tackling the

challenge of terrorism and also taking

steps for the eradication of poverty.

The government, she added, is extending

help to the poor families through the BISP.

She was optimistic that like success for the

defence of the country and in the

operation against the terrorists, the

government would also succeed for the

eradication of poverty.

Ms. Marvi Memon also appreciated the

office bearers of PML-N Youth Wing

District Korangi for organizing the public

meeting.

The president of the Youth Wing Sindh,

Raja Khaliq uz Zaman Ansari, and office

bearers of Youth Wing Karachi Division

also spoke on the occasion.

3. BISP FIGHTING JIHAD

AGAINST POVERTY

Published in Pakistan Observer, Sep 6,

2015

Lahore—Benazir Income Support

Programme (BISP) Punjab, hosted a picnic

for BISP beneficiaries at historic Iqbal Park

on Saturday. The beneficiaries were

joined in their day out by BISP

Chairperson/Minister of State, Marvi

Memon. Sitting at the foot of Minar-e-

Pakistan at Lahore, Marvi underlined the

importance of the 6th September and

commemorated the sacrifices Pakistani

armed forces had made to protect the

homeland in the 1965 war.

“On 50 years of 1965 War, we all salute

the courage and bravery of our armed

forces, which had then overpowered the

enemy. Even today they are foiling

nefarious designs of the enemy with same

spirit,” she said.

She said that at present the Pak Army was

engaged in a war against terrorists,

however, BISP women were fighting a

BISP News Today – September 5-7, 2015

3

Jihad against poverty. She stated that the

government of PML (N) and Prime Minister

Muhammad Nawaz Sharif were

committed to support and assist less

privileged families in their struggle against

the scourge of poverty.

The government’s vision was that all those

living in poverty would receive support

from the government till the time that

they became self-sufficient. She said that

the current government had substantially

increased the amount of the BISP cash

transfer as well as the budget of BISP. BISP

was trying to reach out to more and more

deserving women and through them their

households.

At the occasion, Sarah Saeed, Director

General Punjab stated that BISP offices

were being revamped according to the

highest service delivery standards and a

new Payments Complaint Management

System was in place to track complaints

and monitor their turnaround time.

Later, Marvi and the BISP beneficiaries

formed a human chain around the Minar-

e-Pakistan and prayed for the country’s

prosperity, for resilience in difficult times

and for Pak Army’s victory in the ongoing

operation. BISP beneficiary women, most

whom were accompanied by their

children, were thankful for the thoughtful

initiative. They stated that the BISP cash

transfer was instrumental in meeting their

pressing expenses such as children school

fees, food and in paying off their debts.

4. BISP WORKING FOR WOMEN

EMPOWERMENT: MARVI

Published in Pakistan Observer, Sep 6,

2015

Islamabad—BISP Chairperson and Minister

of State Marvi Memon said that it was the

vision of Prime Minister Muhammad

Nawaz Sharif to empower women and

the Benazir Income Support Programme

(BISP) was working to realize it.

“We are committed to ensure

transparency in our organization and

efforts are also being made to adopt IT

driven service solutions to make our

monitoring effective and to reduce

middleman culture,” she said addressing

the first Women Empowerment

Conference here.

The conference was organized by the

BISP to discuss ways and means to

empower the Programme’s beneficiaries,

what could be done to promote the

agenda of empowerment of BISP

beneficiary women, how can the

platform of BISP Beneficiary Committees

(BBCs) be used for successful

implementation of the ideas of the

participants of the conference and what

special programmes are being designed

for women empowerment in Pakistan or

around the world, which can be

replicated here. Marvi Memon said the

BISP had reinitiated the process of survey,

which would now be more

comprehensive and transparent.

BISP News Today – September 5-7, 2015

4

Members of the National Assembly

Rubina Khalid (PPP), Ms. Ayesha (JI) and

Naeema Kishwar Khan (JUI-F), Dr. Zeba A.

Sathar, member of BISP board and

Country Director of Population Council Ms.

Fatima Naqvi (DFID), Ms. Saba Khattak

and Gul Najam Jami from World Bank, Ms.

Masooma Butt from WHO, Ms. Gillian

McFarland (UNICEF), Zulfiqar Rao and

Sultan Mehmood from WFP, Ms. Khawar

Mumtaz Chairperson National

Commission on Status of Women, Dr.

Nabeela Shahid and Ms. Saira Bano from

NRSP, Ms. Sarwat Tahira Habib, Chief

Collector Customs North, Mrs. Raana

Seerat Chief Commissioner LTU, Ms. Anjum

Asad Amin Additional Secretary

Economic Affairs Division, Ms Farzana Bari,

Professor Quaid-e-Azam University and

social activist, and Ms. Nudrat Gillani

participated in the session and

appreciated the efforts of BISP for poor

women of the country and gave their

invaluable inputs.

It was discussed that BISP may coordinate

with those organizations which are

already undertaking projects of women

empowerment. Through this coordination,

financial and educational support to

women may be initiated. The institutional

coordination may be made successful by

social mobilization and promoting the

concept of women leaders. The

conference discussed that the areas, in

which beneficiaries have abundance of

certain products like milk and dates, may

be identified.These beneficiaries may be

connected to the markets and a market

place may also be allocated for them

where they can showcase their products

for sale.

Another idea focused in the conference

was demand driven solutions to the

problems of beneficiary women, which

highlighted the role of BISP Beneficiary

Committees (BBCs). The feedback of

women included in BBCs on their

problems may help to design projects

which can address their issues related to

education, health and finances.

(Business Recorder, Frontier Post, Jang,

Express, Nawaiwaqt, Dunya, Jahan

Pakistan & Pakistan also carried the story)

5. CELEBRATION OF DEFENCE

DAY BY BISP BENEFICIARIES:

PRAYERS FOR VICTORY AGAINST

NATIONAL CHALLENGES

Published in Business Recorder, Sep 6,

2015

LAHORE: Benazir Income Support

Programme (BISP) Punjab, hosted a

picnic for BISP beneficiaries at historic

Iqbal Park on Saturday.

The beneficiaries were joined in their

day out by BISP Chairperson/Minister

of State, Marvi Memon. Sitting at the

BISP News Today – September 5-7, 2015

5

foot of Minar-e-Pakistan at Lahore,

Marvi underlined the importance of

the 6th September and

commemorated the sacrifices

Pakistani armed forces had made to

protect the homeland in the 1965 war.

"On 50 years of 1965 War, we all salute

the courage and bravery of our

armed forces, which had then

overpowered the enemy. Even today

they are foiling nefarious designs of

the enemy with same spirit," she said.

She said that at present the Pak Army

was engaged in a war against

terrorists, however, BISP women were

fighting a Jihad against poverty. She

stated that the government of PML (N)

and Prime Minister Muhammad

Nawaz Sharif were committed to

support and assist less privileged

families in their struggle against the

scourge of poverty.

The government's vision was that all

those living in poverty would receive

support from the government till the

time that they became self-sufficient.

She said that the current government

had substantially increased the

amount of the BISP cash transfer as

well as the budget of BISP. BISP was

trying to reach out to more and more

deserving women and through them

their households.

At the occasion, Sarah Saeed,

Director General Punjab stated that

BISP offices were being revamped

according to the highest service

delivery standards and a new

Payments Complaint Management

System was in place to track

complaints and monitor their

turnaround time.

Later, Marvi and the BISP beneficiaries

formed a human chain around the

Minar-e-Pakistan and prayed for the

country's prosperity, for resilience in

difficult times and for Pak Army's

victory in the ongoing operation. BISP

beneficiary women, most whom were

accompanied by their children, were

thankful for the thoughtful initiative.

They stated that the BISP cash transfer

was instrumental in meeting their

pressing expenses such as children

school fees, food and in paying off

their debts.

(Frontier Post, Naibaat, Jahan

Pakistan, & Jinnah also carried the

story)

6. BISP TO TAKE ALL QUARTERS

ON BOARD TO EMPOWER

WOMEN: MARVI

Published in Daily Times, Sep 5, 2015

ISLAMABAD: Empowering women is

the vision of Benazir Income Support

Programmeme (BISP) under the

leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz

Sharif, and all the quarters concerned

will be taken on board to achieve this

BISP News Today – September 5-7, 2015

6

purpose, stated Minister of Sate and

BISP Chairperson Marvi Memon on

Friday.

She was addressing the first women

empowerment conference organized

at BISP Secretariat, which was called

by BISP to deliberate upon how could

its beneficiaries be best empowered,

what could be done to promote the

agenda of empowerment of BISP

beneficiary women, how can the

platform of BISP Beneficiary

Committees (BBCs) be used for

successful implementation of the

ideas of the participants of the

conference and what special

programmes are being designed for

women empowerment in Pakistan or

around the world, which can be

replicated here.

The participants of the conference

included Senator Rubina Khalid (PPP),

MNA. Ayesha (JI), MNA Naeema

Kishwar Khan (JUI-F), Dr Zeba A Sathar

member of BISP board and Country

Director of Population Council, Fatima

Naqvi (DFID), Saba Khatak and Gul

Najam Jami from World Bank,

Masooma Butt from WHO, Gillian

McFarland (UNICEF), Zulfiqar Rao and

Sultan Mehmood from WFP, Khawar

Mumtaz Chairperson National

Commission on status of women, Dr

Nabeela Shahid and Saira Bano from

NRSP, Sarwat Tahira Habib Chief

Collector Customs North, Raana

Seerat Chief Commissioner LTU, Anjum

Asad Amin Additional Secretary

Economic Affairs Division, Farzana Bari

Professor Quaid-e-Azam university and

social activist and Nudrat Gillani.

During the brainstorming session in the

conference, the participants

appreciated the efforts of BISP for the

poor women of the country and gave

their invaluable inputs. It was

discussed that BISP may coordinate

with those organizations, which are

already undertaking projects of

women empowerment.

Through this coordination, financial

and educational support to women

may be initiated. The institutional

coordination may be made successful

by social mobilization and promoting

the concept of women leaders.

It was also discussed that the areas, in

which beneficiaries have abundance

of certain products like milk and

dates, may be identified. These

beneficiaries may be connected to

BISP News Today – September 5-7, 2015

7

the markets and a market place may

also be allocated for them where they

can showcase their products for sale.

Another idea focused on demand

driven solutions to the problems of

beneficiary women. This idea

highlighted the role of BISP Beneficiary

Committees (BBCs).

The feedback of women included in

BBCs on their problems may help to

design projects which can address

their issues related to education,

health and finances.

A project “Zero Hunger Programme”

under National Rural Support

Programme (NRSP) also came under

discussion. NRSP is already using data

of BISP for carrying out its projects. It

was discussed that the engagement

of NRSP with BISP may be enhanced

to achieve the desired results as NRSP

has technical training institutes at tehsil

level and for this purpose socially

viable and gender sensitive

interventions can be introduced. It

was deliberated that areas of

employment and income generation

for beneficiaries can be identified.

There are women especially

unmarried women who are extremely

poor but they have certain skills like

stitching. They do not have enough

understanding and the resources to

channelise their skills.

7. IF NOT CASH, POULTRY CAN

HELP THE POOR

Published in The Express Tribune,

September 5th, 2015

QUETTA: In a bid to lower the

government’s cost of its poverty

alleviation programmes, the

Balochistan Livestock and Dairy

Development Department has

proposed a novel solution: giving rural

women from poorer households

poultry to raise and earn profits from,

an idea that could replicate the cash

handouts currently given out through

the Benazir Income Support

Programme, but with only the one-

time expense of distributing the

chickens.

The World Bank estimates that 21% of

Pakistan’s adult population lives on

less than its poverty threshold of $1.25

a day. The poverty rate is highest in

Balochistan.

BISP News Today – September 5-7, 2015

8

BISP is the highly successful cash

transfer programme run by the federal

government and modelled after

similarly successful programs in Latin

America. It provides cash handouts of

Rs1,200 per month to 1.7 million of the

poorest households in the country and

forms a crucial source of financial

support for them. But while the

programme has been successful in

helping alleviate some of the

conditions of absolute poverty in

Pakistan, it does cost the government

over Rs2.1 billion a month.

The Balochistan Livestock

Department’s proposal aims to

reduce the recurring expenses of the

poverty alleviation programme by

giving rural women the means to

supplement their family income on

their own through chicken farming. It is

not directly related to the cash

transfer programme.

“It will be a small business that the

women of the household can run for

themselves with minimal effort, and

will allow them to supplement their

earning by raising poultry in their

backyards,” said one official from the

Livestock Department. The department

estimates that the average profit a

family could earn from the business

would be a little higher than Rs1,000

per month, nearly matching BISP

payments.

A pilot programme that would target

9,600 families in Balochistan would

cost Rs144 million as the initial start-up

cost. It would, however, have very

little in terms of recurring costs, which

would make the government’s

investment in the programme

worthwhile.

Under the project, beneficiaries would

be given 9 chickens and 1 rooster at

75% subsidised rates by the provincial

government. Each bird would be 16-

18 weeks old and would be from

breeds like the Dokki and Fayoumi,

which have been determined to

survive in the Balochistan environment

with minimal care.

The families will receive instructions

from the Livestock Department on

how to care for the birds, along with

pictorial brochures. The women of the

household will have to sign a bond

saying they will not sell the birds for at

least one year, or else face a Rs5,000

fine. The families will make money by

selling the eggs produced by the

chickens. If the project works as

planned, it would produce 13 million

eggs each year.

The programme will be implemented

in three phases over three years. In the

first year, 12 districts will be targeted,

with 300 families in each district

receiving the birds. In the following

two years, another 10 districts in each

year will be covered under all 32

BISP News Today – September 5-7, 2015

9

districts of Balochistan have

beneficiaries.

8. HORTICULTURE:

HOME PRESERVING GUIDE

By Jan Khaskheli

Published in The News, Sep 7, 2015

I recently visited the grounds of the old

horticulture laboratory in the town of

Mirpurkhas, the site of fruit exhibitions,

where the annual mango festival is

held. Located within the 350-acre

government fruit farm, it is a good

escape from all the city noise and air

pollutions.

A variety of mangoes, bananas,

guavas, chiku and jamun grow there.

As experts in the West are realising,

each of these fruits has its own benefit

for health and wellbeing.

I met Faiz Mohammed Baloch there, a

producer of fruit and vegetable

products, supplier and trainer of

peasants in the trades he has learned.

He told me the history of the fruit farm

with which he has been associated for

35 years. He is skilled in passing on

knowledge to village women and

youth. He knows the technique of

preservation of seasonal vegetables,

producing juices, chutneys and

pickles from fruits and vegetables.

Once they have the knowhow, they

can start small home-run businesses

themselves to generate incomes for

their families.

Faiz Baloch said he has given training

to some 2,500 young men and women

about how to produce fruit juices,

chutneys and pickles and on how to

dry surplus vegetables at home. The

programme was under the state-run

Benazir Bhutto Youth Income Support

Programme (BISP).

He teaches peasant women how to

install their plants at homes. Installation

of a small plant for production of

juices, chutneys and pickles at home

costs Rs25,000. From there on the

owner can earn enough to produce

juices and pickles for both sale and

consumption.

He has recently provided training to

about one thousand young women

from Dadu and Mirpurkhas districts,

who were victims of rains and flood in

the summer of 2011. Four years later,

the devastated area has still not

recovered from the calamity. The

purpose of training was to teach skills

BISP News Today – September 5-7, 2015

10

to the peasant women so that they

can become food-sufficient with their

own efforts. Faiz Baloch is hopeful that

these skills will enable the trained

women to face a similar calamity in

future. He has taught these peasant

women to preserve the natural tastes

and flavours of the fruits and

vegetables they preserve.

This, that is the preservation of the

tastes, flavours and purity is in his own

interest, he explained. These items

available in the market are unsafe

because of adulteration and the

complete lack of attention to hygiene

in the production process. “This is

something I always ask my trainees to

adopt,” he said. He advises them not

to play with the lives of their customers

in their eagerness to sell off their

products.

Since the use of traditional methods is

involved in the production of juices,

chutneys and pickles at home, the

women he has trained are already

producing these products at homes.

Manufacturing plant at home

Faiz Baloch has set up plants at his

own home, where he engages

members of his household to produce

juices, chutneys and pickles,

especially when a particular fruit and

vegetable is in season. They have

sufficient amounts of their products

saved for their own consumption

throughout the year. He and his family

produce 20,000 half-litre bottles of

pure fruit juices. For example, he

produces 5,000 bottles of jamun juice

and sells them to specific consumers,

mostly patients of diabetes. The

production sometimes exceeds 5,000

when there is greater demand for

jamun juice. In addition, he produces

5,000 bottles of mango, guava and

BISP News Today – September 5-7, 2015

11

chiku juices when these fruits are in

season. His work is not limited to the

private demands. He also produces

juices, chutneys and pickles for the

larger market.

His own story

Faiz belonged to a family from the

village of Juma Khan Baloch, which is

located close to the fruit farm in

Mirpurkhas.

He passed the intermediate

examination in the 1970s and joined

the horticulture department. That is

where he was advised by

horticulturists to set up his own plant at

home, and to launch and start a

business supplying juices, chutneys

and pickles.

It started out as his personal interest,

but turned into a regular and thriving

business for which the entire family is

happy to work for, he said.

Faiz Baloch’s life hasn’t been easy.

Tragedy struck very early. He was only

25-day-old when his father, coming to

see the baby from Karachi where he

worked, was killed in a train accident

at Mirpurkhas railway station. His

mother took the tragedy as a

challenge and brought up Faiz Baloch

and his sister singlehandedly.

He reminiscences how he tried to help

his mother augment the family

income. On the way home from

primary school, he collected

discarded weeds and grasses from a

fruit farm to sell as fodder to tonga

drivers. Faiz gave the coins he

received from selling these to his

mother (he saved some for himself, he

said) as an addition to the family’s

small income.

The family does not have any land,

but the earnings from the fruit juices

and the chutneys and pickles it

produces are a good enough source

of earning. “I have seen difficult days,

and there have been many ups and

downs,” he says. “It was hard work

since my childhood which helped my

family, and I am now reaping the fruits

of my labours.”

BISP News Today – September 5-7, 2015

12

Health of peasant women

Commenting on the health of the

women he trains, he said women

carrying babies and children are

mostly malnourished and cannot

perform as well during training.

Generally, he said, peasant women

do not receive the nourishment their

bodies require. In addition to tending

and carrying their children, women

are overburdened by work in the fields

and at home. “If they have not eaten

enough how can they be good

learners?” he said.

“I believe poor people of all ages can

receive the skills I teach, and they can

have enough food for their families,”

Faiz added. “When I look at these

poor women, I am reminded of my

challenging past,” he says. “That is

why I want these women to learn, so

that they can start out on their own

businesses at homes,” he said.

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