22 Jun
Reports

GRIP a community-based model of climate change mitigation (October 2010)

On October 14, 2010, the Pakistan Ministry of the Environment, in collaboration with One UN, provided $1.2 million to fund 24 environmental projects relating to solid waste management and sanitation, community- based natural resource management and grassroots climate change mitigation initiatives.

GRACE Association was one of the 24 awardees out of a nationwide submission total of 450 project proposals. GRACE Association Chief Executive, Mr. Khadim Hussain, received the project award from the Federal Minister for the Environment, Hameed Ullah Jan Afridi. The Grass Roots Initiative Program (GRIP), a joint initiative of the Ministry of the Environment and the UN, aims to support sustainable development projects, connecting policies by government, aid agencies, NGOs, UN agencies and the private sector.

GRACE Association GRIP project aims to implement a community-based model of climate change mitigation through the sustainable use of natural resources at Skardu Baltistan. The project involves a solar pump to raise valuable reserves of subterranean water. This will enable horticulture, fruit and farming enterprises to flourish on what had been sandy and barren land. The project has additionally introduced a non-timber forest product (NTFP) cooking stove, employing local technology and resources. This involves the use of Kore stone which has the capacity to absorb large amounts of heat capable of being released over a period of many hours.

The added value comes by way of creating a tank which will collect water warmed without the need of fuel – an essential commodity for the people in Skardu during the severe winter weather.

The result will be a saving of local forestry, previously used for cooking and heating fuel in winter. Moreover, the project also raises awareness and develops local skills in the sustainable production, collection, processing and marketing of medicinal herbs which grow in profusion throughout the area.

Expected outputs: community mobilization; institutional strengthening of sustainable management of natural resources, and climate change mitigation (CCM).

01 May
News

May 2013 Improving learning and enrolment at Al-zahra Girls School Kwardu

GRACE Association Pakistan in collaborations with Australian High Commission Islamabad
Our project is teachers training, learning hall and latrine block construction and the old school building renovation

Government investments in health, education, infrastructure and economic development of disadvantaged communities in remote and rural areas have sharply decreased over the last years. Today, an increasing number of people live in severe poverty. These developments have inevitable negative implications on the most vulnerable and underprivileged groups of society such as women and children in rural areas.

The northern region of Pakistan has been particularly hit by the aforementioned consequences. Rural communities and particularly girls lack essential primary education. Thanks to the efforts of community-led schools, a small percentage of children receive primary education and have access to basic schooling facilities in some rural villages. Nevertheless, a quarter of children cannot complete their primary education and around 35 per cent of children do not attend school at all. Unfortunately, without proper educational and professional guidance, children do not receive the essential analytical tools that would help them realize their full potential in life. More importantly, lack of good quality primary education contributes to the cycle of poverty in Pakistan, which worsens the long-term problems of poverty and illiteracy. But, we at GRACE Association believe that the aforementioned problems can be tackled by helping community led primary schools.

GRACE Association Pakistan in collaborations with Australian High Commission Islamabad is helping the Al-Zahra Girls School to increase enrolment, retention and improve learning outcomes. The school has been established in 1992 as the first girl school when it was considered a sin by parents to send their girl to school. The school is running by the village community based organization, called WAFA in Kwardu Skardu.

Our project is constructing a learning hall, latrine block for the school. The existing old school building is renovated and teachers training conducted for Al-Zahra and neighboring school teachers.

This project will have long-term benefits for the whole community. The student will obtain an improved educational quality and physical environment. With the improvements and rehabilitation of the premises, drop-out rates will significantly be decrease as more parents will send their daughters to school, which will result in higher enrolment rates among girls. The provision of sanitary latrines and upgrading sanitary services and providing sanitary education will help minimizing the risk of infectious/disease among children and their families.

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