Building Strong Partnerships - Concern Worldwide

PakistanIt was a turbulent year for Pakistan in terms of both politics and security. Demonstrations andbombings throughout the year led to President Musharraf declaring a State of Emergency inNovember. Cyclone Yemyin hit the south in June, bringing with it devastating floods which lefthundreds dead and hundreds of thousands homeless. With inflation and interest rising andeconomic growth declining, over 70 percent of the country live on less than $2 per day.36Concern has been working inPakistan since 2001 and is implementinglivelihoods, health careand emergency response andpreparedness programs.HEALTH—Increasing access toclean water and improving primaryhealth care for 71,533 peopleIn partnership with its local NGO partners,Concern is active in water & sanitationand primary health care across Pakistan.In Awaran, Balochistan Province, the constructionof hand pumps and windmillpoweredwater pumps in 2007 broughtclean drinking water to at least 5,000people (3.5 percent of the district’s population).In the North West Frontier Province(NWFP), the construction and rehabilitationof water supply systems and householdlatrines has impacted the health of approximately40,000 people, also lessening theburden on women, who no longer have totransport water over long distances. Inrural Rawalpindi, the construction of eightgravity flow water supply sand distributionsystems directly benefited over 4,500people. In all, 65,613 people benefitedfrom Concern’s water and sanitation work.Concern’s training and equipping of traditionalbirth attendants (TBAs) has resultedin improved care for women at the communitylevel, and provided incomeopportunities for the TBAs themselves. InBalochistan alone, it is estimated that trainingof TBAs will result in 3,000 to 5,000safer births over the coming years. Inunderserved rural and urban areas, healthcamps and drop-in centers provided vitalcare, including health screenings, first aidand vaccinations to 5,920 people.Concern’s advocacy efforts, whichincluded the establishment of grassrootsCommunity Organizations (COs) createdopportunities for communities to engagewith government representatives andthe health department to express theirIRANAFGHANISTANRawalpindi •IslambadQuetta •PAKISTANArabian SeaCHINAINDIAhealth-related priorities and concerns.These efforts led directly to hepatitis, polio,and measles vaccination programs inQuetta, and the improvement of sewageand waste removal systems in Rawalpindiand Quetta.LIVELIHOODS—Enhancing potentialfor the poorest in rural and urbanareasAcross Pakistan, Concern worked toachieve environmentally sustainableincreases in agricultural and non-agriculturalproduction, and better access tosecure and adequate food sources. InNWFP, Concern continued to implement acomprehensive program aimed at helpingre-establish stability among victims of themassive 2005 earthquake. There was significantprogress in the repair of irrigationchannels, land rehabilitation, establishmentof fruit orchards, distribution of seedsand tools, distribution of livestock, animalhealth and livestock management activities,and grants towards the rehabilitation ofsmall enterprises. The repair of earthquakedamagedroads, bridges and foot pathsrestored access to markets and essentialservices such as health care and education.In Punjab and Balochistan, Concern isimplementing both rural and urban developmentprograms. Working with localpartners, Concern offers vocational andsmall enterprise training, as well asmatching grants to community members.Concern also distributed fuel-efficientstoves and constructed bio-gas plants,which generate fuel for cooking, lightingand heating. By reducing the need for firewood,these innovations slow deforestation.EMERGENCY—Meeting basic survivalneeds for 67,360 peopleIn June 2007, Cyclone Yemyin hit the southof Pakistan, bringing with it devastatingfloods which left hundreds dead andhundreds of thousands of people homeless.Concern’s response was centered inBalochistan province, working with localpartners to provide food and non-foodrelief supplies. Upon the completion ofthe emergency response in early August,Concern designed a six-month post-flood,early recovery project for the affectedcommunities; activities included reconstructionof 400 traditional shelters andraising of homes above flood levels, rehabilitationof irrigation systems, distributionof seeds, reclamation of land, rehabilitationof tube wells and hand pumps, andconstruction of flood protection structures.Earlier, in May 2007, Concern completeda similar post-flood recovery project foraffected families in Sindh province, whichhad experienced major flooding in 2006.In both cases, Concern conducted disasterrisk reduction training in anticipation offuture emergencies.Area: 804,000 sq kmPopulation: 158.1 millionGDP per capita: $2,370Infant mortality rate(per 1,000 births): 79Life expectancy: 64.6Living with HIV & AIDS: 0.1%Literacy rate: 49.9%Access to safe water: 91%Human development rank: 136