All three components are managed together and specifically targets women as beneficiaries. The sector continues to improve the socio economic conditions of the poor communities in the areas of three districts including District Sanghar, Matiari, Nawabshah, Hyderabad and has started Social Safety Net Project in District Thatta targeting the ultra poor.
Rural women in Sindh lack mobility, voice and are not supposed to be seen. Although they carry out numerous tasks including tending to livestock, horticulture, embroidery and other micro level income generation activities besides the daily routine of reproductive activities. Their contributions are never accounted for as household income, even in cases where their contribution to the household income is more than the men's. Secondly, livestock both goat rearing and dairy farming support the income and food needs of the household but they are looked down upon as insignificant ventures.
Credit and Enterprise Development Sector was supported by “IDRF Canada” for “Low Cost Housings Project” in 1994, “TVO” for “Goat Rearing Program” in 1996, “The Asia Foundation” for “Socio Economic Development of Rural Women” in 1998, “CRS” for “Women Empowerment” in 2002 and in January 2001, “Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF)” offered Safwco a small credit line for micro credit. Safwco saw this as an opportunity to scale up and applied for the higher credit line. Since then PPAF (2001-till date) is supporting the sector for uplifting of the Socio Economic condition of rural people.
In late 2001, Safwco established a micro credit cell on professional line. The staff members were provided specialized and on job training and institutional restructuring made the sector independent in terms of staffing, office management, resources and operations. Six social organizers of Safwco with good relations in the community and understanding of credit operations decided to work in the newly formed Credit and Enterprise Development Sector. They were reinforced with a professional management and an information management system.
|