Background:

In March 2013, renewed fighting between two groups of non state actors resulted in displacement of at least 17,140 families into different parts of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) i.e. Peshawar, Kohat, Hangu, FR Peshawar, FR Kohat and Khyber, Nowshera, Kurram and Orakzai agencies. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and FATA Disaster Management Authority (FDMA) requested the humanitarian community to provide immediate life-saving support for the affected people. From March 29 – May 6, 2013, approximately 17,140 families have been registered by UNHCR and partners, in New Durrani and Jarma (Kohat) registration and assistance hubs. Registration was then closed for the election period. The majority of the displaced population fled to Kurram Agency; Orakzai Agency, Nowshera, Kohat, Hangu, Frontier Region (FR) Peshawar, and Khyber Agency. Six percent of the displaced populations are residing in camps (Jalozai Camp 87 families and New Durrani Camp 1,010 families).

Twenty humanitarian aid workers representing seven NGOs attended the training, “Introduction to & Application of HAP 2010 Standard” in Nathiagali, Murree. The training was technically supported by CWS-P/A with the aim of increasing an understanding on the application of HAP Standard. Participants included partner staff members of Oxfam Novib who developed detailed action plans which incorporated the application of HAP within their organizations and the types of resources required to meet HAP benchmarks. The follow-up to gauge impact of the action plans will be conducted by Oxfam Novib. In May, CWS-P/A will meet with staff of Oxfam Novib and their partners to enquire about additional support. While CWS-P/A will conduct an online impact assessment survey as part of its follow-up after three months.

The organization also extended its technical support in a four-day interactive course, “Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Humanitarian Response – Sphere Project” in Islamabad. Twenty-five participants from Concern Worldwide working in their specialized roles as project managers, technical specialists, and monitoring and evaluation officers attended the training.

Research reports in Pakistan show that HIV is not currently a dominant epidemic but the number of cases is growing. Currently, in Pakistan there exists an opportunity to spread awareness on HIV&AIDS to curb new infections. CWS-P/A has been conducting HIV&AIDS sessions with its experienced staff since a decade.

In early April, a three-day orientation workshop on peace education was held in Mirpurkhas District, Sindh. Twenty-seven teachers from schools in the province joined the workshop to learn about the peace education manual. CWS-P/A’s manual focuses on child rights, human rights, conflict, and other similar topics which aim to promote peace.

Samina Imdad, a teacher, was among the participants at the workshop and in a follow-up discussion shared that workbooks are being utilized by the children in her class. She added that her students complete activities in the book by working in groups. She also shared that the class has completed two topics without facing any challenges.

In April, The Pakistan Election Compendium, a compilation of national and provincial electoral information was launched in seven cities in Pakistan. The compendium is a joint venture between CWS-P/A and Punjab Log Sujag which comprises of three volumes. Volume one contains electoral history from 1970 to 1985, while volume two contains electoral history from 1988 to 1997 and volume three from 2002 to 2008.

At one of the launching ceremonies held in Pakistan renowned researcher, scholar, and human rights activist,  Mr. Nasr Ullah Jan, shared that the compendium is a serious effort by CWS-P/A and should be used as a reference document by academia, journalists and students of political science. He added that further researches could be done to figure out various patterns in the general elections of Pakistan. A similar opinion was shared by Mr. Khadim Hussain, columnist and Director of Bacha Kahn Institute. He added that the compendium must be appreciated by utilizing the information in writings and dialogues.

Background:

The heavy clashes between the rival armed groups and subsequent military operation against the militants have resulted in a huge displacement of thousands of families from Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). According to UNHCR, as of May 1, 2013, 11,404 families have been displaced and registered, while officials estimate that it will reach to 20,000 families in coming days and will remain in displacement for up to six months due to on-going military operation and uncertainty as well instability in the area

Background:

 On April 24, 2013, a 5.6 magnitude earthquake with an epicenter 16 miles northwest of Jalalabad, Afghanistan and 59 miles east of Kabul caused tremors in Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan including its capital Islamabad. In Nangarhar and Kunar provinces, Afghanistan, at least four people died and 70 people were injured during the earthquake (Reuters). Hundreds of mud-brick homes collapsed and reports of damages and injuries are expected to rise.

Background: CWS-P/A recently received an appreciation letter from the Economy Directorate in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. Since 1997, CWS-P/A has provided health services to communities in the province and expanded its interventions to other areas. The organization also works with an implementing partner to improve the quality of education and girls’ enrollment in school.

A brief interview with Professor Sayed Qias Saeedi, Economy Director, revealed CWS-P/A’s strengths in Afghanistan and his team’s decision to recognize CWS-P/A for excellent performance and quality services to the communities and for strong, regular collaboration with the relevant government departments.

Background:

On April 16, 2013, at least six people in Pakistan and 40 people in Iran were killed when a major earthquake, with a 7.8 magnitude, struck a region near the Iran-Pakistan border. Tremors were also felt in India and Gulf states. The US Geological Survey said the quake hit at 10:44 GMT at a depth of 15.2 km (9.4 miles). The epicenter was in southeast Iran in an area of mountains and desert. It was located 201 km (125 miles) southeast of the Iranian city of Zahedan and 250 km northwest of Turbat in Pakistan, USGS said. This is the biggest earthquake in Iran in 40 years. On April 9, a 6.1 magnitude quake was recorded about 96 kilometers southeast of Bushehr, the site of Iran’s nuclear power station, killing 37 people and injuring 850.

In early March, Church World Service-Pakistan/Afghanistan (CWS-P/A) with the Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED) in collaboration with the National Humanitarian Network (NHN) organized ‘National Humanitarian Leadership Training’. An assessment conducted by ACTED revealed the need among senior members of national NGOs to benefit from professional development. Twenty-seven senior representatives from local and national humanitarian organizations linked directly or indirectly with disaster response attended the training that aimed at increasing their capacities in leadership within their organization, strategic planning, humanitarian coordination, and strategic response during emergency.

The participants benefited from exchanging best practices and lessons learned during humanitarian response. The inclusion of this exchange while improving humanitarian coordination during an emergency, also leads to a strategic response and ensures accountability to affected communities. More importantly, they learned how to prepare a contingency plan and methods to make the plan sustainable taking into consideration various aspects. These aspects include geographic history of affected area, prioritizing hazards, stakeholder analysis, coordination and collaboration mechanisms to tackle hazards, and using current organizational resources such as human resources and logistics. The participants were also part of activities which focused on conducting quality assessments using tools including Pakresponse.pk, MIRA, and McRAM.

Advocacy work aims to give a voice to those who are often silenced. The twenty-first century offers a variety of means through which one can share a story or a cause. However, many of these options require an expansive skill set that many civil society organizations (CSOs) within Pakistan have not had the opportunity to acquire; leaving them dependent on mainstream media for their advocacy needs. CWS-P/A works to fill this gap by empowering CSOs with the skills they need to realize and strategize their communication needs, select the right media tools, and employ them in an effective and efficient manner for maximum impact.

From February 4—March 6, 2013, a six-week communication strategies course took place in Islamabad with online support to help build the capacity of CSO workers. It offered hands-on, interactive, and practical skills-building exercises which gave delegates a comprehensive understanding of different communications tools and how they can effectively use them in their advocacy campaigns. Additionally, this training was done in partnership with the Indus Consortium, a network of Oxfam partner organizations. CWS-P/A is working to fulfill the capacity building needs among Oxfam partners and is already in the process of conducting a few more capacity building trainings for them. The delegates came mainly from Sindh and Southern Punjab – the majority whom work entirely within advocacy. The training consisted of two five-day workshops as well as 17 days of assignments in which online support was provided by lead resource personnel.

March 15, 2013 marked a special day within the small village of Aaloo Luthayo in Bijora Union Council, Thatta, Sindh, Pakistan. It is a day that represents hope, change, and empowerment for many of the women within the area. Over 70 people gathered excitedly outside of a small shelter which was once just an empty room but is now filled with colorful materials and eager learners. Aaloo Luthayo was celebrating the inauguration of their vocational training and adult literacy centers. Over the course of the next six months, 60 women will have the opportunity to hone their craft while simultaneously taking literacy classes.

Community organizations (COs) have been formed at the sub-village level within 63 villages of Bijora in order to represent households and build capacity to further give direction for development initiatives based on community needs. All CO members are active members of their communities and were elected to speak on their behalf regarding development initiatives. These COs, which are directly representing households within their villages, hand-picked the beneficiaries for the centers, expressing that they have chosen those most keen to learn but also with enough time to spare to devote their attention to a new trade. Some women from a CO stated, “We are now too old and busy, but our daughters are bright and have enough time to spare. We will send them to learn vocational skills and become literate.” Sabhagi, an elected secretary from one of the COs stated, “We all are happy and expecting to learn many skills and get education through these centers.” Women within the area had shown significant interest in developing their skills and attending literacy classes but had simply never been given the opportunity. President of another CO, Sabhai, expressed her gratitude to CWS-P/A, “We are all thankful and happy to see such wonderful arrangements made by CWS-P/A. Being a president of this village’s CO, I am confident that this center will be one of the best vocational centers!”

To address the needs of civil society organizations and to develop training skills of training coordinators, supervisors, and head and senior teachers from educational NGOs, a five day Training of Trainers (ToT) on Pedagogical Skills was organized for the first time in Kabul, Afghanistan. Based on dialogue with educational institutes and schools from CWS-P/A girls’ education initiative in Afghanistan, this ToT was designed to offer training to teachers in order to further build their capacity as a facilitator.

Twenty participants attended this training to develop their capacity to plan, organize and deliver trainings on quality education through child centered approaches and acquire knowledge and skills to provide a safe and nurturing environment that promotes the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development of young children. To acquaint the participants with different methods, sessions are designed on an interactive model for active participation to contribute and share experiences.

On April 3, 2013 the launching event of The Election Compendium, a joint venture between Church World Service-Pakistan/Afghanistan and Punjab Lok Sujag took place at the Indus Hotel, Hyderabad, Sindh Province. Over one hundred participants including students, youth groups, civil society activists, and lawyers attended the launch ceremony.

From CWS-P/A, Mansoor Raza, Deputy Director, shared the organization’s contributions toward electoral awareness and highlighted the Publications of Profiles for 15 National Assembly constituencies in 2008.

Accessibility to information by key stakeholders including political parties, media, civil society, and the electors makes a real difference in the commitment toward the delivery of free, fair, and credible elections. Through this compendium and previous publications including National Assembly Elections in Pakistan (1970-2008) and Religious Minorities in Pakistan’s Elections, CWS-P/A continues to conduct and publish elections related research.

CWS-P/A is among a limited number of organizations that recently received recognition for health work in Afghanistan. Within the last month, six awards were presented to CWS-P/A’s health team from the Nangarhar and Laghman health directorates. The health program received an appreciation letter from the Nangarhar Public Health Directorate for its T.B. control, awareness, and capacity building program. CWS-P/A along with a few other agencies are recipients of appreciation letters that acknowledge good performance for T.B. control. Additionally, the Directorate appreciated the services of Dr. Khalid Qurishee, Health Management Information System (HMIS) Officer for his role in supporting the Nangarhar Public Health team in the development of financial plans.

Mother and Child Health Coordinators (MCH), Dr. Shakira, Dr. Roqia, and senior trainer, Dr. Mah Jan, also received awards from the Laghman Public Health Directorate for their services and for their well-organized and excellent behavior with patients. Together, these awards reflect the commitment of CWS-P/A’s dedicated health workers. Their team work and solution-oriented approaches continue to make CWS-P/A’s health facilities in the provinces of Nangarhar and Laghman widely appreciated.

Church World Service-Pakistan/Afghanistan (CWS-P/A) is pleased to announce two distinctions it recently received. Today, the organization was awarded for having a standard of excellence in governance and project delivery. The award was given by Greenacre Associates Ltd, a capacity building partner company of the British High Commission (BHC). Over the past year, Greenacre worked with organizations implementing projects funded through the BHC and provided training for support programs including operations and finance. The award is a reflection of the dedicated staff and program practices that contribute to the effective implementation of projects. It also reflects the staff ownership and organizational institutionalization of commitments to standards, quality, and accountability.

Recently, CWS-P/A received recognition from the Nangarhar Public Health Directorate in Afghanistan for excellent performance of its health activities and services in the province. Since 1997, CWS-P/A has operated a health program in Afghanistan. The comprehensive program contributes to decreasing the presence of preventable diseases, decreasing infant and mother mortality and morbidity, and increasing good health and hygiene practices through awareness and health education. The achievements of the program are due to the long-term support of international partners and the staff and volunteers who make the work possible. Without the support and cooperation of the government and the communities, none of the achievements would be possible. It is the overall collaboration and commitment toward improving the quality of life and access to basic rights which help bring lasting, positive change.

Visual media is a major part of communications worldwide. The development sector and civil society organizations (CSOs) utilize the medium of photography for documenting various events for their publications, website, and social media related activities. Photography is a specialized field, but technology offers everyone who has an interest the opportunity to take good photographs. However, technology should not undermine the significance of the knowledge and expertise that one needs for this job.

CWS-P/A organized a two-day workshop in Lahore on photography specially designed for the development sector, which focused on the basics of photography and its effective use as a tool for powerful communication, fund-raising, advocacy, and creating awareness. Thirty-one participants attended the workshop to acquire basic knowledge of the process, the manual functions of camera gear, photo-storytelling skills, and photo editing software. Participants learned simple techniques of how to improve the output of photographs to a great extent by considering the light circumstances, suitable frames for event snaps, and dos and don’ts of field photography. Furthermore, the workshop also equipped participants with the knowledge of photo editing, design elements, and quality photographs to add value to the visual look of publications and how to capture more expressive and communicative photos for an effective and sustained visual message to grab the attention of a wider audience.

“Since we started using these methods and activities within our classes, it seems that the students are really motivated and are coming to school with lots of passion. We realized that they are now learning their lessons very easily and fast. Use of these methods and activities has resulted in decreasing the number of absentees,” said Nasreen, a teacher at Bibi Maryam Girls High School.

“I believe that the training session was conducted in a way that our teachers gained the knowledge in the best manner that resulted in implementation of those learned methods and activities within their classes successfully,” said Engineer Shamshad Safi, the principal of Bibi Maryam Girls High School.

“I really support effective and fruitful activities of CWS-P/A on supporting children’s education, especially girls’ education. Since the awareness session of this project is on the importance of children’s education and it started with community people, it had its positive impacts. As soon as the community people were trained and understood the importance of education, they started enrolling their children in the local formal schools. The increased enrollments have resulted in overloading the capacity of the local schools and we have stopped enrollment since few months, though there are a large number of families who want to enroll their children,” said Sayed Aslam Aghan, Deputy of Charbagh-e-Safa Girls High School.

CWS-P/A supports poor communities in Shangla District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province through health facilities in Karora and Alpurai. The district’s health facilities suffered damages and disruptions during the 2005 earthquake followed by conflict and then the 2010 floods. In addition to the compounded disasters, the topography of the district adds to the communities’ hardship in accessing essential health services. The district is dominated by high mountains and narrow valleys which make travel cumbersome.

Since September, a total of 19,813 consultations were provided, and common illnesses among community members include respiratory tract infections, diarrhea, skin infections, and more severe conditions of diabetes, hyper-tension, and tuberculosis. CWS-P/A’s health team conducts awareness sessions which reached 16,417 community members, while health staff also referred 209 patients to secondary and tertiary health care units. The awareness sessions inform the community members about good hygiene practices, knowledge of common illnesses and prevention, and the importance of mother and child health care. The efforts aim to improve the health status by encouraging improved hygiene and health practices.