Community Development

GRACE Advocacy Program is one of the main self funded and voluntarily on-going program considered as the backbone of the organization. This program had the mandate of carrying out continuous advocacy with the government line agencies for fulfilling the basic needs of the communities enabling them to demand and struggle to have their basic rights mobilizing elected representatives and other influential of the society. It has proved to be a bridge between target communities and government agencies, to have access to basic rights. The construction of Kwardu Suspension Bridge - (The Largest Suspension Bridge in Asia), provision of electricity, clean drinking water and link roads are of the outcomes of awareness raising and political education of advocacy program.

These outcomes reveal an unlimited proven capacity of the organization to build linkages with government which is the main service delivery organization mobilizing their resources for communities' welfare.

GRACE Community Empowerment Centre Skardu

Skardu district is rich in natural resources but it is considered the most “backward” area in Pakistan because people here are still living below the poverty line. The root cause of this poverty is a general lack of awareness in mobilizing available resources.

Although many organizations and government departments are trying their best to increase education in Baltistan and the region’s overall development, their efforts have not been sufficient to achieve community empowerment and development objectives, resolving the burning needs of indigenous populations. As per the experience of GRACE’s members and the demands of communities in Baltistan, an emerging need of the communities is the establishment of a Community Resource Centre at Skardu. GRACE Association is making efforts toward this objective, but due to the Association’s limited resources, the program has yet to be implemented in partnership and with the assistance of a donor/supporting organization.

Development agencies, particularly government departments, are spending their resources on the overall development of the area without focusing on the specific needs of its residents. This is partly because these much-needed projects impose limits on potential outcomes. Recognizing this issue, for the last three four years, most development agencies have been trying to address these issues through different programs and projects. Unfortunately there remain many hurdles that the establishment of a purposeful community resource centre which provides information and technical assistance regarding education, health, agriculture, tourism and culture, could help to overcome.

The region lacks any kind of resource centers, which can be used for development initiatives particularly for communities that are most in need. This is mainly due to a lack of indigenous knowledge and experiences which is also a big hurdle for those development-oriented NGOs that would like to see more community development and empowerment programs.

Although there are many NGOs who are carrying out many activities to bring positive change to the lives of poor communities in the region, none of them are in the position to establish such a resource centre in Baltistan. So, GRACE Team is working on this project and will try to establish such a centre at Skardu.

Agricultural Improvement

In partnership with HGC, a model of improved fruit farm was established for the promotion of horticulture in Kwardu. Community’s access has been enhanced to improve fruit varieties in the form of availability of saplings. The revenue is spent on welfare activities of the organization.

• 138 families were trained in apricot and mulberry preservation, packing and marketing. Fruits dehydration plants were installed one in each house level. A community marketing of dry fruit has been established to eliminate dependence on the middle-man. Drying and marketing of dried fruit has been established as a well functioning enterprise.

• GRACE has developed a long-term holistic livestock development plan which focuses on improved pastures management, breed improvement and marketing of dairy products. The implementation of the plan is expected to develop a demonstration model of mountain livestock management that would result in improved natural resource management and poverty reduction.

Planning has been initiated through consultations. Besides this, some initiatives have been undertaken. The community was provided with 2 Yaks and 4 hesheep under the plan of breed improvement. As a test case, four buffalos were brought from the Punjab for increased milk production. Cash crops and vegetables: an empowering women’s business

Community Resource Centre Baltistan

The beautiful Baltistan of Northern Areas Pakistan is rich in natural resources but still considered to be one among the most backward regions in Pakistan because of inaccessibility, illiteracy, poverty and lack of skilled labor. Although many organizations and government departments are trying their best to promote education and overall development in the region, their efforts have not been sufficient to achieve community empowerment and development objectives.

There is a dire need to establish a Community Resource Centre at Skardu Baltistan with a long-term vision of building the skills and expertise of youth for employment poverty reduction. GRACE is designing a program for the Establishment of training and skill development center where master trainers from the CBOs from all over the region would be trained in employable skills for further replication of these skills in their respective areas. Dialogues have been initiated with the communities for the donation of land.

+ read more