PODA PROGRAMS                                                                                                                    return to home page

We implement our work through three inter-connected program clusters:

1.      Children Rights Education Program:

•         Projects:

•         Madrassa Alternative School (Chakwal)

•         Rural Children Theater Training (Jehlum)

•         Rural Children Summer Camps ( Rawalpindi)

•         Child Friendly Spaces for Flood Affected Children ( D.I. Khan, Mardan, Mianwali, Muzzafargarh, Karachi, Sukkur)

Building the Capacity of Rural Women Teachers:

Teachers are one of the main pillars of a sound and progressive society and play a vital role in its development. PODA has been working effectively with rural women teachers to build their capacity in order to encourage and support the development of rural education system. In this implication, a Rural Women Teachers Network was established in District Chakwal. PODA approached 275 rural women teachers directly and 725 rural women teachers indirectly from around 50 rural villages including three Tehsils. The network not only provided the opportunity to implement activities that promote active learning but also introduced a process, enabling teachers to identify and analyze their problems. It served as a platform where they shared their professional as well as individual concerns. During regular meetings organized by the network, training sessions were organized at UC level in Balkasser, Miani, Dhodial, Dohman, Chakora Complex Chakwal and PODA regional office Chakwal. In collaboration with District education department, PODA conducted training sessions on skills development, new teaching methodologies and anti sexual harassment law.

2.      Democracy and Human Rights Program:

•         Projects:

•         Human Rights Defenders Network (Attock, Chakwal, Jehlum, Khushab, Mianwali, Rawalpindi, Islamabad)

Human Rights Defenders Project

PODA has started a project to identify, organize and build the capacity of Human Rights Defenders in 7 districts of the Potohar Region (Attock, Chakwal, Islamabad, Jehlum, Khushab, Mianwali and Rawalpindi). The project collects data about human rights violations in rural areas, provides trainings to rural defenders on international human rights standards and links the defenders work with local government line departments in orders to ensure promotion and protection of human rights at all levels.

Building the Capacity of Rural Communities through Democracy Education (Chakwal, Mardan, Rawalpindi)

This program creates awareness about the constitutional rights of citizens and educates duty bearers and rights holders about universal human rights standards. This program also builds the capacity of rural communities to organize themselves and learn to articulate their needs and priorities and facilitating villagers especially rural women to learn about the importance of their legal identity and vital documents such as the Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs). To facilitate this PODA works with National Database & Registration Authority (NADRA) by identifying the villagers especially rural women who do not have a CNIC so that NADRA mobile teams can visit the villages to provide CNICs. The Rural Women Councilors Network facilitated by PODA then works with the villagers to promote the importance of voter registration and the right to vote so that rural communities can get registered as voters to participate in the democratic processes.

3.      Women's Rights and Livelihoods Education Program:

•         Projects:  

•         Women have the right to a life free from violence (Chakwal, Jehlum, Rawalpindi)

•         Rural Women Day (15^th October) Annual Conference

•         Legal literacy and protection from sexual harassment ( Mardan, Multan, Hyderabad

•         Building the capacity of rural women artisans ( Chakwal, Hunza-Gojal, Rawalpindi)

•         Model Community Agriculture Farm (Chakwal)

Activities under the women and agriculture projects include:

1.   Awareness raising about sustainable agricultural practices.

2.          Formation of women farmers groups & women open schools

3.          Training in Kitchen Gardening, Vegetable Farming & Fruit Trees plantation to women and rural youth

4.          Training in animal care, livestock restocking and poultry

5.          Education of farmers about seed preservation and seed banks

6.          Facilitating links between farmers & government agencies and advocating for acknowledgement of women farmers’ contribution to agricultural by recording and promotion gender specific data of agricultural activities at UC level and ensuring 10 % required government quota for women seats in agriculture department at district, provincial and national level institutions.

7.          Organizing 2-day national conference annually on Rural Women Day (15^th October) and World Food Day (16^th October) to bring together women farmers groups from all over Pakistan to share information, knowledge exchange, strategy development, visits to NARC and media presentations. Sharing farmer to farmer knowledge across provinces and facilitating links with all relevant stakeholders.

8.          Teaching rural women about preservation of fruits and vegetable and teaching rural women about nutrition in food

9.          Facilitating women farmers to empower each other by utilizing extreme weather conditions (brining women from Hunza in winter to Punjab to teach vegetable and fruit drying and bringing women from Punjab to KP-K in summer to teach pickle making, Jam and Ketchup making techniques.

10.     Advocating for better budget allocations, services and access of raining for rural women by district extension departments, governmental institutions, INGOs, agricultural universities and the UN agencies to ensure gender equality.

Methodology:

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Updated 12^th August, 2011