PODA has extensive experience in humanitarian assistance programs, specifically women’s protection, child protection, and gender mainstreaming during emergencies. PODA provided protection facilities, services, and NFIs to internally displaced women and adolescent girls during the 2005 earthquake, 2010 flood, 2011 flood2, and COVID-19 pandemic in 2019 – 2021. PODA has been supporting marginalized Afghan refugee women and girls since 2021. PODA has managed the European Union, US Embassy, Asia Foundation, National Endowment for Democracy (NED), UN Women, UNDP, FAO, MADRE, and Teachers’ Without Boarders for development and humanitarian response. PODA has an operational presence in 50 districts of Pakistan through the PODA Rural Women Network, where women leaders are already part of the 2022 flood emergency response in collaboration with local authorities and organizations working on women’s emergency care needs. Since 2005, PODA has provided humanitarian assistance to more than one million people in need. Details are as following:
Distribution of First Aid Boxes to Rural Woman Leader Ms. Azra Memon for 2022 Flood Affected Families in Dadu, Sindh (Funded by MADRE)
Distribution of Tents to Rural Woman Leader Ms. Khanzadi Kapri for 2022 Flood Affected Families in Tharparker, Sindh (Funded by MADRE)
Distribution of Blankets to Rural Woman Leader Ms. Rawish Zahra for 2022 Flood Affected Families in Muzaffargarh, South Punjab (Funded by MADRE)
Distribution of Mosquito Protection Nets to Rural Woman Leader Ms. Rukhsana Bibi for 2022 Flood Affected Families in Charsadda, KPK (Funded by MADRE)
In 2021 PODA facilitated 72 Afghan human rights defenders, journalists, and women leaders through provision of accommodation, Covid19 vaccination and international travel facilitation (Funded by NED)
In 2022 PODA facilitated 10 Afghan Refugee Women and Children survivors of domestic violence through provision of Shelter and psycho-social services in Islamabad. (Funded by MADRE)
As part of Humanitarian Assistance activities, PODA also responded to COVID-19 pandemic emergency: PODA distributed COVID-19 protective gears including sanitizers and masks to more than 1000 people including elderly persons in rural areas of District Chakwal, Jhelum, Rawalpindi and Sargodha. PODA distributed ration bags to 50 families in Chakwal before Eid-ul-Fiter during COVID-19. During pandemic PODA also facilitated biometric verification of women for Ehsass Cash Transfer Program. As CNIC is the pre requisite to get benefit from Ehsass program so PODA identified the women who need cash assistance, facilitated their CNIC registration, facilitated biometric verification for cash program and apply for cash program. In district Chakwal, PODA helped 80 families to receive (12,000 Pakistani Rupees) from Ehsass Cash Transfer programs. PODA facilitated these families to complete their pre requisite documents and apply online for cash transfer. Among 80 families, 50 were women headed households facilitated by PODA.
Training of Seed preservation and food security to Rural Women during COVID 2021 (Funded by GAIN International) Distribution of Free Masks to Rural Community Members in 2020 by PODA Staff (Funded by WILPF)Collection of donations from communities in Punjab for distribution to Flood affectees in Dera Ismail Khan KPKduring 2011
