News & Events
Relief efforts by OSDI
The recent heavy rain falls and floods in the country have left thousands homeless and stranded in the catastrophe. In view of the large scale of the calamity, OSDI immediately planned out an emergency relief operation to help the affected in Sindh and Khyber Pukhtoon Khwa province. Pakistan International Container Terminal has contributed generously to OSDI to support the relief operation.
In Sindh, since OSDI is currently working in seven villages of district Shikarpur and Khairpur. The relief activities were immediately directed to these two areas. Most of the villages in Shikarpur have been flooded severely including our focused villages of Malhee, Gul Burrioro and Old Zurkhel. People have lost their livelihoods, crops livestock and belongings and have fled from their homes to higher ground. A huge population of the devastated is gathered at the link road outside of Shikarpur in search of shelter and food. In view of this a camp has been set up besides the road which is currently providing relief to approximately 800 people. 67 tents have been set up and relief packages including necessary essentials like food items, clean drinking water, utensils, medicines and stoves have been distributed among the families.
Similarly in Khairpur District, the people of our focused villages of Jan mohd Vandiar, Goth Pir Bux Bhonbharo, Mulko wahan and Kamal Khan lashari have suffered because of heavy rain falls. These households are also being provided relief items specially food for immediate relief. However other villages in the same area, which were closer to Indus river have been swept away because of the heavy floods. Due to the magnanimity of the devastation another camp has been set up near the village Sobhedhero, which is providing relief to approximately 400 people affected by heavy rain and floods. 33 tents have been set up at the camp and relief items have been distributed among the families to provide immediate relief.
OSDI has been able to provide relief to more than 1000 people in these areas. Due to the intensity of the disaster at Shikarpur, a second relief operation is being planned to provide relief to 2000 more people. Our relief teams will be setting up 200 more tents and carry out distribution of relief items at our Shikarpur by the end of next week.
In Khyber Pukhtoon Khwa province, OSDI has also provided necessary relief items to help the flood affected at Charsadda.
Community based Sewage and Lavatory Program in PIRSAI
Recently OSDI completed a two part sanitation project in the village of Pirsai in Mardan District of Khyber Pukhtun Khwa province. Water and sanitation conditions were extremely poor in the village. The dirty sewage water from homes and shops flowed to the village street, villagers passing by and children playing in the streets came across this dirty water regularly, causing health hazards to the inhabitants. This problem further intensified during the rainy season when the contaminated water flowed back into the houses.
The project was initiated in the month of June and was effectively concluded in approximately 20 days. The first part of the project involved a construction of 2,500 ft. sewage line. 
The 12”x12” line runs from the centre of the village to a previously constructed 12 ft. deep septic tank. The community contributed roughly 59% of the cost by means of contributions and labour costs and the rest of the expenses were borne by OSDI.
The second part of the project involved construction and complete renovation of 10 washrooms in different village localities. OSDI oversaw the renovation of 8 lavatories in Govt. Primary School for Boys, Govt. Primary School for Girls, Madrassah for Girls and the village mosque. Moreover two new restrooms were constructed near the village awami hujra. The work on the toilets has had a positive effect on the welfare of the villagers.
The construction of the sewage line has for the first time prevented the accumulation of monsoon rain water on the streets allowing the villagers a rare opportunity to appreciate the beauty of their village.
Hepatitis screening prevention and eradication Campaign
In an attempt to combat the rising number of hepatitis cases in Sindh, OSDI initiated a hepatitis screening, eradication and prevention project with the collaboration of the Government of Sindh. The focused village for the project was Goth Sukhio Mir Jut, UC Hala in the district of Matyari in Sindh.
The campaign began in the last week of February 2010, and was spread over a series of six camps during which screening and vaccination was carried out. ICT, ELIZA and PCR tests were performed for identifying the hepatitis B and hepatitis C virus carriers.
The three doses of vaccination were also carried out during the 
camps and the last dose of vaccination was carried out in the last camp in the first week of June.
Besides the members of Sukhio Mir Jut the camp was visited by residents from six neighbouring villages as well.
Prior to the program a large scale awareness seminar was run through which the masses were informed about the causes and treatment of hepatitis by means of flyers, posters and banners.
As a motivation tool to mobilise the villagers flour bags (each weighing 2 kg) were distributed to participants at the end of every camp.
The camps screened a total of 826 individuals of which 211 were children under the age of 15 (the ratio of male to female was 115: 96). In all 715 individuals received hepatitis vaccination (the ratio of male to female was 314: 409) and a total of 103 patients were deduced to be suffering from Hepatitis C virus. The infected Individuals were referred to the Government treatment program at the Hala where they are undergoing their treatment.
Livestock Development Project Phase II in Sindh
Following the success of the 1st phase of our Livestock Project, which is a part of our Livelihood Assistance Programs; OSDI has initiated the second phase of the program. Our objective of the project continues to be the same i.e. to empower the underprivileged people of Shambani Balouch community of village Jan Mohd Vandiar and Banbharo community of village Goth Kot Pir Bux Banbharo and help them achieve sustainable livelihoods by raising their income levels and by providing them with the means and the tools to enable them to improve their living conditions so they can break free from the poverty cycle over a period of time.
The project came into eff
ect in the month of February 2010. The duration of the project is six months and is expected to conclude in the month of August 2010. Workshops on health of the livestock from the previous project were repeated and a series of new workshops on nutritional aspects and shed construction for the livestock in order to produce healthier animals were also conducted in collaboration with Livestock & Dairy Development Board (LDDB) and the local vet. The project will hopefully enable the families to foresee a rise in their monthly incomes. We hope to capacitate the focused families in expanding their skill set on livestock development and production encompassing health, nutrition, medication, shelter and other such factors involved in looking after and raising of the livestock.
Mardan Survey, OSDI's Success - 08-03-2010
On 18 th February, 2010, OSDI's management visited the rural areas of Mardan district, N.W.F.P. where the OSDI team had been conducting surveys in the villages of Badam, Mian Gul Killay, Naway-killi, Pir Sai and Sayedabad.
Our visiting management was overwhelmed by the poor health conditions of the localinhabitants and found the situation to be unnerving and disheartening. Upon first glance, the principal problem being faced was the deplorable standard of sanitation. Water laden with waste was observed flowing freely on the pavements/passages instead of on appropriately established infrastructure. Animals and young children were playing on these pavements/passages indicating an enormous hazard to their immediate health. An alarmingly high number of these people were cases of untreated Hepatitis, and suffered diarrhea and dysentery issues because of the extremely poor sanitation conditions.
Ray of light in the midst of the mountains:
However the most promising reality discovered was the urge to educate the young. Every child and youngster met by the team was studying in the local schools and had aspirations to become an engineer or an army officer. Such enthusiasm is a sign of hope and prosperity for the future generation of Pakistan.
The management met with the local families at Pir Sai and took note of the extremely poor and marginalized families surviving on zakat/ charity and support from the relatively better off relatives. These people wanted to help themselves and sought an opportunity to improve their own lives; one such case was of a young female named Nazo. She lived in a mud house with her mentally challenged husband and a widowed aged mother-in-law. They like many other families had no regular income and survived from local support. However she suggested that she could stitch and could make her ends meet if she had a sewing machine. These families despite living in poor conditions did not seek for a penny but wanted an opportunity pull themselves out of poverty.
Upon noticing such commitment and valor the visiting team decided to distribute sewing machines to capacitate the families like Nazo's, and empower them by enabling them to have an immediate source of sustainable income.
OSDI team distributed 10 sewing machines to such families like Nazo; 3 in Badam, 3 in Naway-killi, 2 in Pir Sai and 2 in Sayedabad.
The OSDI team has completed its survey in the district of Mardan in the N.W.F.P. Province and the survey has already begun in the Gilgit Balistan Province.
OSDI's visions Global Acceptance - 08-03-2010
We are intensely delighted to announce the publication of an article titled ‘Fighting Poverty through Sustainable Development in Pakistan' written by our own Maheen Haider and Aasim Siddiqui on the official website of Himalayan Consensus Certified. The article discusses the dual challenges, poverty and hopelessness, faced by Pakistan . It also describes the steps and measures adopted by OSDI to overcome such obstacles to allow Pakistan a chance to prosper as a thriving nation.
The article can be viewed through the following link:
http://www.himalayanconsensus.org/articles/himalayan-consensus-in-pakistan-fighting-poverty-through-sustainable-development-in-pakistan.
Rural House Hold And Community Assessment Survey - 11-02-2010
The OSDI team, at present is in the process of developing a comprehensive questionnaire for the purpose of administering an in-depth survey on the focused rural areas of Pakistan. The survey will help us analyze the livelihoods and living conditions of the rural poor of Sindh, N.W.F.P. and Gilgit Balistan and implement programs ensuring sustainable development.
We wish to implement efficacious and effective sustainable livelihood and community development projects. The survey covers a range of aspects and has been categorized into household and community assessment. They both asses various conditions prevailing in these areas like means of livelihoods, (agriculture, livestock), water and sanitation, education and health facilities, basic utilities and road infrastructure etc at both household and community level.
The questions in each of these sections are skillfully designed to gather extensive data aligned with our vision to aid our team in promoting sustainable development. This will improve the living conditions of the impecunious families by the aid of necessary resources and empower them via increased economic activity and community development projects.
The survey is expected to start by the mid of February in the rural areas of Mardan and Gilgit and will be conducted in the focused villages of Sindh subsequently. OSDI's future programs as a result of the survey will provide the means and the right tools to the poor in order to create a sense of responsibility among them so they can take appropriate initiatives of helping themselves. We will work towards installing long lost hope of a better life in these communities and endeavor to restore the sense of pride and dignity in their lives.
Success in the Livestock Sector - 21-01-2010
OSDI's Livestock Project, part of the Livelihood Assistance Program was initiated in the villages of Jan Mohd. Vandiar & Goth Kot Pir Bux Banbharo. People from these communities lead a semi-nomadic life and their livelihoods are largely dependent on livestock and agricultural activities. Our goal behind the project was t o financially empower the underprivileged people of Shambani Balouch community of village Jan Mohd Vandiar and Banbharo community of village Goth Kot pir Bux Banbharo. The projects were designed to raise their income levels so they can break free from the debilitating cycle of poverty. We aimed to provide them with the means and the tools to enable them to improve their livelihoods. Three families were selected for this project.
The project began in the month of September, 2009 with the purchase of livestock from the capital which was provided to them through Micro Finance by OSDI. The 3 families raised and fed the livestock until it was time to sell them. During the course of the project we were actively involved with the families. OSDI frequently conducted workshops in collaboration with the local veterinarians to teach the project committee about livestock development. Due to these workshops, people began to take better care of their animals in terms of health and nutrition and thus witnessed remarkable results. The duration of the program was 2 months, successfully ending in the month of November around Eid Ul Azha to maximize sales revenue. After all the deductions including the repayment of the interest-free loan, it was seen that the families were left with a significant profit.
Due to the accomplishment of this project, the OSDI team is working in close collaboration with the focused families and is developing the 2 nd phase of the livestock development project. The team is also evaluating more families to be included in the project in the future and additional variables in order to ensure that the livelihood assistance program will help improve the lives of the Banbharo and Balouch community in order for them to achieve a sustainable livelihood.
Empowering Farmers in Sindh - 21-01-2010
The Agriculture Project Phase I in Sindh is taking place in the district of Ranipur, in the villages of Jan Mohd. Vandiar, Goth Pir Bux Banbharo and Mulko Wahan. The people of this area are mostly dependent on livestock and agricultural activities to support their families. OSDI's goal is to help these people improve their livelihood strategies so that they are able to increase their income from the same assets that they are working with. Our team works closely with the target communities in order to assess the roots of poverty. After this assessment, we were able to develop a tailor-made strategy to gradually increase income through improved farming methods as well as giving them access to interest-free credit. Before OSDI loans, these villagers were simply re-using old seeds and were unable to afford proper inputs like fertilizer and new seeds. With money to buy better quality seeds and inputs, the results of the crops are expected to be much higher. There are a total of four families participating in this project. Since its commencement in November, the land has been ploughed, cultivated and fertilized. The project is expected to yield its results by the month of April next year.
A similar project has been initiated by our team in Sindh, in the district of Shikarpur, in the village of Malhee. Our goals and aims behind this project are similar to those of the project launched in Ranipur district. There are a total of 3 families participating in this project. Since its commencement in the month of November, the lands have been ploughed and cultivated. Seedlings are visible in the fields at this time, which is surely a good indicator of the impending success of the project. The project is expected to yield positive results by the middle of 2010.
Sustainable Livelihood Projects in Gilgit - 21-01-2010
OSDI has launched 2 projects in the Gilgit region, in the villages of Nomal and Rahimabad. These projects are referred to as vegetable project and the greenhouse project. Each project has been assigned to one family in the region.
The family that has been provided with the loan for the vegetable project has planted two vegetables, spinach and potherb. The family has already begun to reap the benefits; they have plucked and sold the vegetables four times. We are expecting a full return of the loan in the coming months.
The family participating in the greenhouse project invested their loan in the building of a fully functional greenhouse and preparation of seedlings of green chilies, green peppers, capsicums and tomatoes. This greenhouse will allow the family to produce seedlings year round despite the external weather conditions. This project will not only benefit the family but also aid the community as they would be able to purchase higher quality seedlings. After the completion of the greenhouse the seedlings were sowed on December 1 st of 2009 and the loan is expected to be repaid by the first quarter of 2010.