Human Development Foundation

Monthly Progress Report - September 2004

Brief News

• Board of Directors Meeting was held on September 14, 2004. Following BOD members attended the meeting:-
  - Dr. Shahnaz Khan (Chaired the Meeting )
  - Dr. Sameeh Khan (BOD Member)
  - Lt Gen Rtd Muhammad Maqbool (BOD Member)
  - Engineer Fazal Hussain (BOD Member)
  - Mr. Saghir Aslam (BOD Member)
  
• Major decisions taken during the Board Meeting:-
  1. Following staff benefit aspects and policies were presented by the COO and approved by the Board after deliberations:-
     • Gratuity for staff has been introduced.
     • Leave rules have been revised. Casual leave and maternity/paternity leave have been introduced.
     • Leave encashment up to maximum of 15 days has been allowed at the end of the year.
     • Scales of TA/DA and hotel stay authorization have been revised.
     • Lower limit of support staff enhanced from rs. 2,500/- to Rs. 3,000/ Per month.
     • Eid allowance of Rs. 500/- allowed for support staff on both Eids.
     • Meal allowance at the rate of Rs. 30/- per day for drivers performing duty beyond 6:00 pm and compensatory allowance of Rs. 150/- per day for performing duty on holidays has been allowed for all support staff.
     • Staff selection and induction policy has been approved.
       
  2. Following were deliberated and approved by the board as result of presentations made by the relevant PMs/Section Heads:-
     • Impact studies will be carried out for Community Physical Infrastructure, Education and Credit programs of HDF.
     • Proper proposal will be prepared and presented with annual budget before launching any project of HDF i.e. Education, Health etc.
     • BOD approved transport allowance and increase in Teachers' emoluments/honorarium as one time measure, on the basis of duration of employment.
     • The scaling down of micro credit in general was approved and it was suggested by BOD to plan other means of economic development for community members.
     • The Ramadan appeal plan of HDF Foundation Development section was approved as presented by PM-Foundation Development.
     • BoD also approved the supplementary budget and revised budget for the remaining part of year 2004.
• HDF had its quarterly progress review meeting in September 2004 and was attended by the staff of National Office and RPMs/TLs from the regions. The progress of the previous quarter was reviewed and plans for the next quarter were revised.

FOUNDATION DEVELOPMENT

• HDF is in a process to initiate/develop partnership with UNDP for its Rahim Yar Khan (RYK) Region, where HDF is exploring possibility of collaborating with UNDP for their GEF Small Grants Program.
  
• UNDP Representative Mr. Onder Yucer and National Coordinator Mr. Fayaz Baqir visited Rahim Yar Khan on September 21st to participate in the inauguration ceremony of a project on "Arsenic mitigation from drinking water" of 40 girls government primary school, funded by UNDP to Jouhar Education and Welfare Society, a local NGO. HDF RYK Region also participated in the event, where Mr. Fayaz Baqir introduced HDF as a future partner organization of UNDP. RYK Region also coordinated a meeting of Mr. Fayaz Baqir with representatives from Bahawalpur Rural Development Project (BRDP) and Punjab Water Supply and Sanitation Project. The agenda of the meeting was to mobilize funds from these 2 departments, who are financed by Asian Development Bank (ADB) for a water supply project in Sadiqabad.
  
• RYK participated in a meeting of UNICEF- EPI program with NGOs working in Rahim Yar Khan. The agenda of the meeting was to share the strategy of ensuring 100% vaccination in rural areas. Following NGOs and line departments' representatives participated: HDF, PRSP, Al Saeed Welfare Society, Youth Commission for Human Rights, Rural Education and Economic Development (REED), EDO-Health and DO-Health. RPM-RYK stated that HDF is also working on achieving this goal and works through already organized forums of DOs, VDOs and UDOs in HDF's program areas. The DO-Health appreciated the work of HDF in Rahim Yar Khan and expressed their willingness to extend their cooperation to HDF wherever possible.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

• RYK Region had a 100% recovery of credit from due of the month during the reporting month of September 2004.
  
• PM Social Mobilization and Economic Development-Mr. Naimatullah Khan had a meeting with Manager Alliance Operation-Khushalibank (KHB) regarding a proposal submitted to KHB for RYK Region (where HDF is already working with KHB). New regions were also added in the same proposal i.e. Shamsabad (SBD), Mardan (MDN), Karachi Kachi Abadi (KKA) and Islamabad (ISD). The manager of KHB appreciated the efforts of HDF and informed that final discussion on this proposal will be held in subsequent meetings.
  
• PM Social Mobilization and Economic Development-Mr. Naimatullah Khan visited Human Resource Development Network (HRDN) and Institute of Rural Management (IRM) for information regarding a social mobilization training manual and other literature required by HDF. IRM provided a Training Need Assessment (TNA) manual to HDF.

SOCIAL MOBILIZATION

• Rahim Yar Khan (RYK) Region mobilized the Village Development Organizations (VDOs of HDF-unit 2 to form a Unit Development Organization (UDO). It is the second UDO formed in RYK Region. SO far HDF has 5 UDOs i.e. one in Mardan, two in Shamsabad and two in Rahim Yar Khan Region.
  
• 73 new Development Organizations (DOs) have been formed during the reporting month, through these DOs 828 more households have been included.

COMMUNITY TRAININGS

• A machine embroidery training center was opened in "Eno Bhatti" village of Lahore Region, where the first training was attended by 11 female participants.
  
• In RYK, a 4 days orientation training on preventive health was arranged for the HDF health staff i.e. 4 LHWs and 4 TBAs. The Regional Head briefed the participants about HDF's history and its health program. The Regional Doctor was the resource person for this training.
  
• Keeping in view the season (protecting and controlling pest attack on cotton crop) and the perceived need by the community, 2 single day workshops on agriculture-pest management and livestock management were held in RYK Region. The purpose of these workshops was to transfer advance knowledge about pest and livestock management to the farming community. A veterinary doctor and HDF's regional staff jointly conducted the workshops.
  
• In Shamsabad Region 28 male "DO" members attended a Community Management Skills Training workshop.

STAFF TRAININGS

• A four days training workshop on "Participatory Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation" was held at HDF National Office from 30th Sept-3rd Oct, 2004. Performance Improvement Program (PIP) team, PO-Credit and 2 training coordinators from Mardan and Rahim Yar Khan regions attended the training workshop.

COMMUNITY PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE (CPI)

• All CPI projects of Phase II have almost been completed by the end of September 2004. Region wise progress is a follows:-
  
  • In Mardan Region two projects of 15 Hand pumps have been completed through the DOs Al-Falah and Shahbaz Khan. Part one of a Water Course Lining (WCL) project has been completed through the "DO" Zamindar. Part 2 of a WCL project has been completed through the "DO" KD-2. Three drainage projects have been completed through the "DOs" Ittehad, Sahar and Roshni. Three projects of "street pavement" have also been completed through the DOs Naway Kalay, Al-Khidmat and Saba.
    
  • In Rahim Yar Khan Region 7 handpump projects have been completed through the DOs Sir Syed, Charagh, Gulzar-e-Millat and Islah-e-Muashra. 3 projects of Water Course Linings have also been completed through the DOs Alvi Unity, Heryali and VDO, however 1 WCL project is in progress.

EDUCATION

• Literacy Day was celebrated on 8th September 2004 by the Ministry of Education, EFA Wing in collaboration with UNESCO at the National Library . Mr. Sajid Hassan, Secretary Education was the chief guest. HDF participated in this event by displaying a stall of course books developed by HDF, brochures and other handicrafts made by the HDF communities of different regions. COO "Azhar Saleem" held very useful discussion with the Chief Guest during the lunch hosted by the Ministry of Education at the end of the event.
  
• HDF in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, EFA Wing has completed a 6 months adult literacy course through its 50 adult Literacy Centers in the union councils Tumair and Chirrah of Islamabad. At the end of the project a literacy skills assessment test was conducted by the field staff of Islamabad region from 27th-30th September 2004. Supervisors from the Ministry of Education were also present while the examinations were conducted, results were found to be highly satisfactory.
  
• Ministry of Education, EFA wing arranged a closing ceremony of ALCs on August 25th 2004 in the National Institute of Science & Technology (NISTE) Auditorium. The Secretary Education, Mr. Sajid Hassan was invited as chief guest. HDF also participated in this ceremony by displaying its stall.

HEALTH

• PM Health "Dr. Mazhar Abbassi" visited the Population Council and had a meeting with their Deputy Program Manager Dr. Syed Zakir Hussain Shah, regarding the capacity building of HDF's health staff. Dr. Syed suggested two components of training focusing on both technical and behavioral change to meet the health staff's capacity need. To work on it in HDF's own perspectives, PM-Health is working on a capacity building plan of Health staff by the end of November 2004. PM-Health also had a meeting with Dr. Zareef Khan, Deputy Program Manager, Prime Minister Program of Primary Health, to share the training module for LHWs used by the PM's program.
  
• PM- Health prepared a health coverage plan for HDF's employees which was discussed with the COO. It was decided that it would be implemented after being reviewed by the Board as a package along with a comprehensive health wellness plan in January 2005.
  
• The Ministry of Health, Govt of Baluchistan provided free medicines to the HDF-Community Health Center CHC) in Zhob Region.
  
• Health seminars were conducted according to the pre-defined format and proceedings recorded accordingly in the Islamabad Region. This format is going to be shared and replicated in the other regions from October 2004 onwards to increase the effectiveness of this activity.

VISITS AND VISITORS

• Co-Chairperson Dr. Shahnaz Khan and COO Azhar Saleem visited Zhob Region to oversee the program activities and to provide technical and moral guidance to Regional Staff.
  
• PM Health paid a surprise visit to the Community Health Centers (CHCs) in Islamabad Region. Some short comings in the data collection process and daily activities were identified and feedback was given to the regional health coordinator for further improvement.
  
• Manager NFBE and Training Coordinator - Education visited the Child Friendly Schools in Islamabad Region on 4th September 2004 for providing technical assistance and guidance to regional staff.
  
• On 6th Sept. 2004 Mr. Simon from Australia, representatives from the World Bank, Mr. Kashif Bajwa, Chief Executive NRSP and Mr. Qazi Azmat Essa "Task Leader of World Bank" accompanied by HDF-Chief Operating Officer visited the Community Health Center (CHC) in village "Arra" and Child Friendly School (CFS) in village "Dhok Tabarak Shaheed" of Islamabad Region. The visitors listened to poems recited by the students and the COO explained the teaching methodology and HDF's education policy. A PTA member of CFS Dhok Tabarak Shaheed briefed the visitors about the progress achieved in the village with the cooperation of HDF. The visitors appreciated the efforts of HDF.

Click here for tabular reports and charts. (pdf)

Date/Time Last Modified: 12/1/2004 9:30:32 AM

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