EMERGENCY RESPONSE

In recent devastating floods in 2010 Sami Foundation extended its services to flood affected areas and responded in emergency. Initially 500 flood affected families of district Thatta were provided support of food and NFIs. Later on 98 HHs of one village provided support of WASH, medicines, milk for infants and oil for pregnant women. One female teacher also temporarily appointed to continue education in village. The services continued for five months till Feb 2011

Urban Mircocredit

This is a self initiative of the organization from its own resources. The project is aimed to providing small loans of Rs.10,000-00 to women/girls who were trained in sewing and embroidery at Vocational Training Centers of the organization as well as doing their own home based business. These women are provided loan on installment basis and return with profit in 12 easy installments. The beneficiaries use the loan amount for initiating new business or supporting their existing small

business. Up till now 124 women of urban slums of Umerkot are enabled either to initiate their new small business or expand existing business to earn better for supporting their family income. A total amount of Rs.1.24 million has been disbursed and revolved in this project of the organization

Improving lives of poor through integrated development interventions

The project is implemented in village Walho Bheel of UC Chhore of Taluka Umerkot. The project amounting to Rs. 0.803 million is supported by South Asia Partnership Pakistan for duration of six months. The project is aimed to improve the lives of 250 poor households of village through diversified interventions. The project objectives achieved through following interventions.

Project Achievements

• 250 Households availed drinking water facility through installation of 12 hand pumps in village.
• 250 Households are availing facilities of safe mother hood and safe delivery practices through 05 Trained Birth Attendants trained under this project.
• 570 male, female and children are informed and made aware of cause and impacts of disease i.e. diarrhoea & malaria and their preventive measures.
• 60 goats are provided to women of 30 HHs to generate income to support their families.

Strengthening roll of socially exclude groups in electorial process

This was a United Nations Development Program (UNDP) & Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) supported project for the duration of one year and cost of the project was Rs. 0.978 million. This project was awarded for four union councils of Taluka Umerkot benefiting directly to 6000 Households in 60 villages.

The specific objective

The main objective of the project was to provide the political awareness to village level population as well as UC and Taluka level to strength the role of socially excluded groups i.e. women; farmers/peasants, labourer and minorities in electoral process for their greater participation in the electoral process.

The strategic interventions

• Project Introduction Meetings & Volunteer Identification in 60 villages
• Training of Village Volunteers on Baseline Survey
• Baseline survey of 60 villages of 04 Union Councils of Taluka Umerkot
• Organization of Field Camps with NADRA for Computerized NICs
• Facilitation during the process of vote registration
• Village level voters’ education seminar
• Union Council level awareness seminars
• Orientation of Media & Civil Society Representative on Election Monitoring
• Consultative Dialogue with representatives of political parties and sharing of fact findings

Achievements of the project

• 3700 men and women of 60 villages were oriented on project purpose and activities through Project Introductory meetings
• 60 Volunteer were identified and trained on Household Survey and data collection
• Household level survey of 60 villages was conducted to identify people who do not have computerized NIC and registration in voter’s list.
• 4154 men and women obtained CNICs in 20 Field Camps organized under the project
• 4453 men and women were facilitated to get their name registered in electoral lists
• 5742 men, women and youths were oriented on importance of casting their votes through 60 village level seminars
• 347 men and women oriented through 04 UC level Seminars on inclusion of socially excluded groups in electoral process, democratic governance, and importance of casting votes for strengthening democracy.
• 22 media and civil society representatives were oriented on monitoring of election process
• 35 elected representatives and political parties leaders are oriented on inclusion of socially excluded groups in leadership role in political parties

Women Health Projct Sindh

The Asian Development Bank provided support to Ministry of Health, Government of Sindh for Women Health Project Sindh for four districts including Umerkot. The Agha Khan Foundation selected partner NGOs, one from each district, through a comprehensive selection process. This was a three years project (Oct 2003 to Dec 2006) of Rs.2 million for carrying out activities in District Umerkot (Tehsil Umerkot, Samaro, Pithoro and Kunri). The project was focused on improving status of women’s health and newborn care. The organization was awarded Social Mobilization Component in respect of creating enabling environment for women especially pregnant mothers and newborn children. The activities were carried out in all 27 union councils of district Umerkot. Almost 20,000 male; female and children directly benefited from the various interventions / activities of the project.

Project Objectives

• To Assist/Support DHMT in organizing and conducting sensitization seminars/workshops and in other related areas as and when required
• To create awareness regarding women’s health in the community by organizing Community Awareness Sessions
• Strengthening Community Participation by organizing Health Committees at different Health Facilities level for better Management.

Strategic Interventions of Social Mobilization

• Support to District Health Management Team
  Sensitization Seminars / workshops at UC and Taluka level
• Advocacy & Awareness
  Community awareness sessions
• Community Participation
  UC Health Committees Formation & Strengthening
• Strengthening of NGOs/CBOs
  Capacity Building & Networking

Project Achievements

• 1334 men and 664 women participants of 04 taluka level seminars were sensitized on issues relating to women’s health and newborn care
• 2027 men and 1548 women participants of 91 UC level seminars were sensitized and oriented on issues relating to women’s health and newborn care
• 16336 women were oriented through 577 village level health education sessions. The sessions comprised on discussion and question answer regarding safe motherhood, Anti natal, Natal and Post natal care, breast feeding, post delivery complications, personal hygiene, nutrition, vaccination and immunization.
• 128 male and 57 women members of local NGOs/CBOs working in primary healthcare and reproductive health are oriented and sensitized on women’s health issues and newborn care.
• 959 men and 1414 women members of 69 UC level Health Committees were oriented on 3-Delays, Emergency Obstetric Care, Birth preparedness, safe delivery etc.

Construction of Smokeless Economic Stoves Project

The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) supported this project of Rs. 1.52 million for the duration of one year. The project was commenced in March 2005 and completed in February 2006. The most important purpose of this project is to rehabilitate the natural environment which has become badly degraded due to indiscriminate cutting of trees and bushes for firewood and other domestic purposes. Where trees and bushes have vanished the land has been degraded due to overgrazing by cattle and degraded land has lost fertility and is incapable of producing food and fodder for the people of Thar. In this project also the awareness sessions were conducted focused on environment related issues as well as preventive health care measures.

The Purpose

The purpose of the project was to provide safe and secure environment to women for cooking and reduce health hazards of women as well as environmental degradation in the desert villages.

Interventions

The following interventions are made under the project to achieve the desired objectives.

• Project Introduction Meetings and household selection in 60 villages
• Socio-Economic survey of households in 60 villages
• Training of women on construction of smokeless economic stove in 60 villages
• Awareness rising in women, men and children of 60 villages regarding environmental degradation and personal health and hygiene

Achievement of the project

• People of 60 villages were oriented on project purpose, interventions and desired objectives of the project
• Baseline survey was conducted in 60 villages and 3000 household were selected
• 3000 women of 60 villages were trained to construct and use smokeless economic stoves
• 3000 women of 60 villages constructed smokeless economic stoves in their houses for safe and hazardless cooking
• 3441 women, 1061 men and 1063 children were given awareness regarding personal hygiene, tree plantation, safe local environment and environmental degradation through 60 village level sessions

Community Weter Storage Tanks Project

This project was supported by Strengthening Participatory Organizations with the financial assistance of European Commission. The project was for the duration of six months with a cost of Rs. 0.724 million. The project commenced in October 2004.

The purpose

The project was aimed to provide the facility of safe drinking water to villagers of Thar Desert in Union Council Kaplore Taluka Umerkot.

Interventions

• Project Introduction meetings in 20 villages of three UCs of desert in Umerkot
• Selection of 300 households of 20 desert villages for provision of Water Storage Tank facility
• Awareness sessions in 20 villages of project area

Achievements

• 425 families were selected for provision of water storage tanks in 20 villages
• 425 Households were facilitated in construction of household level water storage tank for collection / storage of drinking water
• 848 women, men and children of selected households were oriented and given awareness through 40 village level sessions on water borne diseases, use of safe drinking water, personal hygiene etc.

SMC Training Project

This was a two months project which organization has completed in coordination with “Socio Engineering Consultants” (SECON) Islamabad (that was awarded this project for all districts of Sindh) and Education Department, District Umerkot. The SSSS provided all logistic support, Trainers and Coordination with all authorities of Education Department at District level. Beside this the Staff of the organization organized all trainings as well as supervised and monitored the activities. It was two days training session for each SMC. During these trainings 4000 Chairman & General Secretary of 2000 SMCs were trained to enable them to design school development plans, enhance community participation, record keeping of the funds of SMC for sustainable development of these basic institution.

Girls Vocational Training and Literacy Centers Project

This was a Trust for Voluntary Organizations (TVO) supported project of Rs.1.3 million for the duration of two years. The project commenced in February 2001 and completed in January 2003. The project area was two urban slums of Umerkot and three villages of taluka Umerkot. This was the first donor supported project of the organization. Before this, for almost 12 years, organization carried out activities through its own resources and community support on self-help basis.

The purpose

The overall objective of the project was to empower women socially and economically through building their skills.

Interventions

Under this project 05 Vocational Training & Literacy Centers (VTLC) were established in two urban slums of Umerkot town and three in villages.

Achievements

• Five Vocational Training & Literacy Centers were established at five locations
• Five Community Based Organizations were formed and strengthened during the project period
• 270 women / girls were trained in sewing, cutting, dress making, hand and machine embroidery
• 270 women / girls provided basic literacy training and enabled to write and do simple calculations
• More than 500 hundred men and women given opportunity to see the products prepared by trained
• women and displayed in two exhibitions in Umerkot