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The role of AKDN eulogized in development in Chitral

By Zahiruddin

CHITRAL: The speakers in a seminar held here on Monday eulogized the services of Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) for sustainable development in Chitral which focused on providing livelihood to the people. The seminar had been jointly arranged Aga Khan Regional council and Tariqat Board in connection with the golden jubilee celebrations of the accession of Prince Karim Aga Khan to the imamat (spiritual leadership) of the Ismaili community. The speakers said that the for the last two-and-half decades, the AKDN is fighting poverty, deprivation and backwardness in Chitral and Northern Areas and spent billions of rupee so far. They said that community participation in rural development was for the first time introduced by AKRSP, the prime tributary of AKDN. They said that the village folk were empowered to decide their own priorities and they came to realize the significance of collective approach towards development. They described the construction of hundreds of miles of village approach roads and irrigation channels which brought about a small-scale revolution in the lives of common people. They said that thousands of acres of arid land were rendered cultivable by these channels causing prosperity in the area. They said that the women were also encouraged for the first time to join the mainstream of life activities as hundreds of women social organizations were formed almost in every village. The women organizations were not only provided financial support and training on social organization to run their affairs by themselves. The speakers said that the AKDN encompassed all the sectors of development but concentrated more on rural development, health and education. They said that Aga Khan Health Service rushed to the rescue of the people of Chitral in the remote areas where there healthcare facilities are yet to be provided by the government. They said that maternal mortality rate has been dropped due to the maternity homes set up by AKHS in Booni and Shoghore equipped by latest apparatus and facilities. The AKDN has improved both the quantity and quality of education in the district by its organ Aga Khan Education Service. They said that female education has gained more importance and attention and it the contribution of AKES that Chitral women have entered almost every discipline of education including engineering, forestry and information technology. They said that 51 high schools have been opened for quality education upto matric level in the length and breadth of the district for girls. They said that in the schools, community has been practically and deeply involved which ensures quality and better management of the schools. They said that the establishment of the professional development center of Aga Khan University Karachi in Chitral speaks about the earnestness of AKDN for improvement of the quality in education. They said that development of small enterprise was the real issue to perk up the village economy and the establishment of First Micro finance bank which has five branches in the district which provide soft loans to the villagers solved it. They said that before the establishment of the bank, AKRSP has enterprises section which managed small credits for the farmers. The speakers said that Chitrali patti (hand woven coarse cloth) formed the main component of local cottage industry and it did not evade the attention of AKDN as a special section under the name of Shubinak was set up. Chitral district confronts many natural hazards like flash floods, outburst of glaciers, avalanches, erosion and land slide apart from earthquake and to cope with any situation in case of natural disasters, AKDN has yet another component named FOCUS Humanitarian Assistance. It not only provides material support to the affected people in times of catastrophe but also prepares the local people to prepare themselves by imparting them training. Those who addressed the seminar included Dr. Inayatullah Faizi, Shah Karez, Adnan, Nasima Zainul Abidin, Tajuddin, Sardar Hussain and Hakim Ali advocate. People from all walks of life attended the daylong seminar.