The goal of the project is to contribute to forming of peaceful, prosperous, and progressive society with optimal utilization of human and natural resources; protecting human rights and enlarging development choices for all. The proposed set of activities is aimed at expanding the opportunities of access to up to date information, support networks and resources, so as to empower the youth in a way that could be best equipped with knowledge and skills to determine their own destiny and contribute in a manner positive to the society and country. The project objectives are to enhance life and social skills learning opportunities for youth and to promote peer to peer mentoring and support network to the youth for improved personal, educational, and career development.
Orgnanizational Mission and Capacity
Mission Statement
Promotion of human centred development through increased, improved and accountable social sector services delivery system at grass root level
Goal
Contribute to forming of peaceful, prosperous, and progressive society with optimal utilization of human and natural resources; protecting human rights and enlarging development choices for all.
A brief description (in bullet points) of the services/activities your organization provides:
- Promote peace, tolerance, and co-existence between and amongst communities.
- Contribute to eradication of poverty by developing innovative, sustainable, and scalable social enterprises and livelihood initiatives.
- Facilitate social services delivery preferably in health, education and WASH sector by collaborating with government departments, non-government organizations, and communities.
- Foster leadership in youth and youngster through empowerment and by providing them access to up to date information, skills, network, and resources.
- Promote Human Rights, Good Governance and Social Justice through awareness rising, campaigns and dialogues.
Do you have direct working experience with local communities?
If yes, please explain. Also please provide a list of current and previous beneficiaries (NGOs, CBOs, etc) that your organization has assisted
Have your organization worked in partnership with other NGOs, CBOs, local authorities, private businesses etc.?
If yes, please give details below.
What are the major funding sources of your organization?
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- Self-funding, founding and executive body members are bearing cost of office operation.
- AAWAZ project by Aurat foundation
Monitoring Evaluation and Accountability
Monitoring is an integral part of the project management cycle for this Project. Based on the approved indicators of the Log frame, a Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) document will be developed. PMP will be furnished with a comprehensive baseline study that will be conducted in the very start of the project. The baseline study will help the project management and the donor organization to set realistic targets that will be achieved during the life of the project. The PMP will consist of indicators; definition of indicators, unit of analysis, disaggregation of data, baseline, targets, data sources, frequencies of data collection and finally assignment of responsibilities. The M&E plan will be shared with the donor for approval. Subsequently a detail Indicator Tracking Table (ITT) will be produced that will track the progress against each indicator. The M&E Officer will develop an M&E work plan and will regularly monitor the process, progress, and performance following the plan. A proper M&E system will be established that will store and analyse M&E data and information
The project will arrange both formative and summative evaluation during the life of the project. Formative evaluation will be conducted during the mid of the project. The evaluation will inform the project management and the donor agency about the effectiveness, relevancy and efficiency of the interventions. The lesson learnt during the mid-term evaluation will be taken into consideration while designing and planning the second half of the project. A final evaluation will be conducted upon the completion of the project by involving external consultants who will assess the level to which the project has achieved its objectives. The evaluation will also assess relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, sustainability, targeting, cross cutting themes and lessons learned.
Justification of the Project
The devastation caused by in terrorism to the Pakistani society in social and economic sphere is enormous; the basis fabric of civil society is ruptured, intolerance to other sects, religions and even political rivals is on the surge, business demolished and poverty engulfing the middle class, creating the destructive divide between classes. There are multitude of reason for the recent surge in terrorist and extremism in Pakistani society, but most commentators would agree it is fueled by the shrinking economy, lack of opportunities and increasing poverty (the country has 40 % of 180 million under poverty line as of 2010, UN reports) and high import bills due to petroleum products.
Ignorant, illiterate and unaware youth in this part of the world has proved as the most conveniently available fuel to the militants. The militant’s groups persuaded and recruited youth and youngster between the age of 15-35, send them to Afghanistan to fight the NATO forces in 1990s and now to disrupt society, local civil administration and security forces. Still large number of youth and youngsters are either playing at the hands of the militant’s group or are suffering behind bars for their misdeeds.
Amongst so many others, the contributing factors are low awareness, no access to update information and absence of support network for youth within the social fabric of traditional Pakthoon Society.
The proposed set of activities is aimed at expanding the opportunities of access to up to date information, support networks and resources, so as to empower the youth in a way that could be best equipped with knowledge and skills to determine their own destiny and contribute in a manner positive to the society and country.
Family bounds in rural areas of Khyber Pakthunkwa in shape of joint family system, high value of respect and distance within family are very strong. This most of the time restrict youth from sharing their problem regarding personal health/adolescence with any one inside their family. Same way family members never find it comfortable to talk about personal health and adolescent issues with their youngsters. Economic dependency on elders of the family rarely allows youth to access any preventive or curative health facility. Friendship in tradition tribal system circle around first and second cousin mostly, whereby; it’s difficult to exchange issues and get support from each other. Similarly, no/low awareness on the part of everyone make it more complicated for youth to address their immediate needs in personal, educational and career development.
Opportunities of interactions are limited for youth in values dominant Pukhthun Society. Youth are normally placed at lowest rank while deciding upon general issues of communal life.
In student life, selection of field of study is completely influenced by the un-informed like and dislike of family elders. Family already serving in specific field; dominates the decision for the reason of high economic or social value associated with it. In case of illiterate families, the dominant factors are heredity; whereby children are supposed to continue the jobs done by their forefathers. In educated families, decision taken regarding careers is mostly done by parents. Decisions regarding career selection are pre-dominantly influenced by the trend already set in the family or area.
Most importantly youngsters themselves have negligible idea of where they want to go. They are mostly not clear of their career goals. Where they want to head and what should be done to be there? Even educated youngsters lack the confidence to ask, explore and opt for a better and informed decision. Lack of information gathering skills, critical thinking, and creativity restrain them of having logical grounds for effective decision making.
Younger generation of the area is generously gifted with diverse potentials and capabilities; but rarely enjoys access to information and resources available to know and decide about preferences in life, education, and career. Youngster even if qualified use to have no knowledge of practical field where they are supposed to serve. Secondly theoretical knowledge gained by the students rarely relates to the job they are offered. Most of the cases qualified youngsters whenever get into a job faces difficulties in meeting the expectation and making growth thereon.
In the circumstances, there exists a dire need and opportunity to provide the youngsters of the area with structured and up to date information, coaching and mentoring support so as to make them able to harness and utilize their full potential in living a successful life and contribute to the development of the area and country.
Project Objectives
- Enhance life and social skills learning opportunities for youth in district Mardan
- Promote peer to peer mentoring and support network to the youth for improved personal, educational, and career development.
Implementation Strategy
The proposed strategy is based on five domains of youth development i.e. Confidence, Character, Connectedness, Competence, and Contribution (Pittman & Ferbers in 2001).
The strategy entails a set of structured activity which will enable the youth to get engage in extra- curricular activities which will enable them get confidence on their theoretical knowledge as well as practical skills. Access to up resources will provide them opportunity to expose to up to date information. Seminars and conferences will expose youth to expert’s opinion and success stories enabling them to get inspire and act. Common space to gather, exchange ideas and engage in constructive activities will help channel their positive energies in creating projects/assignment which will help them determine their own life, study and career goals. Co-working and collaboration with peer group shall provide them peer support in a structured way leading to creating an enabling environment.
Youth population with respect to their age, qualification and orientation would be mapped out Tehsil wise and union council wise. We will utilize district census report and secondary data from academic as well as civil society organization for the purpose.
Exact positioning of services provided from government, civil society organization and corporate sector will get identify with the help of formal/informal meetings with all mentioned stake holders. Existing resources (assets) and gaps in resources shall be identified and visually displayed through on the data base and map. This will help us leverage efforts made by other NGOs and CBOs.
This we will do through our social mobilization team comprised of a male and female member.
Need identification and selection of Youth:
We will advertise invitation to the program to the youth in local newspaper, academic institutions, NGOs and CBOs. Potential youth will be selected for the project through a one-day selection workshop. In the selection workshop we will brainstorm with the youth on major issues faced by them, will select the most crucial one for planning, will let the group develop their plans and present it to the forum. A formal interview will follow for those who qualified the first round. A team of expert will assess their potential on the basis of their participation, initiative, qualities of ideas and leadership skill for entry to the program.
This core group of Youth Leaders will carry out rest of the entire conceived activities as a project. This experience will give them opportunity to go through an experiential learning conceiving, planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating projects. All further activities will be carried out by this core group in supervision and guidance of a project coach and mentor.
Engaging 300 Youth
The project will engage youth of the area right from the very first step i.e. mapping of youth resources, where in they themselves would design, conduct, analyze and report the exercise. We will select a group of youth leaders within the whole lot engaged in activities on the basis of their interest and commitment to their personal development as planed in the project. Extra-curricular activities will provide a platform to have youth engaged, screened and selected for the core group. This core group will play key role in planning, executing and overseeing activities planned further including consultative meetings, seminars, establishment of YRCs and mobilizing youth.
1 Conference and 1 Seminars on youth
Awareness rising, collective wisdom and broad-based consultation are aimed to evolve through series of conferences and seminars on youth related issue before establishment of Youth Resource Centers. We will arrange one conference and one seminar on issues related to youth. Seminar would be arranged through higher educational institution while conferences through the CSOs. Main subjects for deliberation in these conferences and seminars are proposed as:
- Youth Friendly Society-Rights, Roles & Responsibilities
- Prospects of growth & development for youth in the area
Establishment of 4 Youth Resource Centers and 12 Youth Common Rooms:
The purpose is to maximize opportunities for youth to get to gather, think, realize and act constructively with regard to their personal life, studies and their careers. Convenient access to information would broaden their vision about future while mutual interaction would develop opportunity of mutual dialogues, exchange of ideas and accommodation in youth.
Youth Resource Centers will be established in four (4) clusters of the districts keeping in mind proximity of population and access to already available learning resources. We will establish these Resource Centers in academic institutions including Government Boys Degree College, Government Boys Degree College and Govt. Girls degree college. Youth Resource Center shall work as a hub for providing up to date information with the help of books, internet, reading/reference material and holding bi-meeting/training workshops for youth. Same facility would be used for holding exhibiting youth lead initiatives, creative works and holding dialogues and discussions. Initially 2 members each from educational institution and SIS will be train to perform services required in YRC. Two staff members from the project team will work as resource person. Support of resource person shall be withdrawn after the end of project cycle; after that the responsibility shall be taken over by local youth on voluntarily basis.
Project would provide physical resources including 10 computer systems, internet access, furniture and fixture, necessary books etc and maintenance and technical assistance on continuous basis till project ends.
Extension to these 3 main youth resource centers; will be Youth Common Room at twelve (12) selected villages. The idea is to give due importance and consideration to youth in society and to provide them the opportunity to attain up to date information, and express themselves freely. These youth common room would serve as a common sitting, retiring place where in facility of newspaper, magazines, literature on social issues, discussions and in-door games would take place in leisure hours of the day. These youth common rooms shall serve as platform for generating healthy discussions, activities and sense of mutual relation within the community. A dedicated space within existing communal places (Hujras/Bhetak) in rural communities would be ensured in consultation with local influential.
Priority areas of working in YRCs and Youth Common Rooms would be identified during the consultative meeting of the project; however envisaged areas of interventions are hereby listed in this proposal.
Preparation of training module for capacity building sessions
Trainer, trainee module and reference material would be prepared for youth member of the group. Existing expertise of the organization which are specific but not limited to youth issues, education, social welfare etc. would be utilized primarily; however, expert/consultants would be hired for preparation of training module where required. We will adopt manual and reference material after consultation with all stake holders and in accordance with the need. A committee comprised of a member from project team (including youth leaders) and education institution as well. The committee would search for secondary data, expert on the subject and will prepare package of training module.
Key areas of focus would include but not limited to the following:
- Personal health, safety and Development.
- Career Planning
- Networking
- Communication & Presentation Skills
- Conflict management
- Stress Management
- Self-discipline and control
- Time Management
- Effective Decision Making
10 Capacity building workshops on monthly basis with youth
Capacity building workshops are aimed to enhancing knowledge and ability of youth providing them up-to date information related to their personal, social life and career path. These sessions would take place on monthly basis for two days (Weekends). Each of the session shall address single subject. Resource persons shall be selected from academic institutions, CSOs, and professional consultants wherever required. Each trainer nominated would be accompanied by a co-trainer. All youth leaders shall participate in the sessions and will trickle down the same to other youth participants in YRCs in different format. Format for the YRCs participants will be informal, interactive.
Two exposure visits/meetings
Two (2) exposure visits, one each for male and female for the YRC would be arranged to provide an opportunity to youngsters of the area to meet prominent educationist, political leaders, scholars, intelligentsia, media leaders, corporate leaders and success story makers from all major sector. Such exposure visits would take place on quarterly basis for youth group. Project team would set priority areas, personalities, places and arrange for such meetings, and visits with all concerned. This would broaden vision, knowledge and personality base of youth about most common profession, people and trades of society. They will gain a good insight of the factors involved in making a success and become a leader. Such inspiration will help them clearly determine their own vision of personal development in life.
Two (2) Healthy Competitions
Events would comprise of Sports Galas, Cookery Competition, Embroidery Competition, Debates and Quiz Competition, Painting/drawing/writing competition. One event each at every YRS will take place simultaneously with all other activities of the project and would be arranged at educational institution. All YRC and youth common rooms will be invited to participate.
Healthy competition would provide base for adherence to the core life skills like communication/presentation, discipline, organization, resourcefulness, helping others, team work, time management and leadership within youth. Furthermore, these events would contribute in developing healthy habits/practices in the youth. Such event would be utilized to disseminate advocacy/awareness campaigns on core issues of the projects. adolescence, political awareness, HIV-Aids, Personal hygiene, Gender issues, etc.
Two (2) Ideas Exhibition
Ideas Exhibition is envisaged to tape innovative quest and to acknowledge efforts being made by youth in the area and to promote creativity and innovation in youth of the area. Even smallest of the efforts made to improve existing product, idea or innovated any new product would be encouraged to exhibit during such events. These events would take place at all educational institution on quarterly basis; however, ideas would be seeking on continuous basis. Such ideas would be invited from formal educational institution through circulation and advertisement. Main subject areas of idea market would be related to:
- Science projects
- IT projects
- Welfare/development projects
- Social Entrepreneurship/Business projects
- Fun projects
Project Beneficiaries
What are the numbers of beneficiaries for the proposed project?
Cost-Share (in cash/ in kind or both)
CPRD will contribute cost in operational management of the project in terms of providing head office and project office space, civil facilities, fixture and furniture and management assistance. Breakup of the cost is given in detail budge. Detail break down of CPRD contribution is given in the budget portion and detail budget annexure.
Recurring Cost
Space for Youth Resource and Youth Common Rooms will be provided by educational institute and communities respectively, there will be no need to allocated or arrange any cost associated to the rent.
The project will leave the fixture and furniture installed for future use. While for other recurring cost like stationary, electricity, material and supplies and technology the youth selected to the program will be connected to the available resourceful people, forums and professional for possible monetary or in-kind support. For this purpose, the project will train them in networking and fundraising skills and will help them raise funds locally. Similarly, the project will introduce the YRCs to other donors for continued funding. Furthermore, the host educational institutions will be mobilized to take over the space and project at their own and institutionalize it in their own system.
Alternatively, if all these options prove unsuccessful, a nominal annually, monthly and weekly membership fee will be applied to the visiting/attending members by introducing membership and sponsorship schemes.
