The Foundation Story
Given Akhuwat’s commitment to poverty alleviation and community development, Akhuwat has initiated two community development programs: Rural Development (Kasur Mawakhat Program) and Urban Development (The Mustafabad Mawakhat Project). Under these projects, Akhuwat implements a participatory development approach involving the local community to identify problems and design localized solutions for development.
RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Kasur Mawakhat Program
The Kasur Mawakhat Program (KMP) was a participatory rural development program that mobilized local communities to lead their development projects in their villages. Launched in 2014 in Kasur, Pakistan, it has now been replicated in seven other adjoining villages. With the support of Akhuwat, hundreds of individuals are engaged in uplifting their families and communities out of poverty in a self-determined manner. The project was successfully completed (2014 – 2018) in Union Council Marali, District Kasur, where villages were converted to model villages and many acres of barren, saline and water-logged soil was reclaimed and made cultivable.
URBAN DEVELOPMENT
Mustafabad Project
Under the umbrella of Project Mustafabad, Akhuwat is implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) proposed by the United Nations in Mustafabad, Kasur. These include: ending poverty, improving health facilities, and improving economic growth for the sake of reducing inequalities. Akhuwat involves the local people to identify problem areas and development priorities. In this regard, 12 out of 17 SDGs have been selected, which include provision of free IT training, skill development programs, food supplements, and sanitation drives to empower and educate the community. In addition, Akhuwat is also providing interest-free loans for toilets and solar panels and developing a Waste Management plant for Mustafabad.
Lessons Learnt in Community Development
