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Speech by Nadir Gul Barech CEO, BRSP on the occasion of visit by World Bank and PPAF missions in Balochistan on May 27, 2008

Honorable Ministers and members Provincial Assembly Government of Balochistan, colleagues from world Bank, PPAF mission, Secretaries Government of Balochistan Line agencies, UN agencies representatives, representatives of Civil Society Organizations, Directors BRSP BoDs, distinguished guests, ladies and Gentlemen Asalam Alaikum and Good Evening. It gives me immense pleasure to welcome the galaxy of policy makers, public service agencies, the supporting partners from donor community, and all of you to BRSP and I am extremely grateful to all of you for your gracious presence here.

Balochistan, rich in history dating back to pre-historic ages, has seen its inhabitants depending on the natural resources through centuries and can rightly be termed as the pioneers of present day agricultural, civic and social patterns delivered to the modern world through an evolutionary process spread over millenniums.

It is said that when you build a road, the change is inevitable because it does not only connects the area with the outside world but it brings new cultural influences and innovations from the out side world. As you know Balochistan province has its unique cultural and geographical background, many things changed rapidly around the world but the pace of development, in Balochistan, has been relatively slow and it is considered to be the most under developed region of Pakistan by basic living standards.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we at BRSP vigorously pursue its mission that is "To harnessing people's potential to help themselves, to assume control of local development and improve their standard of living. BRSP follows the holistic RSP approach of organizing people at the grassroots level through the process of social mobilization and links the COs to various service delivery channels and opportunities.

Of course, the process of development starts with a common vision owned by all actors of the society including communities and indigenous populations. This is particularly true for balochistan, where a broad sense of local commitment coming from tribal people will be an indispensable development force.

BRSP focuses on the capacities of indigenous organizations to meet development challenges - on a bottom up rather than a top down approach. Voluntary Community organizations, for example, are undertaking projects ranging from the installation of water and sanitation systems and the building of irrigation canals, to the provision of educational services and agricultural and live stock development etc.

Now talking about the history of BRSP……….it was set up with the financial assistance from the Balochistan Government and GTZ, a German based organization working in Balochistan. We are privileged to have its first CEO among us today. In the mid 90s, BRSP existed in 13 districts of Balochistan, with 250 staff members. The programme, however, had to be scaled down substantially in the subsequent years as GTZ withdrew its support. After a long interval of inactivity, BRSP restarted its operations in 2001 with financial support from Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund.

In 2006, with the support of Government of Pakistan, the organization expanded its outreach to five new districts including Kalat, Killah Saifullah, Mastung, Pishin and Zhob with the special focus on enhancing livestock assets and productivity of the poor. BRSP, in 2007, participated in the relief and early recovery operations in flood affected districts namely Bolan, Chagai, Jhal Magsi, Kharan, Khuzdar, Noshki and Washuk in Balochistan in partnership with Government of Blochistan, UN Agencies and other Donors. Another initiative of a model village, supported financially by Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, is being implemented in Loralai District. BRSP’s current short and long term interventions focus rural poor populace in 13 districts of Balochistan.

BRSP’s conceptual framework is built on people-participation criterion. To attain this objective, BRSP supports the formation of self-sustaining formal organizations to identify area-specific needs of the people. In response to identified needs BRSP develops well-integrated programme, which are sensitive of Balochistan’ cultural heritage and local institutions and have the potential for lasting impact. BRSP plays a catalytic role in creating a productive partnership for Development. It encourages village men and women, its active partners in rural development, to be the decision-makers, planners, implementers and beneficiaries of the efforts to bring about real change in their live.

The intense demand in various parts of the province for expansion of BRSP's programmes is an encouraging indicator of its widespread acceptance by the rural poor, as well as of the enormous development potential that remains untapped.

Major program components of BRSP include social mobilization, human resource development, credit and savings program, enterprise development, community infrastructure schemes, basic health and education particularly girl’s community based schools, Food and nutrition distribution and agriculture advisory services and livestock productivity enhancement.

Over the time BRSP has been able to reach out to around 1 million people directly or indirectly through integrated programs. We have been able to facilitate communities to improve their livelihood and overall well being.

In collaboration with PPAF we have completed 481 CPIs schemes costing some 284 million Pak rupees. These schemes have benefited some 60,000 individuals, more than 100,000 people have benefited from Irrigation schemes constructed during last five years, besides, BRSP also invested in the improvement of rural roads and sanitation services.

2756 poorest of the poor have been provided loan under micro credit programme supported by PPAF.

Balochistan faced another disaster YEMYIN cyclone storm’s after the severe drought tenure of 7 years on June 26, 2007. The massive yamine cyclone affected more than 2 million men women and children by destroying their houses, livelihood, killing livestock, killing men women and children, The post affects of the disaster also caused substantial concerns. Increased malnourishment, attacks of epidemic diseases, food scarcity, destroyed infrastructure and livelihood, shelter-less families in harsh summer season, when heat was at its peak and insecurity/protection.

In this scenario BRSP emerged as one of the lead agencies to support these affected families by providing them transitional shelter, Emergency food, Food for work, Agriculture inputs, Veterinary vaccination, medication and fodder, medical and nutritional aid, Water and sanitation, Protection and Education services to the extremely vulnerable victims of disaster. BRSP provided relief services to 661,818 flood affected individuals through 13 projects in 7 district (Khuzdar, Bolan, Jhal Magsi, Kharan, Chagi, Noshki, Washuk) which covered 19 Tehsils and 89 Union Councils. BRSP mobilized more than $12,500,000 (PKR=750000000) material and cash funds for emergency relief operations from several donors i.e. RSPN, DFID, UNICEF, UNHCR, PRCS, FAO, and WFP

Concluding my remarks, I am proud to share that BRSP is looking forward to reach for the highest level of competence to justify its existence and trust given by you all. BRSP combines energy and creativity, with a social conscience. Together these constitute a powerful impulse and our team is putting the hardest efforts to nurture it. At the same time capacities for management, programme design and implementation, monitoring and evaluation have been looked at to reach for the excellence.

I would further like to reiterate our long-term commitment to improve the living standards of this region as we are an integral part of its people. BRSP is already scaling up its efforts, in collaboration and with the support of the government and other donor agencies, to enable people to transform their existence from extreme poverty, to choice and opportunity, within a context that safeguards, for each of them, their right to their own identities, and to preserve and practice their indigenous culture and traditions.

Distinguished guests, together, we have an opportunity to grasp the challenge of helping to develop Balochistan – and succeed. The investment made today will lay the foundation for prospects of tomorrow, and an opportunity to enhance its capacity for self-reliance. In this effort with all your support, BRSP will be among the leading torch bearer in the province and I assure our full commitment and conviction to the cause of human development and sustainable livelihood.

I would also like to assure that our 10 regional offices, with 26 field units and 500 staff members would facilitate the work of government departments, international organizations, INGOs, NGOs, UN Agencies in the communities.

I would also like to inform you about BIHD……….established to ensure human resource development in the province

I offer this space, the friends from development sector and government can visit, with their families……..for exchange of ideas………etc

Thank you all for being here and I hope you will enjoy this beautiful evening.

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