Islamabad, (Parliament Times) : The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) gathered government officials, local and international partners, and communities from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Buner and Upper Dir districts to celebrate the conclusion of the $10 million Human Development Activity.
Over four years, the project empowered local communities and organizations to achieve sustainable development outcomes in health and education. Through collaboration with the KP government, the project provided grants to Pakistani organizations to implement education and health interventions, including operating accelerated learning program centers, and restructured and strengthened the Primary Care Health Committee to include women members.
The event underscored the instrumental support of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial departments of Education, Health, and Population Welfare. These departments contributed to the interventions’ design, implementation, and oversight, fostering a deeper understanding of government priorities among local partners, addressing implementation challenges, and promoting the integration of health and education services. Government officials expressed gratitude to USAID, the implementing partner Palladium, and the local organizations. They affirmed their commitment to leveraging the insights and experiences gained from the project, including their continued support to over 1,000 out-of-school girl students enrolled in 34 accelerated learning program centers in Buner and Upper Dir.
In her closing remarks, USAID/Pakistan Mission Director Kate Somvongsiri lauded stakeholder’s collaborative efforts, especially the local partners and communities. She acknowledged the pivotal role played by women and youth in making the initiatives inclusive of underserved groups, telling the communities that, “Your engagement made these outcomes possible.” She further emphasized USAID’s enduring partnership with the Government of Pakistan and reiterated USAID’s commitment to locally-led, equitable development.
The Human Development Activity leaves a legacy of strengthened partnerships, enhanced local capacity, and improved service delivery in Buner and Upper Dir. Notable achievements include the significant increase in school enrollment, with over 34,000 out-of-school children now attending formal and non-formal primary schools, with more than 90 percent of these being girls. Additionally, over 7,000 public service providers in health and education received training, ensuring the delivery of high-quality services. The project delivered maternal and child health messages to over 700,000 individuals, and it provided voluntary family planning services to more than 300,000 women and children.
