Program funded by UN, ILO, FAO and Pakistan Government help generate self-employment opportunities leading to creation of viable micro-enterprises
DADU (Pakistan) – ‘’I’m going to re-establish my own beauty parlor that is going to be able to provide services that would normally be available in only high end and commercial parlors’’ tells excited Seema, a recipient of beauty and personal care toolkit.
In her early 20s, Seema is one of the first girls in her family to engage in professional beauty and personal care business, ‘’we have received facial machine, hair dryer, makeup kits, salon chair and several other things that are high in demand here, when the customers used to visit they would get unimpressed with our poor set-up and leave without taking any services, now with the help of this kit I will be able to attract more customers in my village ‘’says Seema.
Fifty unemployed men and women from Dadu district were provided starter toolkits in various trades including tailoring & embroidery, hospitality, mobile repairing, beauty and personal care and vehicle repair at a local ceremony. About 40% of the 50 beneficiaries of the toolkits were women. By providing these toolkits targeted beneficiaries will be able to perform in markets by utilizing their vocational skills. The ceremony took place on 3rd February 2016 at Institute of Rural Management, field office Dadu.
The intervention is part of the One-UN Livelihood Restoration Project (LRP), funded by the United Nations Trust Fund on Human Security (UNTFHS), implemented by the ILO in close collaboration with Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), UN-Women and the Government of Sindh.
The purpose of distributing these toolkits to project beneficiaries is to assist them in generating self-employment opportunities leading to the creation of viable micro-enterprises in their area sand subsequently the diversification and rise of their household incomes. Preceding the kits distribution, all the beneficiaries were provided training on ‘Know About Business (KAB)’- a branded training product of ILO. The training enabled the individuals become aware of the self-employment career option, develop business ideas, take and manage risks, learn the process and take initiative in developing and owning a business.
The Chief Guest at the ceremony, Mr. Ghulam Shabbir Rind, Assistant Commissioner Dadu appreciated the role of the ILO in empowering peasant communities, particularly the youth. He further noted that ILO’s commitment towards creating decent employment for the rural youth and encouraging them in setting up rural enterprises was inspiring and highlighted the need for expanding similar programmes in other rural areas of Sindh. He said “peasants and rural communities are most vulnerable, because they accrue the damages from disasters more than anyone else”. He was of the view that this activity would help the youth and peasant communities to build back better from the decent work that they will have locally.
“The purpose of such trainings is to build resilience through livelihood diversification, whereby the on-farm earning of a family is supplemented by the off-farm earning. Resultantly the human security situation in the project areas is improving” said Mr. Zaheer Arif, Project Officer ILO.
Others notable officials present on the occasion included Mr. Israr Hussain , Regional Head Institute of Rural Management, QaziWajid,Executive Director Foundation for Urban and Rural Development and Mr. Shakeel Shah Hussaini, Head of CSR Mehar Gas Field OMV.