Continuous rain has largely affected the pace of work in all ActionAid project areas. The ongoing work such as improvement of community centers in Bagh was postponed, while the construction of Bazargay-Battagram community center has been completed and health center has been shifted to this area. Similarly in Mansehra, meeting was organized with other organizations for the site selection of community center Bazargay while shelter construction work continues in Sari. In Muzafarabad a new community center is planned for Union Council Therian to cater communities from Phadgari, Grathe and Doladri.
As part of the winter contingency strategy prefabricated shelters along with necessary house hold items were provided in ActionAid project areas. In Bagh, 64 families were temporarily relocated because they were living in land slide prone areas and were provided prefabs and other necessary household items for survival. In addition 180 prefabricated shelters, bedding, tarpaulin sheets and warm cloths have been distributed to the 256 vulnerable families in different villages of Bagh. In Battagram, 28 pre-fabricated shelters and materials for 59 temporary shelters have been provided to Shamlai and Battamori to the most vulnerable families such as widows, women headed households and the poorest. Similarly 100 pre-fabricated shelters have been distributed in Mansehra while improvements of 84 existing shelters have been completed. In Muzafarabad 300 kitchens (CGI and PGI sheets) along with 300 prefabs were distributed among the most vulnerable families. These kitchens have been constructed by the community members next to the prefabs to facilitate the women.
In Bagh and Battagram work on water supply schemes is progressing with slow pace due to heavy rains. However water tank has been completed in Goryar and for main pipe line, digging for 2000 feet pipe has been completed. Similarly water supply scheme of Purani Hill has been completed and two hand pumps have been completed and five hand pumps will be installed in Rabat village. In Mansehra, water supply schemes in Dabimar and Shadore will be completed in coming weeks. Similarly, 23 hand pumps have been completed while 4 are remaining. In Muzafarabad, construction work on WSS will be resumed as soon as the weather gets clearer.
Construction of proper latrines was the top priority this month and in this regard sanitation material has been distributed to 173 vulnerable families in Bagh and 30 families in Battagram while 107 latrines were completed with remaining 104 latrines to be completed soon in Mansehra.
In all four field areas 3224 patients were provided medical treatment and all the health related activities were checked. During this month common and major diseases included infectious diseases (typhoid and malaria), Scabies, UTI, anemia, gastroenteritis, and gastritis/peptic ulcer.
All the field teams have initiated the Disaster Preparedness (DP) activities at the community level. In this regard hazard, vulnerability and capacity (HVC) assessment has been completed and will be shared with the ERP staff in the upcoming DRR refresher. Moreover all the field offices have consulted other organizations working on DP to join hands and create a larger impact.
Three training workshops for electricians were completed in Bagh and interestingly four women also participated in these trainings. Furthermore trainings for masons/carpenters have been delayed due to bad weather. Three vocational centers have been started in villages Makhdoom-Kot, Channat and Kotera. Moreover, COs and families have been finalized to handover the saw and crush machines to facilitate the vulnerable families, MOUs were signed with community organizations but machines were not distributed due to heavy rain and land sliding.
In Battagram, CGI sheets have been provided to 81 families to construct animal shelters. In Mansehra, flour machines structure construction and installation have been completed in Safaida while work has been delayed due to heavy rain in other areas. Similarly construction of structure for saw machines has been completed while machine installation is in process in Seri. Training of cutting and stitching has been started in vocational center which would be helpful for women to earn their livelihood.
In Muzafarabad, 115 fruit plants were distributed among the vulnerable community members of 29 villages, 1500 fruit plants were distributed among 115 right holders. Furthermore livestock vaccination camp was established in village Pothi where 177 animals were vaccinated. An extension workers training for the community members has been started with the coordination of agriculture, forest and livestock department. Vocational trainings have been started in which 120 women are getting trained in Muzafarabad. Two block and two crush machines were provided to the community members in different villages of Muzafarabad. Furthermor training for drivers has been organized for 12 most vulnerable members of different villages. Similarly kitchen gardening training was organized in Nulla Shalabagh in which 28 female community members participated. At last a vegetable demonstration plot has been prepared through which women have seen a practical example of sowing seeds. Packets of local vegetable seeds were also distributed among the trainees.
To enhance the capacity of staff regarding the right based approach its philosophy and history, a workshop on Paulo Friere approaches was organized in Islamabad on 13th March 2007, in which staff members participated from all four field areas while in Muzafarabad, community management skill training was organized for the community activists in which 3 resource persons and 20 community members from different villages participated. In addition, Quiz competition was organized between 2 schools in Khilla and Rampura followed by a prize distribution ceremony. Trophies and story books were distributed among the winners.
In Bagh, the district body of Earthquake Victims Rights Movement (EVRM) has been formed and three community women members and female SOs participated in launching ceremony of a study on "Earthquake in Pakistan-Impact on Women, Natural Resources and Livelihood" which was organized by AA-ERP and Shirkat Gah in Islamabad. For the first time International Women's Day was celebrated in Bagh ,which was organized by ERP field office Bagh with the collaboration of community organizations of both Mallot and Pasari and Press for Peace (a right based NGO).
On "International Women's Day", one day seminar was held in Battagram in which 74 women from Mansehra, and Battagram participated including AA staff from Islamabad, Mansehra and Battagram. In Muzafarabad, gender and development training was organized in which 20 community members of different villages participated.
EMERGING ISSUES:
Participation of women in the women's day celebration raised many concerns in the religious circles in all areas and this has been propagated in the Jumma prayers.
Due to the rain and land sliding the road was blocked and some of our planned activities suffered.
ERRA is claming that they have paid 98 percent compensation but on the real grounds, situation is entirely different. People are still waiting for their third installment because they have completed their houses up to foundation stages but concerning authorities are not transferring further installments to complete the houses.
