Balochistan Rural Support Programme

Balochistan Rural Support Programme is a non-governmental organization working in rural areas of Balochistan province since 1983. Its head office is situated in Quetta, Baluchistan, Pakistan, sub-office is located in Islamabad, and a number of district offices are located in various districts of Balochistan. BRSP was initiated with the support of GTZ (German Agency for Technical Co-operation), Germany in 1983.^[2] In the mid 90s, BRSP worked in 13 districts of Balochistan with 250 staff members, however BRSP had to scaled down its operations substantially in the subsequent years as GTZ withdrew its support.^[3][4][5] BRSP resumed its operations in 2001 with financial support from Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund - PPAF.^[6]

Origin

In 1983, a project with the collaboration of Germany was initiated with a joint venture of Government of Germany and Government of Pakistan. Initially the project was implemented by the local Government Department of Balochistan with the financial assistance of GTZ (German Agency for Technical Co-operation).^[3] The initiative primarily aimed at developing the socioeconomic condition of poor rural areas of Balochistan. Later in 1991, it was transformed into a company limited and a non-profit organization named as “Balochistan Rural Support Programme” under the new organizational and administrative structures.^[1][4]

Vision

Prosperous Balochistan where people especially the poor and women are provided with equal livelihood opportunities and are not socially and economically excluded.^[1][5]

Mission

To harness potential of the rural poor to help themselves, assume control of local development and improve their standard of living.^[1][5]

Structure and Accountability

Balochistan Rural Support Programme is governed by Board of directors that has 15 members, including Chief Executive officer and a Chairman. Further structure of organization is; Senior Managers reportable to CEO, Managers; reportable to Senior Managers / CEO, Deputy Managers, Assistant Managers, and Senior Officers. Objective of BRSP is to improve the living condition and quality of life of the disadvantaged rural population through social mobilization and institutional development, to nurture and foster human resources at community level and enable them to plan, implement and manage development initiatives for sustainable development, to organize and improve services in sectors; health, education, rural enterprise, physical infrastructure, agriculture, livestock, water and sanitation, and women empowerment in rural areas.^[5][7]

Major programmes

• Social mobilization
• Community Physical Infrastructure and technology Development
• Basic health facilities to poor people of Balochistan
• Basic education facilities to poor people of Balochistan
• Community Mobilization
• Capacity Building of Community Institutions
• Development and rehabilitation of water supply schemes and construction and provision of sanitation services
• Youth centers development
• Livelihood enhancement program
• Malaria control interventions
• Improvement of cross bordering and close border areas of Pakistan in terms of water supply schemes, rehabilitation of water supply schemes and establishment of youth centers.

Program philosophy

BRSP's primary role in poverty alleviation and community development is to encourage self-help and, in the long term, guide the Community Organizations in becoming mature and self-reliant institutions. This is the route to community empowerment, which must arise organically from COs themselves. BRSP’s programme is holistic multi sectoral interventions achieve synergies which in return ensure sustainable outcomes. BRSP acknowledges that unless the concept of gender is understood and mainstreamed into every aspect of the organization and the programme, the kind of development, poverty alleviation and community empowerment that it wishes to attain will not be possible. This must be done in culturally appropriate ways: the skill lies in finding the ways to do this while upholding the principle of equality.^[1][4]

Sources of funds

Balochistan Rural Support Programme has received funding from various national and international donor agencies. Following are the donor agencies from whom BRSP have been granted funding and various projects were implemented and few are being implementing in a number of districts of Balochistan province; UNHCR, WFP, UNICEF, GIZ, Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund - PPAF, National Rural Support Programme - NRSP, KfW,^[8] Pakistan Afghanistan Tajikistan Regional Integration Programme - PATRIP.,^[9] European Commission - EC.,^[10] Rural Support Programme Network - RSPN, Mercy Corps - MC, Balochistan Education Foundation - BEF,^[11] UNFPA, FAO, and UNDP.^[1]

Emergency Response

BRSP had initiated and implemented emergency response 2007 floods of balochistan, 2008 earthquake of ziarat and 2010 Pakistan floods, in which balochistan province was badly affected. Major flood relief operations were performed by BRSP,^[12] with an estimated 90% of relief activities were performed by BRSP that includes, provision of shelters, food and non food items, hygiene kits, and other accessories, major international donor agencies during the flood of 2010 were; UNHCR, WFP, USAID, KFW, FAO, and UNDP.^[13]

• 2007 flood of Balochistan
• 2008 Ziarat earthquake^[14][14][15]
• 2010 Balochistan floods^[16][16]
• 2013 Mashkhel Earthquake^[17][18]

Honors and recognition

• Balochistan Rural Support Programme received its first Pakistan Centre for Philanthropy - PCP certification in 2005 and has been receiving the certification consecutively, the last certification was received in September, 2012. PCP certification is given to an organization on the basis of its performance in achieving its objectives and goals, Financial Management, Parameters of internal government and programme delivery.^[19][20]

• On March 5, 2013, Federal Minister for Education and Training, Government of Pakistan, Sheikh Waqas Akram, conferred on BRSP the Afro-Asian Rural Development Organization (AARDO), award for outstanding contribution for development, in a ceremony held in the Ministry of Education and Training on March 5, 2013. Nadir Gul Barech, CEO BRSP received the award. The Minister praised BRSP for its achievements despite various challenges and pledged the ministry’s full support to the BRSP in its future endeavors. The minister and Secretary assured BRSP of the best possible support and cooperation of the ministry in their future endeavors to improve the lives of the rural poor.^[21][22][23]

Timeline

• 1991-2000: During the span of eight years BRSP supported target communities to form, formalize,and strengthen 473 villages of Balochistan province which includes; 317 Village Organization (VO's) and 156 Women Organizations. However organization had to scaled down its operations in the subsequent years as GTZ withdrew its support.^[24]

• 2001-2006: From 2001, BRSP expanded its operations in 13 districts of province and breakdown in sectoral components of Social Mobilization, Micro Credit, Community Physical Infrastructure, Natural Resource Management, and Social sector services and therefore took initiatives of these sectoral programs in rural areas of BRSP.^[24]

• 2007-2010: In this period BRSP experienced further programmatic expansion in four more districts with support of international and national donor agencies.A major livestock program was initiated during this phase with the support of Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (MINFAL), Pakistan.^[24]

See also

• GTZ
• List of development aid agencies
• Non-governmental organization
• List of NGOs in Pakistan

References

External links

• Balochistan Rural Support Programme Official Website
• Organization Profile of BRSP
• PPAF.org.pk
• RSP's Celebrating 30 years of rural support
• BRSP-PATRIP Foundation Projects
• PPI News Agency
• Pak News Network.com