Basic Education and Employable Skill Training Pakistan

PROJECT OVERVIEW

In order to eliminate extremism and insurgency, military operation against insurgents has been launched in FATA’s North Waziristan Agency.  As a result, approximately more than 900,000 people were reportedly displaced and migrated to various regions of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Responding to deal with and support a massive displacement, the government of Pakistan and humanitarian organization initiated relief activities for fulfilling their basic needs like accommodation, food and health care. Similarly, due to a massive displacement of the population, several protection issues are also raised. It was a dire need of the day to provide protection services to the host community and Temporarily Displaced Persons (TDPs).

BEST Started protection services since June 2014 for the TDPs living in Kurram Agency, District Kohat and Tank under Emergency Response Fund (ERF) UNOCHA. The project was mainly focus on provision of protection services i-e  1) Establishment of Grievance Desks at WFP food distribution points for referral of grievances of TDPs to the concerns stakeholders,2) Legal Aid support Services (such as counseling, advices on civil documentation), 3) Protection Monitoring through Focus Group Discussions and Key Informant interviews, 4) Awareness Raising  Session , 5) Broadcasting of Key Messages on local FM Radio and 6)  Capacity Building Training Sessions for the Stack holders and Protection Committees.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

To protect civil and humanitarian rights of TDPs in host areas of Tank and Kurram through access to protection services and rights.

TARGET AREA

The project was implemented in District Tank, District Kohat and Kurram Agency.

 

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY

Keeping in view the culture sensitivity of the TDPs, two separate Grievance desks for both male and female were established at WFP food distribution point’s /hubs at Kurram Agnecy, District Kohat and Tank for the conflict affected TDPs. Similarly,  male and female grievance desk officers were assigned at each grievance desk to record the TDPs grievances during food distribution Cycle. During off days of distribution, BEST protection team recorded TDPs grievances through mobile grievance approach in their villages. BEST protection team provided legal aid/support on civil documentations to TDPs in district Kohat, Tank and Kurram agency. One male and female Legal Officers were assigned at each Legal desk to provide legal advices and counseling services to TDPs. Male and female legal officers provided legal advices and counseling services on importance and procedure of civil documentation in WFP food distribution points and in host communities during their field visits. BEST male and female protection officers conducted regular protection monitoring and consultation for identification of individual and group protection concerns of TDPs. FGDs and key informant interviews have conducted with TDPs. The identified individual and group protection concerns referred on inter agency referral form to relevant service providers/stakeholders. Regular follow up made with stakeholders regarding the referred protection concerns.

 

As per the need (identified in Protection Monitoring), Awareness Raising Sessions were conducted with TDPs men, women, girls, boys, elderly and people with disabilities in TDPs concentrated villages in district Kohat, tank and Kurram Agnecy. Capacity building Training on protection for the Stakeholders/Service providers conducted in district Kohat, Tank and Kurram Agency.BEST project team established  male and Female protection committees  in different TDPs concentrated Villages in district Tank and Kurram. Total 38 (20 Tank and 18 Kurram) volunteer protection committees have been established including 28 Male and 10 Female committees. Additionally, already established protection committees were restructured and strengthened.

Capacity building Training on protection for the protection committees conducted in district Tank and Kurram Agency. Total 38 training sessions (20 Tank and 18 Kurram) have been conducted. Male and female protection committee’s members participated in Training sessions.

 

PROJECT ACHIEVEMENTS

 Showing the summary of overall beneficiaries covered by BEST Protection project activities in Kohat, Tank and Kurram Agency.

 

Activity Description	District	Total Reached Beneficiaries	Women	Men	Girls	Boys
Operation of Grievance Desks	Tank	705	225	480	–	–
	Kurram Agency	649	103	546	–	–
	Kohat	1,470	365	1,105	–	–
Legal Aid/Support on civil documentations	Tank	284	39	221	13	11
	Kurram Agency	141	7	134	–	–
	Kohat	34	3	31	–	–
Protection Monitoring and Consultation	Tank	1,015	385	353	149	128
	Kurram Agency	956	504	285	54	113
	Kohat	205	60	89	40	16
Protection committees Capacity building Trainings	Tank	128	44	84	–	–
	Kurram Agency	126	42	84	–	–
	Kohat	–	–	–	–	–
Stake holders Capicity Building trainings	Tank	79	18	61	–	–
	Kurram Agency	–	–	–	–	–
	Kohat	37	6	31	–	–
Awareness Raising Sessions	Tank	1,351	300	717	173	161
	Kurram Agency	947	504	285	45	113
	Kohat	520	300	176	20	24
Grand Total		8,647	2,905	4,682	494	566

 

CHALLENGES

1. Uncertain Security Situation:

The security situation remains uncertain in the area of intervention, due to which field regular field visits and activities remained the big challenge especially the project female staff movement in the targeted areas.

2. Cultural constraints & barriers:

• Due to cultural sensitivity, the team faced problems in gathering community especially females for various project activities.
• Due to culture sensitivity the female TDPs have lack of access to NADRA office.

3. No Service Providers (other humanitarian organizations):

Tank is a remote area and is ignored from humanitarian assistance. There is lack of other organization providing humanitarian assistance to TDPs(except WFP and Prime Foundation) which is the main hindrance in referral of protection concerns to the service providers.

4. Lack of District Protection/Coordination Working Group(DCWGs):

The Protection Cluster and Child Protection and Welfare Commission jointly establish District Coordination Protection Working Groups in various districts of KPK but unfortunately,

the DPWG/DCWGs has not yet established in Tank. This is a big gap in coordination and local solution of protection concerns identified during protection monitoring.

5. No updated referral pathway:

There is no updated referral pathway for referring the protection cases to relevant service providers in Tank which is developed by Protection Cluster for other districts and Agencies where the TDPs reside.

6. Slow Response and Feedback from Relevant Stakeholders:

The responses on protection cases including legal, online grievances is slow and takes long time. This is the main challenge for the team to give feedback to the TDPs on their referred cases.

 

LESSON LEARNT:

• Democratic trends developed as a result of committees’ formation through democratic way. The committee members were sensitized on TDPs protection rights. They were trained on case management and referral mechanism and their linkages with service providers have developed for sustainable solution after completion of project.
• Stakeholder’s advocacy on protection rights of TDPs was done which was effective in strengthening the referral mechanism.