Profile of INDUS FUTURE FOUNDATION 2012 - 2014 Introduction: Indus Future Foundation (IFF) emerged as the result of some like- minded persons who are or have been associated with the national and international organizations. These organizations worked during super flood of 2010 in Pakistan. It was also felt that there were some capacity issues of the organization who were active during the emergency 2010 throughout Sindh. The issues such as floods, continuous climate change, and law & order situation, socio-economic vulnerability have become the fate of Pakistan and particularly of Sindh province, which are more pa- thetic. In such situation, Indus Future Foundation was formed in July 2011 and started functioning since August 2011. Registration: FF is a registered entity. It was registered under Society Act (1860) in December 29, 2011. Mandate: FF mandates to address various problems facing vulnerable and un- der privileged communities. Team: IFF is led by full time Director and professional team with volunteers. The teams work a strategic unit which works as per strategic areas. Vision: I FF envisioned a just and peaceful society where all human beings enjoy basic human rights without religious, racial, sexual and linguis- tic discrimination. Mission: IFF facilitates social movement for people’s equal access to basic social services through delivering and advocating civic and political education, quality formal and non formal education, primary health- care, disaster preparedness and grassroots economic empower- ment. Membership and Affiliations: FANSA (Freshwater Action Network South Asia) a Key partner of FAN (Freshwater Action Network Global) Water Supply & Sanitation Collaborative Council Partners and supporters: USAID/ The Asia Foundation SCOPE HRCP Government of Sindh Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Youth Development Programme Aifailaan 2 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Sr. Name Designa- Experience tion 1 Mr. Punhal Khan Chairperson 30 years of Socio- Sario political experience, key role in peasant and So- cial Movement. 2 Ms. Nazia Bano Vice Chair- 14 years of experience in Baloch person Development sector, en- vironment and fisheries. 3. Mr. Asghar Ali General Sec- 15 years of experience in Laghari retary social sector in Program and Project Manage- ment. 4. Dr. Ashothama Joint Secre- 20 years of experience in Luhana tary Human Right. 5. Mr. Abdul Jabbar Treasurer 15 years of experience in Bhatti Social sector. 6. Ms. Kulsoom Ali Member 10 year in social sector Mir Shah 7. Ms. Ferkhanda Member 10 years in Education Yasmeen Sahar Sector. 3 Core Development ProgramsCore Development of IFF 4 Disaster Risk Reduction Poverty, vulnerability and disasters are interlinked - it is most often the poorest that are worst affected and suffer most. Their poverty makes them more vulnerable. Their capacity to cope with disasters and recover from the effects is constrained by their lack of re- sources. But if those people are sufficiently prepared and enhanced their capacity to cope and recover quickly, then these droughts, floods and even earthquakes would not become disastrous. Objectives: To build capacity of the vulnerable communities to reduce the risk of disaster. To facilitate public and private development organizations/ firms for designing development projects in line with future hazards. Develop village level, district level DRR plan for most vulnerable communities in Pakistan. Water and Sanitation Realizing situation of water and sanitation, In September 2009, the government of Pakistan approved a National Drinking Water Policy and acknowledged to have access to safe drinking water as a basic human right and its responsibility to provide this for all its citizens without any discrimination. Objective To enable poor communities to access safe water by working with them to build new water sources or rehabilitate old facilities and help people to understand how unsafe water and poor sani- tation spread disease. To provide safe sanitation facilities to each individual (women, child and man) lives in Pakistan. To educate people regarding National water and sanitation poli- cies of Pakistan and make them to realize that safe drinking wa- ter and safe sanitation facilities are their basic human rights. Agriculture Extension: Economy of every state depends on three sectors i.e. agriculture, industry and commerce. These three are interrelated with each other as the progress or retrogress of one sector definitely effects the other two. Pakistan is an agricultural state thus agriculture gains are of much importance than any other sector. Importance of this sector is manifold as it feeds people, provides raw material for in- dustry and also is a base for foreign trade and investment. There- fore, there is a need to focus on this sector and introduce modern 5 Climate Change It is the world’s poorest people who are hardest hit by devastating droughts, floods and other extreme weather events. This is a mas- sive injustice – climate change is caused by the world’s richest countries. Ways to tackle causes and effects of climate change are including; Working with communities to reduce their vulnerability to the disasters made worse and more numerous by climate change, and to help them adapt to the longer term challenges which a changing climate pose. Working with other organizations to share our learning of what works well and what can be done to make Programmes of work with poor communities even more effective. Working with national and international bodies around the world to create and strengthen policies which reduce emis- sions and encourage funding and focus on adaptation to cli- mate change. Working with schools and teachers to encourage the delivery of effective, exciting climate change lessons which engage to- day's young people in the issues of climate change, creating a generation of global citizens who understand the impact of their actions on the environment and people around the world. Launching and supporting campaigns designed to raise awareness of the impacts of climate change on vulnerable communities, and enabling them to take tangible action to sup- port strong and urgent change at the local, national and inter- national level Reproductive Health, HIV AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculo- sis Like other developing countries Pakistan is badly facing with repro- ductive health related problems and other highly infectious diseases like STIs, HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and tuberculosis. The key objectives to cope with such chronic diseases are as follows. Objectives: To create an enabling environment at policy and societal level for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in rural areas of Pakistan; To institutionalize the Sexual and Reproductive Health education in education system as well as to promote client-centered SRHR services in health management system. 6 Woman and Child Rights Woman has a key position at family and a nation but in society woman has not equal right as man. This society considers woman a decoration piece and does not allow woman to enjoy the rights, which nature as well as the United Nations recommended for her. Similarly, the condition of children is not good in the country and particular in Sindh province. Literacy ratio is less than 55%. There is much needed to work on child rights. Though, Pakistan is a one of the sig- natory of Convention on the Rights of the Child but the condition of children in rural and urban Sindh is worst. Objectives: Advocacy, campaigning, lobbying and networking for women’s ac- cess to the rights accepted under CEDAW including participation in political process and making decisions. 7 Geographical Focus: 8 9 WATER, SANITATION & HEALTH: Observed world Toilet day in 2012. 10 Global Handwashing Day 15 October 2012. Marked at Village Mevo Khan Laghari– District T. M. Khan - Sindh. 11 Awareness Rally on Human Right Day 2012. 12 13 Voter’s Education for Democracy Project: A capacity building training was organized for volunteers un- der voter’s education program. 50 volunteers (Boys and Girls) were trained and participated implementation of project activi- ties. Certificate awarded to the participants on successfully completion of volunteers training course on Volunteerism. 14 Four seminars were organized to engage civil society organization and actors for holding free, fair and peaceful election under Voter’s education for democracy project. People were invited through writing a letter to participate into the seminar and raise voice for holding free, fair and peaceful elections. Secondly, to identify gaps/ issues necessary to come over for peaceful elections. Some issues and gaps identified during holding these seminars are as One of the opin- ion came through this seminar that it was not happened any uncer- tainty during previously polling in general elections. They were of the view that people votes during polls peacefully and everyone is inde- pendent to cast his/ her vote during polls. There were polling before. There was not any issue historically. People are peaceful, and aware of the consequences. Second opinion was that there is issue of rig- ging technically. They were of the view that people are very poor and majority of them is also illiterate. People lives on the land of land- lords/feudal. They do not have ownership of land on they are living. They are under pressure and have no freedom to cast their vote in- dependently. Voting ration remains always low than 40% previously. Voting ratio is gender biased. Less than 25% women cast their votes during polls. They said voice should be raised against expected rig- ging during polls for strengthening democracy in Pakistan. They said that civil society should be bridged to communicate voters’ issues to the relevant authorities. They hoped that the efforts taken by civil so- ciety organizations and actors will be effective and voting ratio will increase. 15 10 Corner meetings were held for creating awareness among voters. 567 men and women voter’s participated in corner meet- ings. The objective of this activity was to create awareness among voters and to know the problems/ issues they foresee in election held in 2013.