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1)
BRIEF SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS
In Pakistan, poor peoples housing
(known as Katchi Abadis – the informal sector) are everywhere. In
Karachi, a port city and commercial center of Pakistan, about 60 % of the
total population of 12 million, lives in Katchi Abadis. Here land is
purchased from a middle man (the land supplier) who subdivides government and
some private land and sells it to the poor; in the process, paying bribes of
cash and choice plots to the government functionaries.
Provision of a housing unit is not a
problem. People build their houses incrementally, building component
manufacturing yards in the settlement provide building materials and
components on credit. Initially the land supplier (who is a resourceful person
having links with politicians, government departments and the private
operators) arranges the supply of water through water tankers and
transportation (i.e. bus routes). As the settlement expands and consolidates,
need for water supply, sewage disposal, schools and clinics arise. For
livelihood, people set up micro enterprises in their homes. People lobby with
government for facilities but due to lack of or adhoc government response,
they soon undertake self help initiatives.
It is demonstrated through OPP (Orangi
Pilot Project) programs, that at the neighborhood level people can finance and
manage facilities like sewerage, water supply, schools, clinics, solid waste
disposal and security. Government roles is to compliment peoples’ work with
larger facilities like trunk sewers and treatment plants, water mains and
water, colleges/universities, hospitals, main solid waste disposals and land
fill sites.
The component-sharing concept clearly
shows that where government partners with the people, sustainable development
can be managed through local resources.
2) ORGANIZATION
Orangi Pilot Project (OPP) as an NGO
began work in Orangi in 1980. Orangi situated in the periphery of Karachi is a
Katchi Abadi with a population of 1.4 million. On the success of its five
basic programs of low cost sanitation, housing, health, education and credit
for micro enterprise, in 1988 OPP was upgraded into three autonomous
institutions.
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OPP-Research and
Training Institute (RTI)
manages the low cost sanitation, housing, education, and research and training
programs.
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OPP-Orangi
Charitable Trust (OCT)
manages the micro enterprise credit program.
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OPP-Karachi Health
and Social Development Association (KHASDA)
manages the health program.
Each institution
has its separate board of directors and mobilizes its own funds.
Development is self financed by the
people. OPP institutions provide social and technical guidance and credit for
micro enterprise.
For replication OPP institutions
strengthen the partner Non Government Organizations (NGOs)/ Community Based
Organizations (CBOs) and/or Government agencies (instead of
setting up their own offices).
3)
APPROACH
AND STRATEGY
The approach at the OPP is to
encourage and strengthen community initiatives (with social, technical
guidance and credit for micro enterprise) and evolve partnerships with the
government for development based on local resource.
The methodology is action research and
extension. That is analyzing outstanding problems of the area, peoples
initiatives, the bottlenecks in the initiatives, then through a process of
action research and extension, advice and guiding community organization for
self help and partnership with the government.
4)
PROGRAMS / ACTIVITIES
The Low Cost Sanitation Program
enables low income families to finance, manage and maintain sanitary latrines
in their homes, underground sewerage lines in the lanes and secondary sewers
(this constitutes internal development). Government is responsible to provide
main sewers and treatment plants (i.e. external development). OPP-RTI provides
social and technical guidance to both community and government facilitating
partnerships. The model that has evolved from the program is the
component-sharing concept of development with people and government as
partners. The program has extended to all of Orangi and to 419 settlements of Karachi and
23 cities
also in 67 village.
(spread over the Sindh and Punjab Province)
covering a population of more than 2 million. It has evolved from a lane to
the city. There is now Citywide application. OPP-RTI's Proposal for sewage
disposal for Karachi is now the Karachi Water and Sewerage Boards (KW&SB)
S-III plan for the city (approved in December 2006).Implementaion is
on going. In the National Sanitation Policy approved by the government in
November 2006, the component sharing model and lessons are included as policy
measures to be adopted nationwide.Efforts for implementation, thru the TMA's,
is underway.Partner LPP's replication in villages near Lodhran, Khanpur and
several more towns has been pioneering
Youth program continues. to train more
community architects , tetchiness and surveyors. The mapping and documentation
of drainage channels and infrastructure in Katchi Abadi's Goths and UC's of
Karachi by the youth continues, if provides the baris for expansion of work
The Low Cost Housing Program enables improvement in building components and
construction technique, through action research, provision of credit and
technical guidance to building component manufacturing yards, training of
youths and masons and mobilization of house owners. Each year more than 2,500
houses in Orangi benefit.
An important development is the strengthening of the youth initiated
institution, the Technical Training Resource Center (TTRC). TTRC based in
Orangi provides housing support services to the community and training to
other youths to become community architects. Strengthening of another unit the
Housing Resource Centre (HRC) is being focused.
The Education Program improves
and upgrades the physical condition and academic standards of private schools
in four Towns of Karachi, through start up grants, credit and facilitation of teachers
training. 387 schools educating more than 50,335children have been
supported. 284 of these schools are in Orangi and 103 are in the adjoining
Towns of Gadap, Site and Baldia. Support expands to the adjoining three towns, A Baldia, Site and
Gadap, total 103 more schools
have been supported. The grant support is a source of confidence building for
the schools, which get strengthen and encouraged to undertake joint
activities.
A savings group (of 30 schools) mobilized and
facilitated by partner TTRC is active, about Rs.2,14,000 has been saved thru
monthly contributions. small credit to member schools has been initiated by
the group. Alliances of several schools in the adjacent Site, Baldia and Gadap Towns
are being mobilized to form similar groups, lately several schools in
both the towns have begun savings.
For strengthening the coming together of
schools and linking up the training activity, lecture's are organized. Total
ten lectures and a forum were organized, each time 65-110 teachers from
about 30-70 schools have participated. The event besides adding to their
skills has provided an opportunity to schools and teachers to come together.
Lectures are documented, Five have been published- one lately.
Health education and family planning
supports the local Orangi clinics set up by the people with supply of
vaccines, family planning components and training of vaccinators/traditional
birth attendants (TBAs). 764 clinics, 229 vaccinators and 558 TBAs have been supported.
The
Micro Enterprise Credit program supports small family businesses set up by the
people in their homes, with credit. The program has expanded to 44 NGOs (35 in
Sindh,6 in Punjab, 2 in Balochistan and 1 in AJK) and house disbursed loan
amounting to Rs.1.134 billion to 97,510 borrowers. The
program has evolved partnership at country level to support similar
initiatives and influence government policy.
To support sanitation, housing,
education and micro enterprise, water supply has been an
important focus of our work. The community development network, a coming
together of partner NGO, and CBOs facilitates the organisational strengthening,
mutual support and learning.
Tow new initiatives are evolving 1) the water supply plan for Karachi-poor
peoples access to sweet water and 2) the Secure Housing Support
Program, Strengthening poor communities to resist eviction, acquire land
tenure, infrastructure and amenities
5) ACTORS INVOLVED
Poor communities (men, women, youths
and CBOs), NGOs (support organizations), Professionals (including Academia)
Government media and Donors.
6)
SUCCESSES
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Emergence of peoples,
NGOs/CBOs and government partnership at the neighbourhood level focusing on
networks for supporting community initiatives
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Institutional
development of many NGOs/CBOs in Orangi, Karachi, 40 other cities and in more
than 50 villages.
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Trends in government and policy
level breakthroughs, while focusing on:-
a) addressing the
problems of poor with participation
b) shifting policy
from pure provider to sharing responsibilities
c) accepting people development initiatives and complimenting these
d) mobilizing local resources
7)
CONSTRAINTS
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Government’s
inconsistency resulting in adhoc planning.
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People lack of access to
information.
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NGOs’ incapacity to
support people’s initiatives and OPP institutions’ incapacity to respond to
large number of requests for support.
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Peoples’ lack of
confidence in their initiative, due to the psychological barrier of
dependency.
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Professionals’
arrogance.
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Donor programs of
patronage, perks and benefits.
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International Monetary
Fund (IMF) /World Bank/Asian Development Bank (ADB)
programs' lack of relationship to the local socio economic context.
8)
RECOMMENDATIONS
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Community initiatives
need to be respected and attitude of partnership with people needs to be
promoted and nurtured in government.
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A space for interaction
between government agencies, interest groups (formal and informal) and
communities needs to be created, nurtured and institutionalized over a period
of time. All plans at city, sector and or neighborhood level needs to be
processed through public hearings from conceptual to the final stage.
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All public sector
institutions need to make public all aspects of finance and execution.
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Courses in academic
institutions need to nurture respect for local conditions and community
resources.
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