United States Agency for International Development (USAID) supports people of Sindh through a range of progammes focusing on energy, economic growth and agriculture, resilience, education and health sectors.
This was stated by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah while talking to a delegation of USAID led by its Mission Director John Groarke who met him here at the CM House on Monday, said a statement.
The other USAID delegation members include Deputy Mission Director Ms Denise A. Herbol, Advisor USAID Dr Zulfikar A. Gorar. The chief minister was assisted by P&D Minister Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, Chief Secretary Rizwan Memon, ACS (Dev) M Waseem, Principal Secretary Naveed Kamran Baloch and other.
The USAID has launched a $66 million Sindh Muncipal Services Programme (MSP) aimed at improving public infrastructure and municipal services in Northern Sindh. The MSP’s centerpiece is Jacobabad Mincipal Project which works to improve water, sanitation and solid waste infrastructure. The MSP is expected to deliver clean drinking water to more than 250,000 people.
Since 2014, the USAID has also partnered with the United Nation Children’s Fund (UNCF) to support MSP through social mobilization and capacity development initiatives.
The CM said that over 80 per cent work on Jacobabad project has been completed. He urged the USAID mission director to replicate the same programme in Johi, Mehra, KN Shah, Shahdadkot and Kambar Ali Khan and added that the original project was also approved for these five cities.
The mission director said that he would go through the project again, however, Sindh government would be extended technical support.
Syed Murad Ali Shah also discussed Economic Growth and Agriculture project. This project supports the development of livestock, vegetable and horticulture sectors in Sindh.
The project is designed to increase exports by $265 million, raise income by 20 per cent for 16000 producers and create 30,000 jobs. He said this was the most important project and his government was giving special attention to its implementation.
The other project which came under discussion was Wind Energy project for which USAID has committed $43 million for construction of transmission lines to connect wind projects to the national grid. When completed, these transmission lines will have the capacity to benefit approximately 2.6 million people.
The other projects came under discussion include education, health, scholarship programme, JPMC and Jacobabad Institute of Medical Sciences (JISM). Under Sindh Basic Education Programme (SBEP), partnering with Sindh government USAID is providing up to $155 million to increase and sustain student enrolment in schools across seven northern districts and five districts of Karachi.
Under SBEP about 100 news schools would be constructed and improve reading skills of over 200,000 children. The programme would also address malnutrition. Under the health sector Maternal and Child Health (MCH) programme launched for $400 million in 2012 supports reproductive health and family planning as well as innovative approach to reduce maternal, newborn and child mortality and morbidity.
The Jacobabad Institute of Medical Sciences (JIMS) is USAID funded 133-bed hospital which provides high quality medical services to more than one million people each year.
JPMC, the United states has supported this center since 1950. The USAID completed the construction of a 60-bed fistula and OB-GYN ward in 2012 which is capable of providing care for 140,000 women and training to over 13,00 healthcare professionals every year.
The CM also discussed with mission director the resilience programme which is actually a Youth Workforce Development Programme (YWDP). It is aimed at reducing the likelihood of extremism by building the resilience and skills of young people and communities.
In Karachi it has been launched for $7 million with Amn Institute of Vocational Training. It is a three year programme designed to provide training to 3600 underprivileged youth, as well as the Youth Employment Project which aims to provide technical skills for more than 13,000 youth. The CM expressed gratitude to the USAID mission for support.
