An Engro Foundation-funded model village was inaugurated on Tuesday in the Ehsanpur union council of Muzaffargarh, for the flood-hit people of southern Punjab. Sprawling over 20 acres, the Ittehad Model Village consists of 166 houses that will accommodate over 1000 people. The project was conceptualised, planned and developed by the Engro Foundation as an eco-friendly model village to rehabilitate the flood affected community of Muzaffargarh. The village is the flagship programme is Engro Foundation’s CSR front for its affiliates and is the largest social investment project of the foundation. A holistic planning approach was adopted while planning the village, ensuring that community participation was central to its establishment. The community members were involved in the planning and design process, subsequently mobilising them to participate in the construction. Another unique feature of the model village is the empowerment of women who have been provided skills training to allow them to contribute to the financial well-being of their families. In addition, the ownership of the houses has also been allotted to the female members of the households as another step towards empowering women in the village community. The village has been designed with a focus on six key areas which are crucial to establishing a thriving community.
