Benzair Income Support Program (BISP) and Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) on Tuesday inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to alleviate poverty and to implement Poverty Graduation strategy across Pakistan.
In total, 320,000 households, representing over two million individuals will be the beneficiaries of this partnership. The main intervention will also include Social Mobilization and the beneficiaries will be identified by using the tool of Poverty Score Card.
The collaboration between both the institutions ensures mutual cooperation for joint ventures to graduate the poor, especially living in extreme poverty zones of the country, said a news release.
On the occasion, Chairperson BISP Marvi Memon said, “We are looking forward to this collaboration and hope to achieve the SDG indicators against poverty.” She further added that the fresh NSER data of completed pilot districts will be provided for this programme as well. She hoped that it will help in achieving the goal of BISP for its beneficiaries to graduate them out of poverty.
As per this MOU, the cooperation will include efforts for alleviating poverty through joint efforts. The poverty graduation model will cost around US$ 130.98 Million for three main components i.e. Asset Creation, Interest Free Credit and Training of Livelihood. The NPGP allows distribution of assets to 156,240 households in 372 Union Councils across the country.
Qazi Azmat Isa, CEO PPAF, said, “We’re trying to ensure gender component through this programme while focusing marginalized and vulnerable segments of society for graduating out of poverty.”
He added that until now 77 countries around the world have adopted graduation strategy and among those, PPAF is introducing this innovative strategy for poverty graduation.
