ISLAMABAD: Ehsaas Amdan (Income) Programme has overall transferred 41, 762 livelihood productive assets to the ultra-poor and vulnerable households identified as per set criteria since the inception of the programme till March 2021.
According to an official source, a total of 20, 175 productive assets had been transferred during the reporting period i.e. July-March Fiscal Year 2021.
Over 95 percent assets have been transferred to women beneficiaries. The categories of these assets include livestock (81.21 percent), enterprises (9.56 percent), transportation (8.38 percent), production (0.25 percent), services (0.41 percent) and other (0.19 percent).
The Ehsaas Amdan programme, under the umbrella of Ehsaas, is aimed at creating livelihoods opportunities for the most disadvantaged segments of the society.
The programme, launched by the Prime Minister on February 21, 2020 is an integral component of the government’s Ehsaas Strategy and National Poverty Graduation Initiative (NPGI).
The programme involves giving small “assets” to those who live below the poverty line so that they can earn a living and escape from the shocks of poverty.
Assets include livestock (goats, cows, buffaloes and poultry), agricultural inputs, body of Qingqi rickshaws and inputs for small retail outlets and small enterprises.
The Rs 15 billion programme has been rolled out in 375 rural Union Councils of 23 poorest districts across the 4 provinces of Pakistan.
The four-year programme has set a target of providing around 200, 000 assets to the deserving households (60 percent women and 30 percent youth beneficiaries).
In total, it will benefit a population of 1.4 million across the country.
Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) which is an organization attached to the Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division is the lead implementing agency for the Ehsaas Amdan Programme and is working through other implementing partner organizations that have a strong presence in the selected districts.
The districts where this programme is commencing include Punjab; Dera Ghazi Khan, Jhang and Layyah and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; Upper Kohistan, Lower Kohistan, Palas Kolai, Torghar, Batagram, Shangla, North Waziristan, South Waziristan, Dera Ismail Khan, Tank.
The other districts include Balochistan; Zhob, Gwadar and Lasbela and Sindh; Badin, Thatta, Sujawal, Kashmore, Shikarpur, Tharparkar and Umerkot.