RECORDER REPORT

PESHAWAR: The World Food Program (WFP) will launch Conditional Cash Transfers (CCTs) programmes in girls middle and high schools of tribal areas to ensure 80 percent attendance of girls students in the Mohmand tribal region, as part of this project.

This was stated by Khalid Rasool WFP Livelihood Programme Officer during a meeting to monitor World Food Program/Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) activities at the Political Agent Office at Ghalanai in Mohmand tribal Agency.

The meeting was also attended by Political Agent Mahood Aslam Wazir, WFP Program Associate Maria Dawood, Additional Political Agent Hamid-Ur-Rehman, HUJRA Program Officer Nawab Zada, agency coordinator Sajid Ali, Agriculture Officer Mohammad Saeed Khan, Forester Sadiq Ullah and heads of others line departments.

WFP KP Program Officer Khalid Rasool told that they would starts a special conditional cash transfers programs in the next month from Khuram Agency in the Middle and high schools from class 6th to 10, in which each student would get 1000 rupees every month to show 80 per cent attendance in their respective schools.

“We have consulted with Fata Secretariat through which biometric systems will be introduced for attendance in the schools and the report would be shared manually or electronically every month,” Khalid Rasool said.

He said that the cash will be paid from the month of April and it would be distributed through UBL Omni in various schools. He added that the CCTs main object is to make sure full attendance of the girls students in the tribal region and children must be physically present in schools and also to receive cash on the end of each month.

The official said that WFP is working since 2008 in Fata as leading UN agency in displacement, food provision and others programs. He told the meeting that WFP worked in return of TDPs to Mohmand, and Bajaur agencies and added that WFP is still in that recovery operation.

“Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) and World Food Program have a joint project of livelihood & (DRR) Disaster Risk Reduction Initiatives for strengthening the Resilience of Disaster Affected Communities and cash for work program which is still continued in the tribal region,” he said.

HUJRA organization program Manager Nawab Zada on the occasion informed that the organization was working in 46 villages of two disaster prone tehsils, Ambar and Pandiali, of the tribal region and they had completed trainings like DRM (Disaster Risk Management) Schools Based Disaster Management, First Aid and other trainings.

He said that several schemes like 20 check dams, 16 plantation projects, 103 protection Walls, 12 Water ponds rehabilitation and 24 kitchen gardening were completed under cash for work from July 2016 to July 2017 in the tribal region.

Political Agent Mahood Aslam Wazir told that development of remote and ignored areas is the top priority of local administration. He stress upon the donors to include more areas of the tribal region in these projects because the region is badly affected by militancy.

Speaking in the meeting, Political Agent said that Nongovernmental organizations must consult with local administration/line departments while conducting developmental projects and activities in the area. He urged all the organizations to extend their activities to others thesils of the agency which are the most vulnerable and remote.

Additional Political Agent Hamid-Ur-Rehman also requested WFP officials to extend their food for education program to all the schools in the tribal area. He said that the organizations must adopt skill development trainings for the workers of Marble mines and factories in the area. He also suggested that efforts should starts to improve the attendance of students in schools.

Presently education department with collaboration with WFP is providing food to only 341 schools in Mohmand Agency through Food for Education.