RSPN National Community Convention Emphasises Participatory Rural Development

02 November 2011, Islamabad: The Rural Support Programmes Network (RSPN) held its fourth National Convention of Community Local Support Organisations (LSOs) to share and learn from the collective experience of the community organisations. LSOs, fostered by Rural Support Programmes (RSPs) throughout Pakistan, are federated bodies of small community organisations, mainly at the union council level.

The convention was attended by nearly 300 participants representing 110 LSOs from across Pakistan. Mr. Shoaib Sultan Khan, Chairman RSPN and senior government representatives also participated in the event.

Representatives from the LSOs shared their experiences and successes in various fields, including working in conflict areas, women’s empowerment programmes, linkages developed by LSOs with local governments for improved services, greater accountability to the people, and poverty targeted programmes like the Community Investment Fund (CIF) managed by women in Layyah, South Punjab. The convention placed special emphasis on the Union Council Poverty Reduction Programme (UCPRP), a holistic development programme funded by the Governments of Sindh and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa that works with the poorest households in over 156 union councils. This union programme has already enabled poor women to move out of the poorest poverty brackets over the past three years. Large numbers of communities have participated in this programme in both provinces, and have implemented a variety of interventions e.g. community microfinance, health insurance, community infrastructure, vocational skills training, the revival of public schools in Sindh, and low cost housing.

The RSPs seek to work with poor rural communities for their uplift. Today the RSP network works with 30 million poor people in 110 districts and FATA areas of Pakistan. This partnership with rural Pakistanis has shown Pakistan that our people have the potential and the will to change, to create a tolerant and stable country for the future. The RSPs will continue to work with more people across the country, to build resilient communities.