Vidyadhar Mallik, vice chairman of PAF, said they had already written to Prime Minister´s Office and Ministry of Finance about the need for additional grant assistance. He expressed optimism that the WB would extend the support, especially as its recently concluded medium-term review of the project too has recommended to extend the support. [break]
PAF sought the new support for expanding its programs to additional 15 districts and also for implementing targeted anti-poverty programs in the special poverty pockets in 20 districts of the country.
It has already expanded its programs to 40 districts, including the 15 districts where the programs are being implemented from this fiscal year. It implemented the programs in other 25 districts five years ago.
Under the programs, implemented under PAF I and PAF II projects, the anti-poverty body has carried out its programs in 372,207 poorest households of the country.
“These households have formed around 12,000 community organizations and are implementing over 12,850 income generation activities and 2,590 community infrastructure development programs,” Mallik said.
Referring to the independent impact assessment of the programs in four PAF districts by Department of Population Studies of Tribhuvan University, PAF executive director Raj Babu Shrestha said poor beneficiaries of PAF witnessed 19 percent higher rise in household income and 23 percent rise in consumption as compared to households in non-PAF districts.
“PAF beneficiaries too recorded 45 percent rise in education spending, something which demonstrate improvement of access to education among poor,” said Shrestha.
He further said that the 72 percent of PAF beneficiaries are female-led households and that the programs have covered more than 29 percent Dalits, 27 percent indigenous nationalities and more than 43 percent other communities.
Moreover, studies have also shown that PAF programs have facilitated social inclusion and fostered harmony at the community level.
Apart from support from the WB, PAF officials said that they are also knocking doors of other donors as well, like Department for International Development (DFID), for garnering support from multiple development partners.
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