Harnessing Peoples Potential

  By: Fatima Hasnain Pakistan ranks in the list of developing countries that are struggling to boost their economies through various strategies. According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, fiscal year 2020-21 saw an unemployment rate of 4.5%, and is expected to rise to 5% in the fiscal year 2021-22. Although the nation is working hard to expand its education system and ensure quality for all the citizens, graduates are facing a grim situation of unemployment in the country. This is also why many of our brilliant minds fly away to foreign countries in search of better job opportunities, lashing the back of our already wounded economy with brain drain. VET: a practical alternative to formal education This vicious cycle of economic challenges that our nation is encountering has left only a few beacons of light for the stakeholders. Vocational education and training (VET) is one of the solutions that can provide practical solutions to these challenges. The UN Agenda 2030 has al...

Empowerment is defined as degree of independence and determination in the people or the communities which enables them in becoming stronger and confident in controlling one’s life and claiming ones’ rights. However, Women empowerment is the promotion of feelings of self-worth in women, their ability to make their own choices/decisions and right to influence change in the society. This concept is not new and lately it has emerged as a global movement which continues to break new ground in recent years. This movement has become a fundamental key to the development of the world so much so that it has been included in the sustainable development goals of the United Nations. Sustainable development goals are defined by” meets the demands of present while not compromising the future”. Sustainable development is resting on 3 pillar namely social, economic and environmental protection where gender equality and women empowerment being the core of social development. But despite the progress...

  By Shayyan Latif This pandemic has been a major social disruption that completely changed how the world and Pakistan has lived in the past year and a half. In its wake, services of every sector have jammed significantly including the development sector. The organizations have changed the dynamics of their operations and how they operate in their daily settings. Many sectors including the Government and Development sector are trying their level best to facilitate the most vulnerable/underprivileged communities in order to provide them a better livelihood. Government of Pakistan and many development sectors started the rehabilitation programmes ranging from awareness building sessions to ration and cash distribution. Institute of Rural Management (IRM) also offered several rehabilitation programmes and collaborated with its provincial and federal partners to launch and strengthen the existing awareness campaigns and preventive measures to help contain the spread of the highly conta...

  Education is the key to social harmony and civilization. Nelson Mandela says, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”. Sustainable Development Goal 4 also aims to ensure an education that is inclusive and equitable, promoting lifelong learning for all. However, in Pakistan, one of the most attention-demanding sectors of Pakistan is Education. The Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement (PSLM) survey 2019-20 shows that the literacy rate among children has stagnated to 60%, and projects declining trends in literacy rate in the Sindh region. Moreover, UNICEF estimates that 22.8 million children in Pakistan aged between 5-16 years are out-of-school (OOSC), ranking as the world’s second-highest country. This rate is backed by disparities based on gender, socioeconomic factors, and geographic locations. Statistics show that about 52% of children in Sindh who are out-of-school belong to the poorest socio-economic stratum. Key obstacles to...

  IRM trained 5,007 men and women in entrepreneurship training under SPPAP project in South Punjab. Out of these trained participants, 3,279 are women. IRM provides opportunities for women entrepreneurs to learn, grow and develop entrepreneurial businesses to escape poverty. #entrepreneurlife #economy #IRM #future #stability #entrepreneurship #poverty #financialfreedom #womeninbusiness #healthylifestyle #business #Punjab #Pakistan #training #womenentrepreneurs #sppap #government #Punjab #IFAD

IRM contributed to changing the lives of extremely poor households through vocational and entrepreneurial skill training under South Punjab Poverty Alleviation Programme (SPPAP) funded by International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) IRM trained 38,639 men and women in vocational, technical and entrepreneurial training in 10 districts of South Punjab. https://www.dawn.com/.../poverty-alleviation-project... #entrepreneurlife #economy #IRM #future #stability #entrepreneurship #poverty #financialfreedom #womeninbusiness #healthylifestyle #business #Punjab #Pakistan #training #womenentrepreneurs #sppap #government Punjab, Pakistan #IFAD