Economic Development Programs
The United Nations Development Program states that equality and empowerment for women starts with economic independence. Loss of life due to the Taliban conflict and massive floods in Swat have created thousands of widows in the Swat Valley, who have no means of support.
For this reason, SRI started a Vocational Training Centers (VTCs) for women to teach them skills that will help them become independent and earn a living with dignity.
Activities that we have started in Economic Development are:
- Vocational Training Centers for women
- Training for women in traditional Swati embroidery, dress-making, and knitting
- Helping women develop better market exposure for products they make, cutting out the middleman so they can get a larger share of the profit
- Opening adult literacy centers for women between the ages of 15 and 45
Projects
SRI Methodology
SRI is partnered with the Roshni Centre for Women. The building is provided by the village, SRI pays the rent. Teachers, training materials and tools are provided by SRI.
At the completion of training each woman is given it toolkit related to the trade, to enable her to start work and/or her own business.
How we helped Shirina
Shirina has four daughters. Shirina’s husband died in a bomb attack by the Taliban. At the time she was expecting her fourth and youngest daughter. Having daughters and no male child put her in a social category called miraath, which is one of the worst curses in Pashto. Being miraath for Shirina meant that her husband’s property was inherited by his brothers and she was at their mercy. When we met Shirina, she was destitute, a non-entity with no status in a male-dominated society, all because she was unlucky to have daughters in a culture that only values male children.
Women like Shirina can now join SRI’s Vocational Training Center, where they learn marketable skills, and are given toolkits and sewing machines so that they can start a business to provide for their families. At the VTC, women also get moral support, and can join a women’s group where they can identify their problems and solve them with others in the same situation.
Swat Relief Initiative is unique because we make every effort to ensure that our work is effective and follows the ideal concept of charity
100% OF DONATIONS GO DIRECTLY TOWARD PROGRAMS FOR DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES. SRI’S BOARD MEMBERS PAY FOR ALL OVERHEAD COSTS FROM THEIR PERSONAL FUNDS.