2011

Rural Development Organization (RDO) in Partnership with UN-World Food Program (WFP)

[A SUCCESS STORY]
Shahidullah is a 14 years Afghan Refugee, ex-student of UNHCR School PSB-256 who withdraw from school and started to sell ice-cream and pop corn in streets due to poor financial situation of his family, which led him to become a thief and robber, caused of increasing juvenile delinquency, resultantly he saw the doors of HAWALAT in the custody of police for some time. WFP Project Food Assistance for Households Food security, early recovery PRRO attracted him and his 5 sisters for admission in the school to get education.

Project Background
In the last few years, Pakistan in general and Khyber Pukhtonkhwa in particular saw various terrible ups and downs in day to day life routines in the form of terrorism, earthquake, and military operation against militants and devastating flood that converted the whole social structure to collapsed. Due to different natural and man-made disasters, the local people faced with insecure social life, lack of shelters, wasted livelihoods & livestock, they faced insecurity in obtaining food and lost their business and jobs due to some reasons or other. The remaining part played by the massive flood which vanished everything of hope and life and the people confronted with massive loss in standing crops, forestation and infrastructure damages. More than 45000 people affected in the flood crisis, round about 1600 people got injured and more than 1700 people reportedly killed which means that in the same amount same number of families suffered for earning their day to day livelihood. Thousand of houses damaged and collapsed in more than 600 of Khyber Pukhtonkhwa. District Dir Lower is consisting in 37 union councils out of which 11 union councils faced massive damages which are located on the bank of River Punjkora and therefore vulnerable to nearby flood. Health facilities damaged, communication channels remained cut off, commercial properties affected, schools damaged or destroyed located on the bank of any water channel, houses vanished fully or partially, agriculture and livestock affected negatively which led the people towards a devastating social life and insecurity in terms of shelter and increased the vulnerability of the population to natural disaster. The prevailing situation increased food insecurity, huge loss in stored food occurred and lack of daily wages due to loss of livelihood and agriculture were the problem faced by the local population. This situation further led the gross root community members to economic insecurity while high fuel prices caused degradation the situation for food security of local population up to 2010. This alarming situation affected every aspect of social life resulted on the general public started to respond food items purchasing. They remained unable to finance their children education and health and other social activities. This devastating situation resulted in dramatically changes in students drop out and incensement in child labor because of fluctuation in prices of food items. To control the drop out and stabilize the existing enrollment of the students, World Food Program took initiatives to provide free food incentives and to support their families in Dir Lower which is named as PRRO 200145.

Family Profile & Introduction

Shahidullah lives in a hut-like home in Chakdara Refugee Camp with his parents, one youngest brother and fourteen (14) sisters. Shahidullah is 14 years Afghan Refugee ex-student of UNHCR School PSB-256 who withdrawn from the school and started to sell ice cream and pop corn in streets which led him to become a thief and robber resultantly saw the doors of hawalat in the custody of police for some time.

How he became Juvenile Delinquent

Habibullah, the father of Shahidullah is a labor by profession and lives in distress social situation. He daily goes to labor and hardly earns Rs. 200/300 daily which cannot complete his domestic expenses like food, clothes, health expenses and to educating his 16 children. Vast family size and low income compelled Habibullah to withdraw his son Shahidullah from Schools who was reading in UNHCR School PSB-256 in 4th class in the hope that his son will also contribute to earn for their family. Shahidullah started to sell ice cream and pop corn in catchment streets of Chakdara and started to help his father by providing Rs. 80 or 100 daily. Meanwhile, he got companionship of bad friends in society and started smoking, snupping (Naswar) and became juvenile delinquent. Now he started to spend the money on purchasing of cigarettes and other offenses. His saving was not enough to fulfill Shahidullah and his friends needs so they started robberies and other illegal activities. Once Shahidullah went along with his other four friends and looted shop in Chakdara Bazar and became a wanted person for local administration. One day 2 vehicles of Police personnel surrounded his home early in the morning and arrested him who was in the custody of Police department in hawalat for 6 days. He released from hawalat through proper bail and after meeting with his friends, he was informed about WFP/RDO oil and HEB provision, he decided to get admission in the same school again because his parents and relatives advised him to leave this life.

Re-admission in the School

After advices of the parents and relatives, Shahidullah discussed with his past friends and they suggested taking admission in the school because of the benefit of the WFP/RDO food distribution packages. He was convinced and took admission in class 4th in the same schools again along with his 5 sisters in another UNHCR School. Explaining the story of re-admission, Shahidullah shared that he too happy for re-admission in the school but he was too upset because his class fellows were studying in 6th class this time which he feels as a shame for himself. According to the teachers of UNHCR School Administration PSB-256, now he attending schools regularly and has shown excellent improvement in his learning. Shahidullah says that his family gets enough oil and HEB through WFP, Food Assistance for Households Food security, Early recovery, and helps his family in economic betterment. This program provides them more benefits than selling pop corn and ice cream in Chakdara streets.

Shahidullah Future Planning

Now Shahidullah sees his future bright as he regularly attend the school, complete his home-work and studies his books in night time but still he works in a service station after school time because only his father income is not enough to fulfill the needs of his family consisting on 18 persons. He think that only the income of his father will not be enough for their daily needs this is why he helps his father in fulfillment of their domestic needs. Shahidullah says that re-admission in the school and working in a service station brought his dignity in the home as well as among their relatives and he wish to become an active member of the society in future.

Results
RDO field staff pointed out the following results in project Food Assistance for Households Food security, early recovery PRRO implementation. 1. Shahidullah took re-admission in the School and said good bye to the friends whose companionship made him as a wanted person to Govt. Administration. 2. Five sisters of Shahidullah also took admission in the school while before their family was unable to get educated their children. 3. The Food Assistance for Households Food security, early recovery in support of WFP helped in controlling juvenile delinquency. 4. Poor family of Shahidullah got financial relief through vegetable oil and HEB.

Findings
The findings of this success story are as under. 1. Shahidullah took re-admission in the School but still he is working in a service station after school time which RDO considers as child labor. 2. The project initiatives provided opportunity to Shahidullah and his 05 sisters to get education but it should be ensure that they may not leave the school after project completion. 3. Some times Shahidullah feels inferiority as his ex-class fellow are studying in class 6th now while he got admission in 4th class.