Centre of Excellence for Rural Development (CERD) is a non-profit Organization registered with Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) under section 42 of the companies’ ordinance 1984. CERD is also Pakistan Centre of Philanthropy (PCP) certified CSO.
CERD has successfully managed to deliver services worth more than US$ 29 million in the sectors of Human Rights and Protection, Rule of Law and Governance, Health & Nutrition, Education, WASH, Livelihood and Food Security. Currently CERD is managing 9 Regional offices and 272 qualified and experienced managerial and support staff across Khyber Pakhtunkwa and the newly merged districts. We are in close coordination with the government of Khyber Pakhtunkwa at provincial and district level for the implementation of our entire projects intervention.
CERD has extensive experience of working in districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including Hangu, Bannu, Lower Dir, Upper Dir, Swat, Shangla, Buner, Malakand, Swabi, Mardan, Charsadda, Nowshera, Peshawar, Kohat, D.I Khan, Karak, Laki Marwat, Tribal Districts (Ex-FATA) and Frontier Regions (FR). CERD has delivered the following thematic services in the aforementioned geographic areas;
Human Rights and Protection:
CERD has implemented number of programs and projects on general protection and child protection with special focus on women and adolescent girls in districts Peshawar, Nowshera, Hangu and Swat and Newly merged Mohmand, Khyber and Kurram Agencies . Our camp management and community services programs specifically address and ensure access of IDPs to the needs of shelter, food, health & nutrition, water sanitation & hygiene and livelihood opportunities.
Health and Nutrition:
Under the Mother & Child Health (MCH) project at Jarma Kohat, we are providing services to IDPs for catering their needs related to primary health as well as reproductive health. In addition, our Community based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) services for general communities at Peshawar, Nowshera, Swat, Shangla, Hangu and Bara Khyber Agency has immense emphasize on meeting the health, food and nutrition needs of war and flood affected vulnerable communities. These projects are supported by UNICEF and WFP.
Livelihoods and Community Physical Infrastructure Programmes:
United Nations Development Program UNDP and Center of Excellence for Rural Development CERD implemented I-LIFE 1 and I-LIFE2 in Four (4) UCs including Shahpur, Lilowni Kuzkana and Alpuri of district Shangla. The goal of the project was to address the most urgent needs of flood affected population, in order to restore physical infrastructure schemes (CPIs) reduce food insecurity, promote nutrition, and provide short-term income opportunities to restore livelihoods. The project covered four union councils benefited an estimated 3400 rural households or 25,000 individuals, including women.
As a result, critical community infrastructure, agriculture, livestock, water and related capacity building needs were identified in consultation with community. (16) Sixteen water supply schemes, (8) Eight link road rehabilitated, (13) Thirteen flood protection walls, three (7) suspension bridges rehabilitated, seven (7) irrigation channels rehabilitated, nine (9) new Micro Hydle MHPs units and allied structures (machinery, room and channel etc.) installed and operated. Under agriculture restoration component Fifty farmers for orchards development, 500 labor days for land terracing, and 500 labor days were planned for kitchen gardening. 16 vegetable tunnel structures were installed for growing off seasons vegetables. Similarly, 100 women headed families and 50 widows were identified for backyard poultry raring and local breed cows raring. 24 veterinary health camps were set up in various villages for the vaccination and de-worming of animals in the flood affected villages. 180 persons trained in 8 different trades under enhancement of skills for local communities. Besides, projects of similar kind were also implemented in District Peshawar and Charsadda.
Strengthening Rule of Law Programme (SRLP):
Centre of Excellence for Rural Development (CERD) in partnership with United Nations Development Program (UNDP) implemented Strengthening Rule of Law in Malakand (SRLM) Project. The project aimed at improving access to justice by establishing legal aid desks and conducting legal aid clinics in districts Malakand and Shangla. The intervention also contributed to capacity building stakeholders in the justice sector on various human rights concepts and free legal aid services. It also encouraged female law graduates and students through scholarship and apprenticeship opportunities.
Peace Building and Social Cohesion: As primary need towards peace building and social cohesion in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Ex-FATA, we are providing peace education with focus on accessing basic services, promoting co-existence between and among IDPs, refugees and host communities. Furthermore, extensive dialogues for peace building and dignified return have been the main pillar of our peace building and social cohesion programme.
Gender & Development: We have been running Women Community Centers as part of the community services interventions in Kacha Garhi Peshawar, Jalozai Nowshera, Togh Sarai Hangu and New Durrani IDP camp Kurram since 2009. These Women Community Centers are places which are used by the IDP women for multi purposes including trauma counseling, life skills education, vocational skills training, and health hygiene education. The IDP women have received great appreciation and recognition in 13 exhibitions organized for this vary purpose.
WASH:
CERD has been providing Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene services in different union councils of district Hangu and Shangla as major project components while in Nowshera, Peshawar, Charsadda, Kurram Agency and Dir Lower these services have been provided as supplementary components to different projects.
Food Security:
CERD is implementing WFP funded Food Security project for IDPs in districts Kohat and Hangu. We have also provided these services in districts Charsadda, Nowshera, Mardan and Malakand during conflict and flood responses. Through successful General Food Distribution Cycles in these areas, CERD distributed approximately 65,000 tons of food to more than 150,000 families affected by conflict and flood.
Education:
CERD, through its UNICEF funded Welcome to School Initiative project managed to strengthen the capacities of public duty bearers in the sector of education in order to ensure delivery of child friendly schooling to the most disadvantaged children in Frontier Region (FR) Kohat. The Project formed Taleemi Islahi Jirgas (TIJs) in 50 selected schools and rehabilitated basic infrastructure. Besides media campaigns, awareness raising sessions, walks, seminars and co-curricular activities were also launched to increase school enrolment and reduce drop out ratio in FR schools.
Human Resource Development:
CERD has achieved major mile stones in HRD, ranging from vocational skills trainings to Training of Trainers and CMSTs/LMSTs for both the communities and its own staff members. In 2011, CERD established a specialized training institute named as Centre of Excellence in Training and Development (CETD) where we offer services for media coverage, documentaries, development of IEC material and capacity building and skill development training.
Program for Poverty Reduction (PPR):
Centre of Excellence for Rural Development (CERD) in partnership with Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) has been implementing Program for Poverty Alleviation (PPR) in UC Koto of district Dir lower since April 2015. Institutional Development (ID) is one of the major components of the PPR that aims at establishing and strengthening of community institutions at Mohalla, Village & Union Council level. These institutions include Community Organizations (COs), Village Organizations (VOs) and Local Support Organization (LSO) at mohalla, village and UC level respectively. In addition, Community Resource Persons (CRPs) are to be identified and trained who will support and facilitate the project team in achieving the program goal and objectives. CERD will build the capacity of these institutions and CRPs for program planning, implementation, monitoring, documentation, networking, collaboration and coordination. The engagement of community in the program will not only empower the community but will also contribute to the program sustainability. CERD will establish 90 COs,10VOs and 01 LSO, whereas 30 institutional CRPs will be identified and trained. Village Development Plans (VDPs) for 10 villages and one Union Council Development Plan (UCDP) will be prepared through the active involvement and participation of the local communities. Furthermore, 200 members of the community will be trained in community management skills while 30 will be provided the opportunity of exposure visits to model Community Based Organizations (CBOs) in the first phase of the program. In the second phase of PPR, community infrastructure schemes shall be implemented and livelihood opportunities will be created for target communities through micro finance and enterprise development.
Social Cohesion and Livelihood Program:
CERD in partnership with UNDP is implementing social cohesion and livelihood project for IDPs and host communities in four districts (Bannu, LakkiMarwat, DIKhan and Karak) of Khyber Pakhtunkwa Province. The overall project objective is to improve living conditions of people (IDPs and host communities) in the target districts during the displacement period by promoting social cohesion, expanding delivery of basic services and enhancing livelihoods opportunities in these areas particularly for women. The major components include formation and capacity building of community networks implementing infrastructure schemes, livelihood training and CFW activities.
Improving Access to Justice through Streamlining Legal Aid in District Swabi:
Through the project improving access to justice through streamlining legal aid, Centre of Excellence for Rural Development (CERD) aims to improve general public’s access to justice in selected Union Councils (UCs) of District Swabi. CERD intends to do this through establishment of 04 Legal Aid Desks (LADs) at Tehsil and District Bar Associations in Swabi for provision of free legal advice & guidance to people. At the same point in time it also plans on conducting Legal Aid Clinics (LACs) in 11 UCs of Tehsils Topi & Swabi, launching a 06-month long campaign on radio, focusing on creating awareness about the rights and entitlements awarded by law to citizens on the one hand, and spreading information about LADs & their services on the other. This project will be implemented in close coordination and collaboration with the Small Grants and Ambassador Fund program SGAFP-USAID, Bar Associations district Swabi, Judiciary, Law Enforcement Agencies, Academia and Local Communities.
Protection Monitoring BARA-Khyber Agency:
As part of the Community Services and Protection intervention, services of outreach protection monitoring and legal assistance have been extended to returnees in BARA, Khyber Agency. For this purpose, 01 grievance desk has been established at Takki Markaz humanitarian hub in Bar Qambar Khail area of BARA. The aim is to facilitate the returning IDP families of Bar Qambar khail and Malak din Khel by providing them legal assistance, conduct return monitoring and guide them for legal remedies to their issues of concern. Keeping in view the unstable security situation of the area, the security agencies has restricted movement of humanitarian organizations and other services providers to Takki Markaz point and are not allowing them for proper outreach services in the area. As an impact, outreach protection monitoring services are limited to the returnees visiting food distribution hub and grievance desk available at Takki Markaz.
Restoration of Livelihoods and Community Infrastructure in the TDP Return Areas of Khyber Agency, Ex-FATA: CERD in partnership with UNDP is implementing social cohesion project for IDPs and host communities in Bara Khyber Agency. The overall project objective is to improve living conditions of IDP returnees in the target area of Tehsil Bara Khyber Agency, by promoting social cohesion & re-integration, expanding delivery of basic services and enhancing livelihoods opportunities in these areas particularly for women. The major components include formation and capacity building of community networks implementing infrastructure schemes, livelihood training and CFW activities.
Child Protection:
Child Protection (CP) project was started in July 2009 in IDPs Camp District Nowshera and is still operational. Total of 15000 families including 61,689 children were provided services through 21 Child Friendly Spaces (CFS). As part of the project Child Protection Committees were formed, strengthened and involved in identification and referrals of child protection issues. Similarly, camp community and other service providers were reached through awareness sessions on child rights, child protection and mine risk education. The IDP families were also educated through communication for development (C4D) messages on child protection, child rights, gender based violence and life skill based education. CERD through CP interventions enhanced prevention and response to separation in emergency and provided community based psycho-social support.