Association for the Development of Pakistan

Sabrin Beg · Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 3:56 pm Post subject:

Hopefully someone from Kamran sb's office will be conducting the site visit soon. In line with that I am posting a few observations from my phone converstaion with Humayun Sb.
The youth facilitation center is his idea. In Charsadda there are many people who know skills like carpentary, electrical technician etc. and work in small workshops as mechanics etc. There are others who have attended the Technical Institute in Charsadda but couldn't finish for some reason. According to him these poeple can do oneof two things. Do a job (eg. for a workshop or some other independent contarctor or garage owner) or they can go ahead and start their own workshop or garage or another independant business. Humayun saab has encouraged some of these guys to go ahead and start their own business.
UHmayun sb said that that most of the times its not the money or the skill that is the issue. these people could have money and the skill to start a business but they just would never do it. The reason is they dont have the confidence, and dont know the procedure of going about setting up a successful running shop or garage. He said that a little bit of training that will show them the resources available to them can enable them to be more independant. Humayun sb has actually helped young boys in the past. One he emntioned used to service his car at the local workshop. Humayun Sb gave him advice etc after which he nows owns a workshop of his own and employs/manages 4-5 people.
The program will show them ways + the resources they can use to start up a business. And possibly introduce them to people who have actually set up and are running a self-formed business. Humayun sb himself will be a trainer. He also mentioned a couple of his friends who will help him develop the model he has formed to impart the training.
The output hopefully is that these people will put in more dedication and effort into a busniess that belongs to them, rather than in a situation where they are working for someone else. So its a win win situation.

I liked talking to Himayun sb and felt that this is something he has tried and wants to use a more broad and formal training platform to help a larger group of people

Kamran Niazi · Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 4:29 am Post subject: Site Visit

Dear All,

What would you like to have checked in the site visit. Can you share some points, so that I can ask the Intern for that.

regards

PS I apologize for the delay in arranging the visit.

Natalia Mahmud · Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 3:49 pm Post subject:

I would like to know the kind of people they have lined up for this training. If Mr. Humayun could introduce the intern to a couple of people who are interested in the training -- as everything so far is very general and I dont know anything specific. In addition, if the intern could get the chance to meet some of the trainers (I am not exactly sure if that is possible) but that would be helpful and give us a little background on the exact training that they will be providing.

I also came across this news story.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7236579.stm

Shahan Zafar · Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 5:52 pm Post subject: Site Visit

Kamran & Team:
Sorry I have been mia due to a personal emergency. How did the site visit go?

**Khurram Owais Shah** · Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2008 2:21 am Post subject:

Pre-funding site visit report attached.

EC call # 2 to follow soon.

Natalia Mahmud · Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 12:55 pm Post subject:

This is great!

**Khurram Owais Shah** · Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 1:47 pm Post subject:

The project summary form for YFC is attached. Please download and review.

The EC call is scheduled for Saturday, 29th March, at 9amPST, 12pmEST, 9pmPST. All team and EC members are required to join.

Thanks!

Kamran Niazi · Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 9:39 pm Post subject: Reference Checks

Khurram asked me to do the Reference Checks. A quick report.

First the Organizations, these two people work for are not big or well known Organizations. Nor are the people well known (one is a teacher primarily).

The two people I asked (one has worked in that area and the other lives there) didn't know about them. They said that either the organizations were young or not that big.

The young part was confirmed, when I was told (in the phone calls to Referees) that they had started work in 2000 or so and though the people claim that they work across the a wide swathe, it does not seems so.

When I called up the referees, I was given the impression that the people do no know Hamuyun Sb that well. They know him since 2000 or 2001 and have collaborated on some projects, but there was not that much interaction (at least that is the way it seemed to me).

I am basing my favorable recommendation of Hamuyun Sb on the feedback given to me by Javed Iqbal Khattak. Javed Sb is the Provincial Chief SMEDA NWFP (www.smeda.org.pk). I used to work to with him in SMEDA, he was the senior colleague. I have known Javed Sb for a while now (6 years or so), first just by name, then as a colleague and now as a friend. So I do trust his recommendation.

Javed Sb has known Hamuyun Sb for around 20 years now. They are both Mechanical Engineers from the same University (UET, Peshawar - Hamuyun Sb was the senior by 2-3 years), have worked together (long time ago though) and as both were working in NWFP, so they kept running in to each other.

Javed Sb is positive about Hamuyun Sb and says that the guy wants to do work.

I hope this is good enough,

Regards

Kamran

**Tarim Wasim** · Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 8:50 pm Post subject:

I'm posting the e-mail sent around after our interim check-in with NEEDs. ADP plans to release the second tranche of funds this week.

Thanks to everyone who joined the call today. It was good to hear Mr. Humayun's report live. Here's a summary of my takeaways:

1) As expected, the nature of the project is such that it is tough to put hard numbers on the cost-benefit ratio.

2) That said, there is sufficient evidence that the trainings are useful. The reports suggest that 20% or more of the students from the first two trainings can point to tangible benefits (linkage to resources allowing new business creation + ideas for expanding existing business etc.). Having reviewed the training syllabus, I am fairly comfortable that the other 80% would have learnt some useful basic business/financial skills as well.

3) Humayun has been exceptionally responsive to ADP, is clearly passionate about the work and the quality of reporting has been above our expectations. My bet is that he is likely to continue pursuing this work long-term and will continue trying to find avenues for sustainability (zakat, linkages with orgs willing to pay for the trainings etc.)

Given 2 and 3 above, I am in favor of releasing the next tranche of funds (Rs. 1 lac). Mr. Humayun said they have basically used up the first tranche and will continue the trainings during Ramadan, so there is a need in the short-term.

Natalia/Kamran, could one of you please deliver the message below to him early in the week:

1) We will release the next Rs. 1 lac on Monday to train another 50-60 people
2) He should continue his progress reports and closely tracking the impact created
3) We will arrange for a site visit by one of our volunteers in the next 1-2 months to sit in on a training and meet some of the new and old trainees. We would like him to facilitate that.
4) The final tranche of funding will be released after reviewing his progress report and the site visit report
5) He should continue to aggressively pursue avenues for longer-term self-sustainability for their work

Khurram/Kamran: Could you please help find us a volunteer who is willing to spend half the day in Charsadda sitting in on a training and meeting 5-10 of the old trainees who have done something tangible afterwards? We should try and get this done by the end of September at the latest.

I will process the funds transfer on Monday.

Thanks everyone.

-Tarim