PESHAWAR: A senior delegation of the KfW Development Bank led by Marlene Schild, Portfolio Manager KfW and Imran Khan, Senior Governance Specialist, visited the implementation areas of Pakistan Community Support Project (PCSP) in Nowshera.
The purpose of the visit was to gather feedback from the local community and review the progress of the community-led development work facilitated by the PCSP. The PCSP and World Bank task teams facilitated the visit.
While interacting with the communities, Marlene Schild, who is in-charge of the KfW portfolio in Pakistan, appreciated the inclusive and participatory role of the communities to ensure that they benefit from the development opportunities being offered by the PCSP. The PCSP is one of the Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) projects in Pakistan, which also comprises Germany as a key funding partner.
The delegation visited different community-led project sites in Nowshera, including a 2,103 feet farm to market road in Turkman village which is being completed at a cost of PKR 8.3 million to benefit more than 400 households in the village. The community members shared that the road has resolved their longstanding mobility issues including easier access to transportation, education, health, and other basic services.
The KfW delegation also went to Sheikhan village in Nowshera to visit a solar-powered irrigation tube well which has been completed at a cost of PKR 7.4 million. The community informed that the tube well has been irrigating 15 acres of land, which has spurred the agricultural productivity as the crop production was dependent on rainfall previously. The water supply and irrigation channel have now enabled the local farmers to grow wheat, maize, sugarcane, and cash crops.
The delegation concluded with a visit to Jalozai Mahal where the community has successfully completed a street pavement including the drainage facility. The 1 kilometer stretch of streets has been completed across the stretched-out village at a cost of PKR 8.9 million, which has made commute easier and swifter for its large population. The proper drainage facility is also ensuring disposal of wastewater from houses and stagnation issues have also been resolved.
