Institute for Development Studies and Practices Pakistan (IDSP)

IDSP is a national level institute which has been leading in community development education since 1998. IDSP-Pakistan offers a space of learning and education where the youth and the vulnerable can learn, promote, and practice a meaningful life. IDSP offers courses for the young and motivated groups and individuals from all over Pakistan who wants to achieve their dreams and strive to contribute to the processes of social change through his/her direct or indirect involvement. IDSP has impacted the life of 185,531 people since 1998 across Pakistan. IDSP has worked very closely with government institutions and local communities in the areas of providing technical support in the conduction of studies, capacity building, education development projects, training of midwives, women leadership development initiatives, and professional development programs in the province.

IDSP Flood Response in Balochistan

Balochistan province is the poorest, isolated and socio economically vulnerable region of Pakistan. Its people’s survival is deeply affected by recent rains. Many casualties and injuries have been recorded within the province. Community based water sources are heavily contaminated, people’s way of lives are mud houses, now washed away or damaged and are not livable. Girl’s school toilets are also destroyed. The fellows of IDSP’s university of community development (UCD) has a network across Balochistan. With great pride they state that more than 50 fellows have got details of basic needs for urgent relief. These young fellows belong to the effected communities.

Below are the list of items most needed:

1.      Food Provisions and clean water
2.      Medical camps to control diarrhea, water, and sanitation-related diseases
3.      Rehabilitate water sources
4.      Repairing of damage homes
5.      Tents
6.      People have lost live stocks: chicken, sheep, and goats
7.      Mats to sit on
8.      Repairing of toilets (which is the eminent cause of spreading of the diseases)
9.      Health and Hygiene kits and related supplies for women
10.  Transport cost for taking sick, injured, pregnant, emergency patients to hospital

IDSP Education Program

IDSP needs financial support to help girls complete their High School education across Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Major dropout of girls is from seventh grade onwards. The reasons are poor health conditions, poverty and low prioritization of girls education. A pre requisite for any further vocational, technical or high education is a High School education. IDSP has launched its program for helping girls complete high school.

The program covers the cost of uniform, shoes, stationary personal hygiene kit, immunization, medical check up, home to school transport support, monitoring and supervision cost. IDSP plans to enroll 100 girls to schools each year and support one student every year with the cost of US$315. IDSP has raised this education support for 50 girls , we need 50 more sponsorships.

IDSP Midwifery Program

IDSP needs sponsorship to support the community midwives in Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Balochistan’s maternal mortality is highest in Asia, more the 200 mothers die on every 100,000 live births. IDSP supports more than 350 Community Midwifes and Lady Health Visitor functional, through its Continued Medical Education Program.  The cost per year for one Community Midwife is US$1,500.  This covers three months hands-on residential training in hospital labour room, maternity wards duty, and nine months supervised midwifery practices in the communities. The cost also covers, tuition fee, travel, hostel charges, midwifery kit with a tablet for documentation and reporting , uniform, books, resource persons and monitoring, supervision and evaluation with reporting.

Balochistan has 2,000 community Midwifes who needs to be made functional on urgent basis. IDSP needs sponsorships for Community Midwifery to save mothers and bring down the maternal mortality rate of province of Balochistan Pakistan.