October 13, 2007	Saturday	Ramazan 30, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Oct 12: The World Bank on Friday approved an additional financing of $75 million to the Second Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) Project, a programme that impacted lives of more than 10 million people since it began operation in 2000.

Under the PPAF, over 10,000 community infrastructure projects were completed. More than half of these provided safe drinking water or access to better sanitation, 1.2 million micro-credit loans had been provided with 99.8 per cent repayment rate, and over 20,000 people had been trained in various skills.

According to a statement, the additional financing would support a new social mobilisation component and is aimed at mobilising five million people in 25 of the country’s poorest districts into community organisations (COs) and local support organisations.

This would create foundation for scaling up of PPAF poverty reduction programmes under the planned Third Poverty Alleviation Fund Project besides other activities, including linking with local government and development programmes of provincial and federal governments.

World Bank Country Director for Pakistan, Yusupha Crookes said, “ The PPAF has proven tremendously effective in reaching the poor.

In 10 years, there has been a tenfold increase in the number of loans made to the poor people in Pakistan. This additional financing will support social mobilisation, which is being recognised as a mechanism for enhancing sustainability, improving efficiency and effectiveness, and allowing poverty reduction efforts to be taken to scale.”

The PPAF was currently working with 70 partner organisations who had formed over 66, 000 community groups in more than 27, 000 villages in 111 districts across the country.

It aims to reduce poverty in communities by providing them with micro-credit, small scale infrastructure, training and capacity-building through civil society organisations.

The PPAF was also helping communities rebuild after the devastating earthquake.