CHITRAL: The closing ceremony of “Empowering Women for Climate Change Resilience Project,” implemented by the Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP), was held here on Thursday.
The initiative was meant to empower women living in climate-affected areas through business awareness, vocational training and financial independence.
Additional deputy commissioner (finance) Shah Adnan attended the event as the chief guest, while Salima Bibi from the SRSP head office, regional programme manager Tariq Ahmad, Engineer Khadimullah, Salahuddin Saleh, field officer Arifullah and others were also present.
Addressing the ceremony, District Programme Manager Tariq Ahmad said that the SRSP had been executing various skill development, agriculture and small-scale power generation projects in collaboration with donors, including the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund, the European Union and the German government.
He said that since 2012, SRSP, under the Peace project, had focused on four main components, including large micro-hydro-power projects, natural resource management, the rehabilitation of irrigation schemes and the provision of business grants.
The SRSP field officer said the project was developed and executed with the cooperation of the department of foreign affairs and trade, targeting women from areas that had continuously suffered losses due to devastating floods caused by climate change.
He said the project structure allocated 70 per cent of its resources to the Kalash community and the rest to the Muslim Kho community, while the beneficiaries received specialised training in business development (such as running home guest houses), agriculture (kitchen gardening), food processing, handicraft making and dress designing.
“Participants have now substantially increased their household income by selling their diverse products on the local market,” he said.
Dr Naseer, director of the Agriculture Research Station, said while women were taught scientific methods for cultivating different vegetables, they also received training on the identification, structure and feeding habits of crop-damaging pests.
Salima Bibi of the SRSP said a new project was being launched in collaboration with the tehsil municipal administration for further business development.
She noted that SRSP’s core effort was to empower women to stand on their own feet through sustainable business income so they didn’t remain dependent due to financial difficulties.
Shahi Gul, a Kalash woman, noted that the business development training had not only boosted local tourism but also brought about an extraordinary increase in their incomes. She called for more such projects.
ADC Shah Adnan called the project’s execution a vital step for promoting both employment and local culture.
He declared the mutual cooperation among the administration, Agriculture Research Station, police and the community exemplary and said mutual assistance was a fundamental prerequisite for the success of any project.
The chief guest and other participants later visited stalls to inspect handicraft, food items, fresh vegetables and art pieces prepared by the trained women and appreciated their craftsmanship and enterprise.
Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2026
