HUNZA, Feb 27: The Worldwide Fund (WWF) has recently set up a fabric weaving centre in Khanaabad, Lower Hunza, in collaboration with the Karakoru Handicraft Development Programme (KHDP).

Talking to Dawn Shinaki Conservation Committee Secretary Shukarullah Baig said the WWF had helped the mountain communities in the Northern Areas to do away with the poverty through various uplift schemes, and the centre was one of the examples.

He said that though the WWF’s crusade was against the environmental degradation, conservation of wild life and preservation of natural resources, the very organization was also determined to help uplift the communities in the areas of fundamental humanitarian concerns like poverty reduction.

Najam, a WWF conservation officer, told newsmen that the prime focus of the organization was to hold various awareness programmes about environment, and to help communities financially or otherwise through development mechanism which was already active in the area.

He said the WWF had devised special training programmes of skill enhancement and quality improvement for local people in the areas of teaching, farming and plantation.

The officer also said the WWF had succeeded to get imposed a ban on hunting of endangered animal species, in collaboration with community members.