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American Pakistan Foundation Year-End Update
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SEASON'S GREETINGS
& HAPPY NEW YEAR! |
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Dear Friends,
As we come to the end of 2011, we would like to share a round-up of our programs and activities from this year with you.
Your support and encouragement has enabled us to move forward in furthering our mission to be the 'go-to' diaspora organization for Pakistani-Americans and friends of Pakistan and build an institution that can have a long-term impact on the development of Pakistan. In the past year we have raised and committed $750,000 to flood relief programs in Pakistan, expanded our organization, built partnerships with government and non-governmental organizations, and engaged the diaspora community.
This year APF has reached several organizational milestones as we continue to grow. We established a Pakistan Leadership Council and Global Advisory Board, and expanded our Board of Directors and Executive Team. The Pakistan Leadership Council which is comprised of development practitioners, business leaders, philanthropists, and community leaders in Pakistan, provides APF with on-the-ground insights. The Global Advisory Board serves to provide sector-specific expertise. In November we announced three new appointments to our Board of Directors - Asad Jamal, Faysal Sohail, and Shamila Chaudhary. Our new board members bring a diverse set of experiences and skills to the APF team and we are excited to be working with them.
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Partnership Building
APF has focused on building partnerships with organizations which can provide innovative and scalable programs to the under-privileged people of Pakistan. We believe in leveraging these partnerships by effectively collaborating with global and local institutions working towards a better Pakistan.
APF formed a partnership with PepsiCo Foundation in early 2011 in a one-year comprehensive Flood Recovery and Rehabilitation Program following the 2010 floods. PepsiCo Foundation supported this program through a $700,000 grant to APF. Our partnership with PepsiCo Foundation is addressing both immediate and long-term needs - in education, livelihoods, and micro-infrastructure - in the severely flood-damaged areas of Pakistan.
We have also focused on building relationships with organizations in Pakistan, who can be effective partners for APF on the ground in Pakistan. These organizations include NGOs and development institutions, foundations and charitable organizations, private sector organizations (such as the American Business Council in Pakistan) and others involved in building the philanthropic space in Pakistan.
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On the Ground Impact
This year APF committed $750,000 to flood relief programs in Pakistan, addressing post-disaster needs in the areas hardest hit by the 2010 floods and impacting over 42,000 lives.
Our work focuses on improving the infrastructure of damaged schools and providing access to education, recovering livelihoods through livestock and household grants, building water and irrigation micro-infrastructure and providing emergency healthcare in some of the worst impacted areas of the country.
APF lead and coordinated the program bringing together credible Pakistani and international NGO partners to focus on various program areas. Supported by the PepsiCo Foundation and Atlantic Philanthropies, APF helped establish goals and metrics for the program, managed oversight and monitoring, and provided consolidated reporting to the funders. APF built collaborative partnerships with leading relief agencies and experts and worked closely with National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and other organizations on the ground in Pakistan to identify the needs of the affected populations. APF was able to determine which areas were in the most need of assistance, what the most critical needs in those areas were, and where there were gaps in the relief work already underway.
Our partners in implementing this program include BRAC, Rural Support Programmes Network, Relief International, Sarhad Rural Support Programme, Save the Children, and the International Rescue Committee.
The major portion of the work under APF's Flood Recovery and Rehabilitation program has been completed. In our micro-infrastructure and livelihoods projects we have been able to reach thousands of more beneficiaries than initially estimated. By early 2012, our programs will have impacted 42,000 lives as follows:
- Over 3,900 families (over 29,000 people) will have access to clean drinking water and irrigation solutions in the Northern Swat region
- More than 3,400 children (half of which are girls) will be receiving access quality education in a safe environment in the Baluchistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provinces
- 965 households will have improved access to income generation through a household loan and livestock program
- 5,000 individuals will have received medical care for prevention and treatment of diseases
Click here to read beneficiary stories from APF's flood relief programs.
For details on these projects and other programs we are supporting, please visit Our Programs.
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Community & Government Engagement
Throughout 2011 we have engaged with the Pakistani diaspora community as well as public and private sectors, foundations, and development institutions.
APF shared newsletters and announcements with the community that included updates on our programs, recent activities, community and sector news, upcoming events, beneficiary stories, and a "Spotlight on Giving" section. Visit our News Room to read our newsletters and announcements from 2011.
APF also partnered in a global campaign to nominate Pakistani philanthropist and social worker Abdul Sattar Edhi for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012. APF joined this initiative in partnership with Citizens Archive of Pakistan, Sharmeen Obaid Films, and Peter Oborne, Chief Political Commentator of The Daily Telegraph, UK. We are leveraging our network by reaching out to qualified individuals to write letters of recommendation for the Nobel Committee. Click here to sign the petition and join this movement.
APF is also interacting closely with senior officials at the US State Department and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to identify opportunities for collaboration. APF has played a key role in discussions around US development policy for Pakistan and is providing feedback on relevant topics. The APF community represents a 'brain trust' that can provide objective and informed advice on strategic issues related to development in Pakistan.
We also have reached out to our contacts at USAID and the State Department to emphasize the importance of the Pakistan Enterprise Fund, which aims to improve the private sector in Pakistan by promoting entrepreneurship and expanding access to capital. We also have partnered with the South Asian American Forum Action Fund as they engage with key decision-makers on this legislation.
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Community Events
APF has organized and hosted a number of events this year to raise awareness and get support for development issues in Pakistan. Some key events this year include:
- PepsiCo Foundation-APF Partnership Launch Event, Islamabad, July 2011: APF and PepsiCo held an event to mark the anniversary of the Pakistan floods and formally announce the partnership between PepsiCo Foundation and APF for flood recovery. Click here to read the full press release.
- Road Show for RSPN Chairman & CEO, Washington DC, September 2011: APF hosted a road show for our partner organization the Rural Support Programmes Network (RSPN) Chairman Shoaib Sultan Khan and CEO Shandana Khan. Events included:
- A private dinner reception hosted by Ambassador Rafat and Shaista Mahmood and APF for Shoaib Sultan Khan and Shandana Khan at their home in Virginia
- A luncheon event at the Center for American Progress where the RSPN team had an opportunity to share their work with a diverse audience
- Several meetings with key development practitioners and U.S. government representatives including US Congressman Mike Honda, who subsequently highlighted the importance of RSPN's role in Pakistan's development in his op-ed for the Washington Times: "Rural aid, not guns, key to Pakistan progress".
APF has also been invited to speak at and participate in various forums this year including:
- South Asian American Forum discussion on Capitol Hill, Washington DC, August 2011: APF was invited to join leaders of the South Asian American Forum (SAAF) as they met with key members of Congress to provide ffective solutions to development issues in Pakistan.
- USAID Public-Private Partnership Forum, Washington DC, October 2011: APF attended a forum on collaboration held by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as part of the agency's Public-Private Partnership Week.
- Young Pakistani Entrepreneur Video Teleconference, Washington DC, November 2011: APF was invited to participate in the US State Department's Young Pakistani Entrepreneurs Video Teleconference during Global Entrepreneurship Week.
- Building Bridges Through Business Forum, Islamabad, December 2011: CEO Awais Khan participated in a round table discussion held at the US Embassy in Islamabad with with local entrepreneurs and business students, focusing on economic development through entrepreneurship and trade.
In addition, APF has participated in several discussions and events with USAID and State Department representatives throughout the year, including round-table discussions with Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Marc Grossman, USAID Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah, senior USAID staff members, and representatives of other Pakistani-American organizations, to learn about US Govt. and USAID engagement in Pakistan and to provide input on civilian aid strategy to Pakistan.
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We have had a busy year and as we move forward into 2012 we are confident that APF is well-positioned to make further strides in bringing about significant change in Pakistan. With your help we can continue in fulfilling our mission to catalyze socio-economic development and we look forward to your continued support in 2012.
We wish you all Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for the coming year, from all of us at the American Pakistan Foundation!
Best Regards
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Photographs courtesy of IRC, Relief International, RSPN, Save the Children, BRAC, Asia Society, and Wajih ur Rahman.
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