HealthNet TPO (Research Report) Chapter-2

CHAPTER -2

INTRODUCTION OF HEALTHNET TPOME

HealthNet TPO me was established in 2005 as the first replication of "livelihood centered" HealthNet TPO HN TPO approach to rural development which had been successfully demonstrated in the northern mountain regions of Pakistan. HealthNet TPO HN TPO is a non profit/non government organization working in North West Frontier Province of Pakistan. At the heart of HN TPO approach is the idea that communities have an ability for self help which has enabled them to survive in harsh environments. A catalyst organization is needed to provide them with technical and material support and social guidance to bring out the latent abilities in the communities. The USAID provided HN TPO initial seed money and its board of directors included eminent people from the civil society and civil services. Farah Khan the founder of the HN TPO movement was inspirational in establishing it. The withdrawal by USAID because of Pressler amendment created numerous teething problems for the organization. But support from Novib and Government of NWFP’s decision to assist it by making it a partner in the two large area development projects (MVSP and Barani one) helped in establishing it on a firm footing. After 2006 HN TPO has been supported by the World Bank funded Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund. It has also worked  with USAID, DFID, CIDA, SDC. It is a partner with the government of NWFP in the Asian Development Bank funded Barani Two Project and The DFID funded Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSSP), Learning for Life a British NGO extends support to it in education. During the Earthquake of 2005 HN TPO emerged as a major player and almost thirty international bilateral donors and NGO’s worked with it. HN TPO’s competencies are in the field of

• Health and Sanitation
• Community development
• Participatory Infrastructure
• Social Sector
• Gender and Development
• Education
• Human Resource Development
• Micro Finance
• Insurance
• Micro enterprise
• Natural Resource Management

HealthNet TPO me (HN TPO) was established in 2005 with the objective of replicating the “rural support programme” approach to sustainable livelihoods and poverty alleviation, which had been successfully demonstrated in the northern mountain regions, to parts of the NWFP. The HealthNet TPO approach emphasizes the need to address the issues of poverty at a scale, the need for working closely with the government to attain this objective and focuses on bringing all stakeholders on board to ensure ownership for the process of change that it catalysis. HN TPO is registered as a non-profit, non-government organization. The Board of Directors of HN TPO gives it its strategic vision. At the heart of HN TPO is the idea that the people have the potential to help themselves. A catalyst organization can trigger this potential and if provided the necessary technical and material support, this energy could be unleashed to attain sustainable development. It is the responsibility of the catalyst organisation to ensure that the marginalised segments of the population (poor and women) actively participate in this process.

In the last 14 years, HN TPO has created an outreach to men and women households. The total of 198,913 members in 11 districts involving 250 union councils are part of the building-up of the social capital. This social capital, after passing through varying stages of capacity building, is maturing and is making inroads as representatives into apex level institutions. There are many union, tehsil and district level bodies, which represent men and women community organizations at the grass roots, and are linked to the devolved governments and other donors for sustainable development.

The grant funds received from various donors up to the year 1997 end disbursed by HN TPO as credit are revolved into a pool created for the purpose of generating a fund to cater for future credit needs of HN TPO clients. This pool is comprised of recoveries against the grants received from the donors in the past, service charges earned on loans disbursed and interest earned from the bank balances. HN TPO has established such funds in each of its region.

 Since HN TPO did not have any donor funds injected since 1998, thus it had to look for other avenues in order to meet the need of its prospective clients. Funds were therefore arranged in the form of lines of credit from Government and various Commercial Banks that are keen to invest in the microfinance sector. At present the amounts disbursed comprise 17% grants, 39% credit lines and 44% of the funds revolved.

Mission Statement

Building social capital by mobilizing communities for poverty reduction, livelihoods and sustainable development.

Vision

Managing self-sustaining self-managed financially viable grassroots institutions for poverty reduction.