WLO is working with NAVTEC, TEVTA and private companies to build skills of individuals and institutions for their competitiveness in the current economic conditions. A skills development program is underway to certify local labor to work in the Middle Eastern market.
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Business & Economy
Business & Economy
Competitiveness & Skills Development
Another major accomplishment of this project is a district-level project. In this project one girl was selected from a population of ten thousand for midwifery training. Each girl was trained in UCH- Lahore, Nishtar hospital and in a nursing school in Vehari. Each girl was paid Rs 3,500 plus food and lodging, while in training. After graduation each girl is able to earn on an average of Rs. 25,000 per month.
Various other programs are in works and will be implemented in stages
Credit/Financing
Our study also showed that the farmers and other working poor pay very high interests while buying their basic necessities. For example a farmer pays over 100% interest if he buys diesel on credit and 80% in interest if he buys spray of fertilizer on credit. There are loan sharks in each community and there are no regulations on lending in the rural areas. WLO, with the help of partners, gives a low or no interest credit to needy people for their economic growth.
Fair Trade
WLO has setup various seminars on training farmers on the topic of fair trade. Child labor and gender issues are also discussed along with modern business practices.
Trade Zones & Market Development
WLO has done advocacy to establish trade zones and smaller markets for farmers to preserve the value of their product and get better prices. Historically we have seen in this market that the farmer is always disadvantaged. Most the profits are collected by the middle man or the retailer.
Cooperatives
We can see major results of cooperatives across the border in agriculture, cattle and dairy farming. Especially since the average size of the farm has gone down, it has become harder for a small farmer to survive. The corporate farming is changing sustenance farming into commercial farming, rapidly.
A program is underway with the help of NARC to train master trainers among the females to form women cooperatives in various economic growth areas. First batch of twenty master trainers have already been trained in the cattle and dairy sector.
WLO has started a Cooperative for Organic Vegetable Farming, This is the only farming cooperative of its kind in Pakistan. A group of people are selected using our economic analysis of a village to join this program. The cooperatives’ capacity is built for seeds, farming techniques, processing, packing and marketing of their products.