NCHD Successfully Establishes FLCs At KPK, FATA

The National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) has successfully achieved milestone of establishing 1130 Functional Literacy Centers (FLCs) with 98 percent of female FLCs from November 2017 to May 2018 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Oct, 2018 ) :The National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) has successfully achieved milestone of establishing 1130 Functional Literacy Centers (FLCs) with 98 percent of female FLCs from November 2017 to May 2018 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

According to the progress report of Functional Literacy Program 2018 by NCHD, the word 'Functional' rather than 'Basic' was used for those Literacy Centers in the period in contest of introducing formal income saving and generation and life skills.

Two skills, 'kitchen gardening' and 'Poultry Farming' were introduced by the head office and for the purpose books were also provided. However, districts were made free to select one another skill also as per learners' need and interest, the report said.

It added that most of the FLCs selected embroidery and tailoring. Although no budget was allocated for this new idea still districts achieved excellent results by engaging resource persons from Government departments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other networks for imparting income saving and generating and life skills sessions.

The FLCs have been set up at 23 districts of KPK and 3 agencies of tribal areas (former FATA) including KPK districts of Lower Dir, Mansehra, Charsadda, Shangla, Abbotabad, Kohat, Hangu, Haripur, Swat, Swabi and Dera Ismail Khan.

The report said that Literacy Team at Lower Dir actively involved in various activities in the district to implement functional literacy program in its true spirit. They have been to develop linkages with multiple organizations and institutions to achieve fruitful results on income generating and saving skills.

With the financial and technical assistance of District education Department, NCHD and Agriculture Office have conducted two sessions on Kitchen Gardening and fruits; vegetables value addition, vegetable processing and preservation.

Resource person was Saima Nazir (Agriculture officer from DGA Office), while the sessions attended by Literacy teachers, learners and NCHD Staff Lower Dir. In the training sessions, various kinds of modern techniques shared with the participants through lecture, and practical demonstrations for making Jams, Pickles, vegetables pastes, and fruits juices.

Income Generation and saving skills have been imparted in most of the FLCs at District Mansehra. NCHD team strived to develop linkages of FLCs with those organizations and institutions that are providing opportunities to buy the products developed at the functional literacy centers.

However, a few districts also selected livestock, beautician programmes, cloth cutting, knitting, sewing courses which were successfully completed with productive results, the report added.