The HiMaT Indigenous Leadership and Development Project was born in 2009 out of several years of pilot efforts in Pakistan and elsewhere, informed by lessons learned from poverty alleviation efforts around the world, and given legs through a new partnership between an indigenous NGO in northern Pakistan (Karakorum Area Development Organization—KADO) and groups from Europe (HiMaT Grassroots Development Foundation—HGDF) and Canada (Four Worlds Centre for Development Learning).
The project was launched with the goal of establishing a prototype training and support centre that would work with indigenous institutions, leaders, and communities to build capacity for sustainable human wellbeing and prosperity.
|
Currently, HiMaT is working in northern and central Hunza (Gilgit-Balistan) with some 90 villages and 150 local and area development councils and women's organizations. This work entails: 1) helping communities make long-term development plans; 2) providing coaching and mentoring services to development leaders and institutions; 3) training some 100 development activists and entrepreneurs, who then take the training to more than 2,500 grassroots learners through "learning and action" circles; 4) the provision of small "quick-win" seed-project grants to give hands-on experience to small groups of men, youth, and women, as they undertake work on social and economic improvement; and 5) ongoing technical assistance to local and area development actors.
All of this work is currently being carried out by a team of five development facilitators working on-the-ground in Hunza, supported by two Canadian rural development specialists, and funds of approximately $100,000/year raised from small private Canadian donors.
Donation Information
CLICK HERE
|