Parkari Community Development Programme

PCDP REVIEW

PCDP Head Office G.P.O Box # 20 Rattanabad, Mirpurkhas Sindh – Pakistan 69000 Phone: +92-233-516923 E-mail: parkari_cdp@kastanet.org Website: www.parkaricdp.org

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PCDP REVIEW

Compiled by

Erona Matthew Programme Manager– PCDP

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Executive Director’s Note

The Parkari Community Development Programme (PCDP) came into being to relieve the desperate plight of the Parkari Community of Pakistan, mainly resident in lower Sindh, but throughout the whole province too. Originally, the Parkari community came from the beautiful land of Nagar Parkar, which is a hilly desert area. This traditional desert homeland of the Parkaris often experiences frequent droughts. At these times, Parkaris migrate to other areas to survive. They live below the poverty line and lack having even basic amenities, as well as no access to education, health services and clean drinking water. They are often unaware of their basic human and political rights. Very few are literate or have vocational skills. Many of them owe huge debts to landlords or money lenders. Parkaris are therefore a vulnerable and marginalized group of society. Consequently, PCDP was established to bring the Parkari community out of this vulnerability and illiteracy. We are thankful to Almighty God Lord, who gives us energy and zeal to be able to persevere in meeting our commitments and responsibilities.

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This PCDP Review Book is an information document introducing the Parkari Community Development Programme (PCDP), and covers the history of PCDP, its main focus, monogram & slogan, vision, mission & mandate, projects and activities, board members and staff, as well as its annual schedule of meetings. This review also introduces the background, social, economic and political situations facing the Parkari community. I hope that this review will be a good reflection of our commitment and efforts as PCDP seeks to develop and empower the Parkari Community. We are thankful to our partners, stakeholders, government and all those who help PCDP in bringing this marginalized group from a very disadvantaged situation into a much better living environment for the whole Parkari community. Mr. Poonam Paschal Executive Director PCDP

The beautiful land of Nagar Parkar

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Preface

This third edition of the PCDP Review Book presents a detailed introduction of the history of Parkari Community Development Programme (PCDP). The Review Book describes the Parkari community, informs of work previously done in the Parkari language and outlines the activities of the different projects and departments of PCDP. It also highlights the rapid growth of PCDP’s work and new developments that have taken place since the second edition. The Review Book offers a brief explanation for each of PCDP’s project and department activities along with their objectives. It also covers PCDP’s Logo & Slogan, Vision, Mission and Goal. The purpose of this book is to present a clear picture of PCDP’s work. My hope is that it will be useful as a resource to understand the new developments PCDP is implementing and the struggle it faces to uplift the Parkari community. I also wish to express my appreciation for all who helped to compile this book. Erona Matthew Programme Manager PCDP October 2013

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Contents

History pg 7 Introduction pg 10 Monogram and Slogan pg 13 Vision pg 13 Mission pg 14 Goal pg 14 Projects and Activities: Advocacy and Awareness Project (AAP) pg 15 Parkari Literacy Project (PLP) pg 20 Health Care Project (HCP) pg 26 Development & Relief Project (DRP) pg 32 Production & Publication Department (PPD) pg 38 Parkari Audio Visual Project (PAVP) pg 39 Literature Translation Project (LTP) pg 40 Monitoring and Evaluation Department (M&E) pg 41 Interactive Theatre pg 42 Staff Capacity Building pg 43 PCDP’s Organizational Structure pg 44

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History

The Parkari Community Development Programme (PCDP) was founded in 1996 by a young Parkari man Mr. Poonam Paschal, in collaboration with Mr. Richard Hoyle, a British national. The development of Parkari as a written language with a standard orthography began in 1983 when the Parkari Language Committee was formed to decide how Parkari should be written and what kinds of literature should be produced. Mr. Sajjan Parmar was chairman of this committee and he also produced a hand written magazine in Parkari called “Prem Parchar”. In 1985, the first Parkari books were produced by Richard, Poonam and other Parkaris. By 1995 there was already a lot of reading material produced about health, education, religious topics and general knowledge, but very few people were able to read Parkari. Thus, distributing literacy materials throughout the Parkari community became a major focus. The script used for writing Parkari is based on the script used for Sindhi, the main regional language. So, if a Parkari can read Sindhi, it is easy for them to read their own language. With the literacy rate for the Parkari community being only about 2%, the production of audio

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cassettes based on available literacy materials began in 1996. Mr. Jokim Hamdam, a Parkari man with experience in producing drama and audio recordings from his time at a local Audio Visual Centre, was hired to facilitate this. Thus, the Parkari Audio Visual Project (PAV) was started in 1996. Later, in 1999, PAV evolved into the Parkari Community Development Programme (PCDP). In 2003, according to the regulations of the societies Act XXI of 1860, PCDP was registered as a society, number 4101. Originally the main idea was that PCDP would promote awareness amongst the Parkari community about the printed and audio materials now available in their own language. However, PCDP developed into something far wider, and began to encourage an awareness of social development throughout the Parkari community on a non-religious, non-political and non-profit basis. Education was the first social development initiative. Until 1999, even though there were printed and audio materials available for starting literacy classes, a lack of trained literacy personnel made this very difficult. However, there was an answer to prayer when

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Canadians Steve and Vicky Simpson, who were very experienced in the area of Multilingual Education (MLE), came to help. After visiting a few literacy projects in Pakistan they decided to work with the Parkari literacy project (PLP). Initially, one MLE pilot project was started. Then in 2000, after the 1st MLE project seemed successful, five more MLE schools were started in the Barrage areas of Matli, Naukot and Khipro. At this time, Parkari MLE schools were unique in the region, with children starting their education in their own language before learning languages of wider communication. MLE made it easier for pupils to read, write and understand the curriculum. This also created a strong interest among the Parkari community as to how education can be the key to a brighter and more promising future. Since 1999, PCDP has also worked in the field of community development among the Parkari community, one of the most under privileged and marginalized group in the Lower Sindh, and responded in many ways to the Parkari community’s numerous felt needs.

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Introduction

PCDP focuses on the Parkari community, which numbers up to 1.2 million, scattered throughout lower Sindh. 99% are peasant farmers, either owning land in the Thar Desert area where drought is frequent, or living as landless farm labourers in the irrigated area where they are at the mercy of powerful landowners. The community’s social status is that of a scheduled caste within the caste system originating in India. Much of the Parkari community is still unaware of civil & political rights, and do not have enough knowledge to fight to protect their rights because of the high illiteracy rate. Presently, only 5% of Parkaris are aware of their basic rights and only 5% are literate. This is because of illiteracy, poverty, religious discrimination, and pressure from local landlords and criminal groups. Such factors encourage exploiters, fundamentalists, criminals and those who are uncaring, to violate the rights of Parkaris and to victimize this vulnerable community. Other social and policy issues also hinder the betterment of the Parkari community as Parkaris

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are not influential enough or sufficiently aware of their basic rights. The majority of the Parkari community is engaged with agriculture as farm laborers working for powerful non-Parkari landlords. These landlords take advantage of illiteracy and put Parkaris under huge debt by entering bogus loan entries under their names. Unable to pay these “loans”, creates a type of slavery for generations. Whenever the community strives to achieve its development goals, landowners stir up trouble, repossessing Parkari’s lands and making them into nomads. Most Parkaris are not registered with the National Data Registration Authority (NADRA) and have not got their Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC), which is the main document identifying them as Citizens of Pakistan, as well as giving access to government facilities. Also they are not enrolled in the Voter List of Election Commission of Pakistan. Thus, they are unable to assert their political right to be the part of democratic process by casting their vote. Neither do they have legal support when their rights are violated. Nor can they access expensive legal assistance due to their poverty. Moreover, the majority of Parkari children are not registered with the local government and NADRA, which creates problems for the government for census

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purposes, and children cannot have access to their rights, either. Few Parkaris have vocational skills. Most villages lack the basic essentials of clean drinking water and access to education and health services. Women and children are the most disadvantaged. In response to these needs, PCDP as an active community based organization, is working in the Desert and Barrage areas of lower Sindh province for the benefit of all members of the Parkari community.

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Logo & Slogan

The logo of open hands holding the sun with the slogan Linking hands - Building futures represents PCDP's vision, mission and goals. This logo and slogan emphasizes that PCDP is joining hands with the Parkari community to give support and as an organization, PCDP

strives to build a better future for the Parkari community through working with them in close cooperation, as represented by the bright sun.

Vision

“To see an empowered Parkari community; literate, healthy, self-reliant, socially integrated, and free from socio-economic oppression”. PCDP mainly focuses on women and children. It has a strong emphasis on community-owned schools which develop mother tongue literacy and numeracy materials to enable children to transfer their learnt skills into provincial, national and international languages. PCDP realizes its vision through implementation of field based programmes in cooperation with Parkari village communities.

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Mission

“To raise awareness of civil and human rights and to implement appropriate projects for the promotion of mother tongue based Multilingual education and community development, using a participatory approach which promotes family welfare and self-reliance among the community”.

Goal

“To reduce poverty and facilitate sustainable development through a combination of targeted programmes, to promote self-help activities, to improve the livelihood of the community and to empower the Parkari community through skills training and community involvement”.

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Advocacy & Awareness Project (AAP)

The Advocacy & Awareness Project (AAP) provides awareness for the Parkari community about local issues, the importance of saving money, improving education, health and hygiene, promoting a healthy environment, and how to be advocates so they can resolve their problems and obtain and protect their rights. The AAP has the following aims:

Community Building To facilitate orientation and awareness sessions These sessions are about civil & political rights, gender equality, the importance of educating girls and other relevant issues. They are conducted in targeted villages in order to achieve identified goals. Once the cooperation of a village is secured, PCDP sets up new male and female Village Committees and trains them to carry out and oversee PCDP’s programs. PCDP also invites the village to become a member of the Parkari governing system; 5 villages become a unit, 5 units become a cluster and 5 clusters become a Zone. In this way, Parkaris start working in unity rather than as a fragmented people group.

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Participation in Cluster and Unit based discussion groups has helped develop grassroots leadership among the Parkaris, giving them a clear voice in the Sindh Province and reducing their feelings of insecurity. The emergence of male and female village committees has promoted gender equality and a sense of unity within the Parkari community by improving the working relationship between men and women and encouraging a sense of shared responsibility. These developments are clear signs that the Parkaris have made significant progress in their fight against discrimination and towards taking control of their own development. Both male and female Village Committees in these respective communities, and in other Village Communities in the Sindh area, run discussion groups. In the Desert and Barrage areas where the Parkari Community live, group facilitators are also trained to effectively facilitate any pre-determined Community Building objectives.

Youth Development To build the capacity of Parkari youth By providing career guidance workshops and other activities for young people PCDP is building the capacity of Parkari youth. The Youth Development Project team

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also offers appropriate advice when choices are being made about further education and professions. Parkari youth also participate in the implementation of various Community Project activities, especially in ensuring that everyone receives their basic civil & political rights.

Economic Stability for the Community To increase awareness concerning the importance of saving Sessions about the importance of saving, and promoting awareness about ways to save through various saving schemes are conducted. People are also made aware about some of the underlying reasons for their poverty, by various pertinent questions being asked, e.g. Why are you in such huge debt? How might the use of drugs be creating economic problems? Why is a lot of your money spent on curing diseases? Saving Groups are organized to help people save through the “Clay money pots” saving scheme. This saving scheme not only helps people to have money for meeting their small everyday needs, but it also helps them to avoid having to pay interest when loans are taken out. This saving scheme also indirectly motivates people to adopt improved

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health & hygiene habits, to evade drugs such as alcohol, opium, etc., and to obtain an education. For those who are able to save their money, this not only improves their health conditions and increases the number of educated people in the community, it also brings them economical stability and a growth in respect and status within their society.

Human Rights To promote advocacy about claiming rights PCDP actively promotes human rights awareness among the Parkari community through awareness sessions and enabled them to develop an organizational structure in which they collectively fight to protect their rights. It provides advocacy for the community by addressing issues such as highlighting the local landlords’ practice of extortion and abuse, obtaining national identity cards, and provision of voting registration forms in the vernacular language. PCDP also organizes the training of community discussion group facilitators, setting up village-based community discussion groups, and linking community groups with local, provincial and national decision-making bodies. This ensures that any rights entitlement claims can be submitted and followed up, that

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there is training of PCDP staff in leadership, advocacy and networking strategies, and training youth as human rights activists.

Official Registration of Adults Parkari adults receiving their National Identity Cards In the Badin district, PCDP has provided the opportunity for adult villagers from Karachi Paro, Nau Dumbalo and Taluka Digri, to register with the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) so they obtain their computerized National Identity Cards (CNIC). The CNIC is the main document for giving proof of citizenship, and gives rightful access to all available government facilities and opportunities. In October 2009, the PCDP team went to people’s houses with NADRA officials, so residents in the above mentioned places were able to receive their CNICs without even leaving their homes. Altogether 1300 individuals, (men & women) were registered and received their CNICs. 70% of these were female.

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Parkari Literacy Project (PLP)

The Parkari Literacy Project (PLP) is one of the core activities of PCDP. The PLP is a community based literacy development project which provides education for Parkari children living in isolated villages. The PLP has the following aims:

Education Awareness Project To promote awareness about the importance of education Through this project, education awareness sessions are conducted in targeted villages, and schools are established in needy areas. PLP promotes capacity building for members in the separate male and female Village Committees by providing training in the management of schools. Thus, men and women in the community can co-operate with each other in the smooth running of their community-based schools, and in other development activities.

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Multi-lingual Education for Parkari Children To use only mother tongue in the early stages of education PLP uses Parkari, the mother tongue of the community, as the first language of education. This is highly respected at the local level. The main purpose of PLP’s Multi-lingual Education project is to teach using only people’s own mother tongue for the first 18 months in order to increase literacy among the community. Currently literacy in the Parkari community is barely 5%, compared to the national rate of 55%. One of the basic principles used in PLP is the importance of beginning education in mother tongue. Children learn best in their mother tongue because they are fluent in it, which provides a safe and secure atmosphere when children first attend school. Mother tongue instruction also helps children to acquire basic concepts at grass root level. Use of mother tongue also gives children the best opportunity for self-expression, as it is several years before children can express their thoughts and ideas freely in a second language. The PLP pattern is to build a firm foundation of reading and writing in mother tongue, which then enables children to transfer these mother tongue

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literacy skills to Sindhi, Urdu and English at later stages in their education. Studies have shown that when minority children have the opportunity to begin their academic work using their first language, they are academically more successful later on in education in other languages when compared with those who began their education in only their second language. PLP is proving very popular at both government and local level, because of the success of Parkari children exhibit when have begun their initial education in their mother tongue. PLP therefore provides the Parkari community schools with locally written Parkari books and other educational materials, and locally produced cassettes. All these materials are in Parkari, and include culturally appropriate books for use in schools, information and charts for running workshops, teacher training materials and health materials.

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For PLP trained school teachers to use the “Multi-strategy Method” This means using two distinct ways to teach the children to read and write. The Workbook Track teaches children to become accurate and methodical readers, writers, thinkers, and problem solvers. The Storybook Track includes writing with fluency, comprehension using thematic story books, and writing about shared experiences. These activities teach children to become confident and creative readers, writers, thinkers, and problem solvers. For PLP to run Teacher Training Workshops for village teachers and their assistants. These workshops provide targeted training which prepares teachers to teach the initial Basic Education syllabus in mother tongue, and later on, the multi-lingual Primary Education syllabus.

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Adult Education To provide rights-based education for adults PLP provides training for adult education teachers so they can run Adult Education centres. Adult Education means that people are able to check their accounts with landlords, thus avoiding any false entries being entered in their names. It not only builds the capacity of illiterate adults in reading and writing skills, but also fosters an awareness about how important education is for their children, including girls. Adult education in their mother tongue, especially the Rights-based course which looks at civil & political rights, is highly appreciated by Parkari adults. Th is is shown by how in 2009, PCDP had only planned to establish 7 Adult Education centres. But in 2010, 7 centres were found to not be nearly enough, because there were applications for help with setting up 30 centres. To meet this growing need, PCDP offered to provide teacher training, information books etc., but only if the Adult Education centres were then set up and run by the communities themselves.

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Community Self-Help School Project To establish self-help schools To achieve this, PCDP provides teacher training, basic school equipment, educational books in Parkari for the initial education in mother tongue, and salaries for teachers, for only the first two years. After this period is completed, each community is then responsible for running and funding the schools themselves.

Secondary Education To provide transition from primary to middle school After education in the multi-lingual Primary Schools, Parkari children receive their middle school education in Parkari-run schools. PCDP trains the middle school teachers and the schools are equipped with appropriate materials, equipment and facilities. If funding becomes available, it is hoped that PCDP will be able to establish Parkari-run secondary schools, especially in the Desert area.

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Health Care Project (HCP)

“Health is wealth”. Women and children in the desert and rural areas face many health problems. The Health Care Project (HCP) raises awareness about health issues, e.g. by stressing the importance of clean drinking water, and promoting the use of smokeless stoves to help reduce eye-infections. The HCP also provides basic health training for children. It also trains local women in midwifery, and health care for mothers and children. Other primary health care issues are covered too, such as Family Planning, awareness about HIV/AIDS, plus the provision of on-the-spot medical check-ups and treatment, and help in accessing additional medical facilities if these are needed. The use of mother tongue ensures that all people, including illiterate monolingual men and women, are able to fully

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understand what is being taught. They can then apply what is learnt in their own situations. The Health Care Project encompasses the following activities:

Health Awareness Provision of health information The Health Care team regularly visits villages to discuss and provide information on issues such as family planning, and the prevention and treatment of common diseases such as water-borne diseases and stomach infections. It organizes the information sessions on Safe Motherhood, pre-natal care and post-natal care. As is appropriate in the local culture, female staff teaches the ladies, and male staff teach the men.

Water Filtration Accessing clean water Many villages do not have access to clean drinking water. The Health Care team promotes the use of filter systems which use appropriate technology and local materials to

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provide families with clean drinking water. This enables villagers to be able to access schemes run by local NGOs which provide subsidized materials and practical training for making and maintaining these water filtration systems.

Smokeless Stoves Improving health and the environment The smoke from traditional mud stoves can cause damage to women’s eyes and lungs, as they must sit close to the fire to cook. These smokeless stoves have been locally designed and can be easily made using readily available materials. They not only protect women’s eyes and lungs from the damaging effect of smoke, but are also fuel-efficient. By using less firewood, they save women time and protect the environment. The Health Care Project provides local women with the necessary materials and practical training to enable them to make these stoves themselves.

Children’s Health Education Keeping children healthy The Health Care Project provides village women with information about a child’s body and how to keep it clean, and also how to prevent the spread of common childhood diseases. The Health Care team use pictures and posters, together with oral explanations in mother tongue, to ensure understanding and increase self-motivation.

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The Health Care Project has also produced a Parkari translation of the “Child to Child” basic health course, which is taught as part of the mother tongue curriculum in PLP’s Multilingual Primary Schools. Teaching children about health issues from an early age should ensure that, when they grow up, they will have both the knowledge and motivation to provide a healthy environment for their families. These activities ensure that children are aware of children’s health issues, which will help them when they become parents. This is especially important for the girls, who are the mothers of the future.

Training of Midwives and Basic Healthcare Workers Improving maternity care Most Parkari women live in remote villages without access to trained midwives or medical care. The Health Care Project provides community based training courses for village women in midwifery, mother and child health care, and primary health care. Once trained, these village women provide the community with local access to improved basic health care, including antenatal and

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postnatal advice, and assistance in childbirth from a trained midwife.

Family Planning Practising family planning The Health Care team provides information and advice about appropriate Family Planning methods. The Health Care team also provides information and assistance to rural women to enable them to access appropriate medical intervention, such as tubal-ligation operations.

HIV/AIDS Being knowledgeable about HIV/AIDS The Health Care team provides information in mother tongue about HIV/AIDS, e.g. how it spreads, and how to avoid becoming infected.

On-the-spot Medical Check-ups and treatment Health checks The Health Care team also provides on-the-spot medical check-ups and treatment, by holding clinics and dispensing

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medicines as they travel from village to village.

Detoxifier Scheme Recovery from snake bites This scheme provides battery-powered detoxifiers, which neutralize the effects of venom, by giving brief but powerful electric shocks to the site of the original bite and to the whole area that is swollen. These detoxifiers work for a wide range of venoms, and provide victims of snake bites and scorpion stings with free and effective treatment, which begins to ease both the pain and the swelling within a few minutes. In the desert area, where men, women and children are often bitten by poisonous snakes, each of the PLP schools has been provided with a detoxifier, and all the teachers and school supervisors have been trained in how to use them. After treatment, patients are encouraged to make a donation, which goes directly into school funds. Detoxifiers have already been used to treat over 140 victims of snake-bite, with a 100% success rate.

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Development and Relief Project (DRP)

The Development and Relief project (DRP) seeks to reduce poverty among the Parkari community by promoting health awareness, use of appropriate technology, skills training, and income generation activities throughout the community. The core activities of the DRP are as follows:

Hand pumps Access to clean water The community in the Barrage area f aces the problem of unclean drinking water. The canal water is not safe to drink (stomach ache and other diseases are common among the community). This scheme provides hand pumps to villages to address the problem of water borne diseases.

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Small Wells and Underground Water Storage Tanks Saving water for long term use Drinking water is the main problem for people and livestock in the desert area. Women travel a long distance to fetch the drinking water from the deep wells. The construction of small wells and underground water storage tanks helps the community to save water during the rain.

Sewing Skills Income generation through tailoring skills The sewing skills training focuses on men and women, enabling them to learn tailoring skills and the use of treadle-operated sewing machines. This scheme also operates on a-sharing basis. PCDP provides each Sewing Centre with sewing machines, cloth and thread. A trained master tailor is also provided to teach tailoring skills and how to use a sewing machine. After the completion of this sewing skill training, the men and women are then able to make clothes for their own

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families and can earn their livelihood as tailors. This helps to reduce poverty and increases self-reliance.

Veterinary Skills Income generation through veterinary skills This activity provides an opportunity to the Parkari people to be trained in Veterinary skills, in order to provide animal health care services to the villagers on their doorstep, as well as imparting awareness about animal diseases and caring for their livestock.

Handicraft Skills Income generation through handicrafts The handicraft scheme is designed to empower rural and desert women to generate income for their families through producing embroidery, quilts, cards, necklaces and other items using traditional skills. A female handicraft trainer teaches essential aspects of design, quality control, pricing and market awareness, and assists in developing appropriate marketing outlets.

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Relief Programmes Provision of emergency relief PCDP believes in actively supporting the community by building capacity and promoting self-reliance. However, when natural disasters happen and provision of aid becomes necessary for the survival of vulnerable communities. Then, in targeted areas, PCDP strives to provide emergency relief whenever possible. In 2002 there was severe famine in the desert area as a result of two years of continuous drought, and DRP staff were able to provide emergency relief for more than 1200 families. In 2003, the Badin district suffered from extensive flooding and DRP staff helped 450 families by providing food packages. DRP’s relief programme complements its development schemes by continuing to address the needs of the community even in disaster situations. In 2010 and 2011, extensive monsoon-related flooding devastated the Sindh area of Pakistan. About a million people were affected, and tens of thousands lost their homes. Thousands of displaced people were affected by

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malaria, skin conditions and abdominal diseases in the flood-hit areas. Gastroenteritis and malaria killed many of the infected people, especially children. PCDP’s DRP project was able to give assistance to Parkaris in desperate need, and took no notice of political or religious affiliations. In October 2010 during Relief phase 1, the PCDP Relief Committee distributed food items to 1108 families (6204 individuals) in 77 flood affected villages in the Barrage area. In the second phase there was an urgent need for materials to provide shelter from the elements. Consequently, in June 2011 appropriate materials were distributed to 235 families (1321 individuals) in various districts near Thatta, in the Sindh province of Pakistan. In phase 3 on September 23rd 2011 PCDP provided cash assistance to 391 families in 23 villages in Badin district in Sindh. Each family received Rs. 500. Priority was given to the most disadvantaged people. In the fourth phase in October 2011, PCDP distributed 330 relief packages containing food and non-food items to children from the Parkari multi-lingual schools, i.e. 1330 flood

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affected families (1980 individuals) in the Barrage area, also in Sindh. Phase 5: Also in October 2011, the PCDP Relief Committee set up 6 Parkari Organizational Units in the Desert and Barrage areas of Sindh province. They also distributed relief packages of food and non-food items to 1700 flood affected families in Mirpurkhas district, Tando Allahyar and Badin, all in Sindh.

Phase 6: PCDP distributed packages containing basic food items as well as other household necessities to Parkari widows in the desert area.

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Production and Publication Department (PPD)

The Production and Distribution Project (PDP) produces a wide variety of Parkari books using computer-typesetting and desktop-publishing, and distributes both books and cassettes throughout the community during regular field visits. These books address issues such as community development, human rights, health, culture, language and environment. They also cove r the whole syllabus used in Parkari schools, e.g. primers, maths books, and children’s storybooks written by Parkaris. In this way the whole community can benefit from the many new books and cassettes which are made available for them to read or listen to in their mother tongue. PDP also publish Quarterly “Parbhat” Magazine in Parkari to promote the mother tongue of the Parkari community. PDP is also compiling a Parkari to Parkari and Urdu and English dictionary to facilitate learning.

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Parkari Audio Visual Project (PAVP)

The majority of the Parkari community is illiterate and lives in desert and rural areas. Consequently, the Parkari Audio Visual Project (PAVP) produces audio cassettes in mother tongue to address the needs and interests of both literates and illiterates. These cassettes cover human rights, cultural, educational, health and religious topics, and include stories, drama, poetry and songs. PAVP staff also travel to isolated villages to identify members of the community who have specific gifts in music, storytelling, poetry or song. By recording the voices of these people on cassette, PAVP helps to preserve for posterity the rich heritage of Parkari oral literature, and enables members of the whole community to appreciate and enjoy their traditions and culture.

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Literature Translation Project (LTP)

The Literature Translation Project (LTP) is responsible for translating appropriate materials according to community needs from various languages into Parkari. Materials being translated from other languages include folk stories, health information, historical information and Christian scriptures. This activity complements the activities of the Production and Distribution team, who are responsible for developing Parkari-authored mother tongue literature.

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Monitoring and Evaluation Department (M&E)

The objective of this department is to monitor and evaluate all the running activities of PCDP to observe the project progress & project sustainability. The staff carries out field visits to meet the various beneficiaries and stakeholders in the targeted villages where PCDP is working. The feedback from these meetings is used to help the PCDP projects improve their programs and run planned activities effectively.

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Interactive Theatre

PCDP has an Interactive Theatre Group. This group has been trained by Interactive Theatre professionals and prepares performances about different community issues. The interactive theatre performance happens amidst audience members, and often actively involves them. The audience may be asked to hold props, supply performance suggestions, share the action's real-world setting, or become characters in the performance. In addition the audience may be asked to participate in altering the course of the play by taking part in a collective vote to help steer the plot in a new direction. The audience may even be invited to discuss pertinent issues with the performers.

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Staff Capacity Building

PCDP is committed to building the capacity of its staff in leadership, advocacy, social mobilization and networking strategies, as well as improving their skills in English, Parkari and computer use. PCDP is not only organizing training events in its office by hiring competent resource persons, but also by sending its staff members for appropriate training at provincial, national or international level.

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PCDP’s Organizational Structure

PCDP’s Board is responsible for reviewing budgets, financial reports and progress reports, and ensuring that the organization operates according to its stated objectives and procedures. PCDP’s Executive Director is responsible, together with the Management Committee, to ensure that planned activities are completed efficiently and effectively within the planned timeframe and budget, and that donors are kept regularly informed. In addition to the projects and departments already mentioned, there are also departments for Monitoring & Evaluation, Finance, Logistics, and Human Resources. Each project and department has its own manager and staff. There are regular meetings for all mangers and also for all staff to ensure good communication throughout the organization.