MANSEHRA: The Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund and Sungi Development Foundation on Tuesday jointly gave away Rs4 million cheques to people in Karnool and Gari Habibullah union councils for micro-business.

In all, 80 men and women got Rs50,000 cheques each for setting up micro-businesses and purchasing animals.

`We want to bring women on par with men and make them part of the decision-making process under the livelihood enhancement and protection project launched in five backward and remote union councils of Balakot,` SDF director (programmes) Shazia Mehmood told the cheque distribution ceremony in Karnool here.

The SDF director said under the Livelihood Enhancement and Protection project, her organisation and the PPAF had so far distributed Rs200 million among 1,600 men and women in five remote union councils of Balakot tehsil, including Karnool, Gari Habibullah, Ghanool, Thallata and Mahandri to alleviate poverty and include them in the decision making process at grassroots level.

Shazia said 70 percent of the project beneficiaries were women, who established shops and handicrafts centres and purchased animals alone or along with men to earn a respectable living.

`You can see that men and women are sitting together here and receiving cheques, which was impossible some years ago. It`s the community-based organisations, whose efforts made this possible,` she said.

Programme director Shabana Kausar said 1,600 men and women were given away grants, while 2,500 men and women underwent training in different fields.

`The project is designed to address economic issues of ultra poor people. We`ve achieved desired targets by reaching 90 percent women in five remote and backward union councils of Balakot tehsil,` she said.

PPAF project director Irfan Kareen said the LEP project was meant to benefit people, especially women living below poverty line in remote parts of the county.

He said he was pleased to see that women were active here and actively worked with men for own and family`s development.

District programme coordinator Umar Raza said 80 beneficiaries were given Rs50,000 each to set up small businesses and purchase animals and the exercise was done in line with the United Nations formula to alleviate poverty.

Munir Qureshi, the chairman of the district Awaz Forum working for human rights, said there were several community organisations working in Karnool union council, 22 for men and 20 for women.

He said the Awaz Forum had been running 20 centre in the district to educate men and women about their constitutional and legal rights.

District councilor-elect from Karnool union council Sardar Saeed said the programme beneficiaries should use the money for the welfare of their families as well as that of the entire community.

He proposed that the PPAF and SDF include education in the programme before offering grant to poor people for education.