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ISLAMABAD, Jun 19 (APP):The Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF), through its Community-Driven and Poverty Graduation Models, underscored its commitment to sustainable poverty reduction across Pakistan by supporting initiatives in key sectors such as education, health, financial inclusion, clean water, access to clean energy, and more.
PPAF’s Poverty Graduation Model considered as a central pillar of its success. This integrated and multidimensional approach combines interest-free loans with vocational training, asset transfers, business advisory services and financial literacy. Inspired by international best practices and aligned with Pakistan’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the model is designed to graduate vulnerable households from welfare dependence to economic self-sufficiency, said a press release on Thursday.
PPAF has also formed more than 171,000 Community Institutions across the country, with 63 percent of their members being women. In terms of financial inclusion, PPAF has disbursed over 3.5 million interest-free loans (56% loans to women), amounting to Rs 129.19 billion (including reflows), enabling low-income individuals to initiate or expand small enterprises and improve household incomes.
PPAF’s also supported 963 small and medium enterprises (SMEs), including those led by women and transgender entrepreneurs. Tailored programs for people with the distribution of over 39,000 assistive devices and enterprise training for more than 3,000 individuals, promoting inclusion and community participation.
In the education sector, PPAF has supported the schooling of 432,800 children, including 10,000 children with disabilities, such as those who are blind or deaf. Approximately 45% of these students were girls, underscoring the Fund’s commitment to gender equity in education through 2,866 educational facilities.
While healthcare access has also been a major area of impact, facilitating 15.4 million health consultations 56 percent of which benefited women and girls through supporting 968 community health centres bridging service gaps in remote areas.
PPAF has implemented 34,590 community-level infrastructure projects benefiting 16.92 million people (51% women) aimed at improving access to clean water, sanitation, and agricultural resources.
In terms of climate change and green growth, it has delivered more than 14 megawatts of renewable energy through 1,450 green energy projects benefiting more than 586,100 individuals. Additionally, it has also conserved 2.23 million cubic meters of water and planted 130,000 trees efforts that align with national climate resilience and natural resource management goals.
PPAF’s has strong collaboration with international partners such as the World Bank, EU, KfW, IFAD, USAID, and UNHCR for community welfare.
With its current operations in 82 districts and support from the Government of Pakistan as well as major international donors, PPAF is currently reaching millions of beneficiaries, with programs funding exceeding Rs 21 billion.
The Pakistan Economic Survey 2024–25 has also recognized the PPAF for its critical contribution to national poverty alleviation efforts, highlighting its community-driven model and multi-sectoral engagement, the Survey positions PPAF as a cornerstone of Pakistan’s development architecture.
Survey also commends PPAF’s effective disaster response during the 2022-2023 floods, where it provided emergency relief to over 87,600 households.