Ghulam Rasool Sanjrani of 45 years, is a president of VDO of village Dhani Bux Sanjrani. He is also a councilor of the same area and working for the development. Apart of all work he has done in his life, in 2003 the village was given a water supply scheme, Mr. Sanjrani remembering the effort told that in our village we had no reasonable soruce to get sweet water. Our children and women of the village were used to walk around one kilometer daily to get sweet water for drinking purposes. At that time the disease in our village like diarrhea, malaria, wre very common, due to efforts of our organization and community we contacted with Safwco to help us and provide water supply schemes. Safwco in collaboration with PPAf and community participation approved the schemes and work of construction started.

Regarding participation of villagers in the scheme, Mr. Sanjrani shared that we all collectively taken the bricks on our shoulders, we mixed the cement and other material by our hand even once a friend of other village visited us, he got amazed and asked what do you take instead of the labour, I replied him “we are volunteers and we are not taking any single rupees against of the labour”, at the return of his village he told the villagers that let be united and let we establish the organization for development, he also quoted the example of our village and our unity. He said while the water tank was in last phase of construction we felt that the cement is not enough for the day, at that moment I went to nearer village Bachal Bagrani, and taken the packet/sack of cement on my should ers to our village. After all these efforts and toil, we got the water tank completed.

Case Study

Mr. Faisal Wassan, Nazim Union Council II, Shahdadpur, District Snaghar, is a young committed personality working for Sindh Local Government. In annula development dialog with community in village Fazal Talhani, Taluka Shahdadpur he said the program, which Safwco has organized today, is really an evidence of development of thoughts and change. He said safwoc’s works is very much impressive especially in the development of remote areas. He said Sindh is on 3rd number in the ranking of education, development and economic conditions, out of four provinces particularly the villages of rural Sindh are very much backward. Mr. Wassan said education is very important for the development and government should play its role to provide incentives to poor for education, comparing the countries of south Asian countries he said Indian society is educated ratio of education in Sril Lanka is 98%, even Bangladesh has got good ratio of education unfortunately Pakistan is still running in the ratio of 30% to 35%, where only 3% is budget is used of 100% on education.

Talking about NGOs he said I use to think that what ever NGOs are doing and where they are utilizing funds, but after eying the development in the District Sanghar I have come to know that if any NGO works with sincereity and dignity ther are chances of development and better living society. He said in my own village and area I was not known that a village development living society. He said in my own village and area I was not known that a village development organization is established and working for their better life, I came to know when they already established the school and children of village are getting education on the self help basis with support of safwco, and theyare also participating in the community physical infrastructure and getting schemes of their need. He said this is development and change of thoughts. He requested that Mr. Suleman G. Abro at the event to continue serving for poorest community in remote areas with same feelings and enthusiasm.

Collective Struggle (2001)

The people of village Bachal Khan Bodani had treaded the dirt track for decades on donkey carts, or Suzuki pick-up, in emergencies. It was the beginning of the year 2001 and the village was not yet linked to the town. The nearest village that was connected to the town with a road was one kilometer away.

The year 2001, however, was different than the years gone by. The village community, mobilized through Safwco's efforts, had now a platform to debate issues and come up with solu­tions. The village community organization was gradually gain­ing in strength and membership.

The organization decided to take the matter in its hands regarding the missing link road. It constituted a committee. Led by the village leadership and general secretary of the community organization, Niaz Bodani, the committee met the' district administration and demanded the road, The road was finally sanctioned by the deputy commissioner. The road needed clay for leveling. But the land adjoining the proposed road belonged to an influential landlord. The villagers were afraid to approach him. Facilitated by the Safwco team, the committee had a meeting with the landlord and apprised him of the situation. The landlord was supportive of the effort and the work was carried out smoothly.