USAID Senior Deputy Mission Director Nancy Estes recognized the courage and determination of women from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) who have suffered from terrorism and conflict in a ceremony at the Serena Hotel in Islamabad commemorating the achievements of the USAID-sponsored Civilian Victims Support Program (CVSP).
“USAID is providing relief and support to affected families in the form of prosthetics to the injured, job preparation training, and small grants to support entrepreneurs,” Ms. Estes stated during her remarks. “The resilience of communities and families affected by acts of terror is truly inspiring. I applaud them for remaining dedicated to rebuilding their lives.”
Launched in 2012, CVSP is a $25 million project to assist non-military, non-police, non-combatant, and non-civil service persons in KP and the FATA who have been injured or disabled as a result of terrorism. The program provides medical, psychological, and social support to victims and their dependents, particularly widows and orphans, to assist them in resuming normal lives during and after emergencies brought on by terrorism. Since its launch, CVSP has assisted more than 8,000 families— 1,900 of which are headed by women. “I lost my husband to a bomb blast in 2013,” said Aalya Shaheen, a 30-year old mother of four from Peshawar. “I was extremely w rried for my children. USAID helped me to establish a small business and also provided educational scholarships to my children. Our loss is eternal, but USAID provided us with a respectable livelihood. I am now independent and my children’s education continues.”
USAID’s mission in Pakistan is focused on enhancing stabilization for regional peace and stability and does this in partnership with the Government of Pakistan. Through two vocational training institutes, CVSP has provided employable skills to 325 beneficiaries and is working with three major hospitals in Peshawar for the provision of in-kind support to strengthen the capacity of emergency wards.
For more information on USAID projects please visithttp://www.usaid.gov/pakistan.
