International donors and development agencies have formally committed to partnering with the Government of Sindh on its vital social protection programs. This collaboration extends to critical areas including funding, human resources, and technical assistance, signaling a significant boost for the province’s most vulnerable populations.
To facilitate this strategic alliance, a dedicated technical working group on social protection has been established. This new group will be spearheaded by the Sindh Social Protection Authority (SSPA), an independent body created by an act of the Sindh Assembly, and will receive technical backing from GIZ. The esteemed members of this group include representatives from the World Food Program, UNOCHA, FAO, UNDP, UNICEF, Gates Foundation, UNRC, and other prominent organizations.
The formation of this group aligns with the overarching objective of strengthening Sindh’s social protection system and effectively designing and executing components of the Mother & Child Support Program (MCSP). The broader Strengthening Social Protection Delivery System in Sindh (SSPDSS) including MCSP is a crucial initiative, funded by the World Bank at a cost of $200 million with $30 million contribution of the GoS.
The technical working group’s inaugural meeting was presided over by Mr. Samiullah Shaikh, CEO of SSPA and Project Director for SSPDSS. During the session, Mr. Shaikh briefed the forum on the remarkable progress of the MCSP, widely known as the Mamta Program. He highlighted that the program has already achieved the enrollment of 695,000 Pregnant and Lactating Women (PLWs), reaching its halfway mark against targeted enrollment of 1.3 million PLWs by 2027.
“Our development partners can significantly extend their support in key areas such as Information Technology, Monitoring & Evaluation, and Social Mobilization, among others, to further enhance the social protection delivery system across the province,” Mr. Shaikh emphasized.
Mr. Naveed Akbar, Senior Consultant to GIZ, further apprised the meeting of their ongoing efforts to support SSPA by identifying women agriculture workers in pilot districts, a promising initiative slated for province-wide scaling.
The high-level meeting saw active participation from key representatives, including Mr. Imran Laghari (UNRCO), Mr. Saleem Shaikh (UNOCHA), Mr. Mubashir Soomro (FAO-UN), Dr. Mazhar Iqbal (UNICEF), Dr. Farhana Shahid (Gates Foundation), Ms. Salma Yaqub (UNWFP), Mr. Frank Schnieder, Mr. Rahmat Wali, Mr. Syed Mubashir Hussain, Ms. Sahar Arshad, and Ms. Shua Khalid from GIZ. SSPA was represented by Mr. Rashid Mehmood, Mr. Farrukh Saleem, Mr. Mohsin Babbar, Mr. Muhammad Sohaib, Mr. Waqas Abbasi, and Ms. Asma Moomal.