The six-week intensive training covers value chain analysis, business models, research and analysis, and soft and hard skills to enable participants to become connectors.
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has organised a six-week Cluster Development Agents training activity as part of the European Union (EU)-funded Poverty Alleviation and Inclusive Development Across Rural Sindh (PAIDAR) programme.
“As many as 30 participants from five selected districts of Sindh (Thatta, Sujawal, Larkana, Tharparkar, and Badin) representing community organisations, government, and academia are taking part in the training, which began today at the National Incubation Center (NIC) housed at the NED University of Engineering and Technology (NEDUET),” according to a press release issued on Monday.
“PAIDAR is a five-year programme run by UNIDO and funded by the European Union. The programme assists the Sindh government by implementing the economic growth agenda of the Sindh Poverty Reduction Strategy in selected districts, and it aims to contribute to long-term poverty reduction by improving the livelihoods of poor communities in Sindh, including women and youth,” according to the press release.
The six-week intensive training covers value chain analysis, business models, research and analysis, and soft and hard skills to enable participants to become connectors between Sindh communities and the PAIDAR programme’s initiatives for entrepreneurship development, local problem-solving, and business opportunities in areas that require immediate assistance following the recent floods. This training will include both classroom instruction and extensive field work by the participants.
For a week before the participants begin their fieldwork in the selected districts of Sindh, UNIDO international and national trainers and experts will conduct training sessions at NEDUET.
While introducing the programme and training to the participants, Badr Ul Islam, National Programme Coordinator for PAIDAR, stated that the Cluster Development Initiative was a successful approach developed by UNIDO that had seen international success and impact because it followed a pro-poor economic growth model that creates opportunities for the poor and supports broad-based and inclusive development.
He urged the participants to take full advantage of the trainers’ expertise in order to gain knowledge and skills for better community engagement.
Dr. Kaiser Bengali, senior economist and poverty reduction advisor, stated that the training provided an excellent opportunity for all participants to learn the methodology that would enable them to serve as a link between the community and the programme, allowing the community to benefit from the program’s interventions on poverty reduction.
He said that Sindh was working to enable economic growth and improve people’s livelihoods through various poverty reduction and business development initiatives.
Pro Vice-Chancellor, NEDUET, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Tufail, welcomed the participants and the PAIDAR team and said that the NED university was pleased to collaborate with UNIDO for the training and other initiatives that “can help reduce poverty in Sindh.” He stated that the National Incubation Center, which is housed at NED, has enabled some well-known start-ups and that the university was looking forward to success stories from the communities with which Cluster Development Agents would be working through PAIDAR.