Spokesman Report
Karachi: In a dedicated effort to combat poverty and advance inclusive development, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) convened a pre-bid conference under the Poverty Alleviation and Inclusive Development Across Rural Sindh (PAIDAR) programme, which is funded by the European Union (EU).
The event, held in Karachi, served as a pivotal platform, offering crucial insights and guidelines to potential applicants interested in the grant opportunities presented by the PAIDAR programme.
Mr. Badar Ul Islam, National Programme Coordinator for PAIDAR, set the tone for the conference with a warm welcome, underlining the collaborative effort needed for sustainable development. He shed light on the significance of the PAIDAR Grant Fund in supporting poverty graduation and communal infrastructure development.
Ms Natalie Maabdi, Contracts Officer at UNIDO, provided a comprehensive walkthrough of the step-by-step process for submitting grant applications. A dynamic Q&A session followed, allowing participants to seek clarification and deepen their understanding. Mr Nima Bahramalian, Executive Officer PAIDAR, shared valuable insights, setting the stage for the PAIDAR programme’s commitment to sustainable poverty graduation and inclusive development.
Mr Farooque Siddiqui, the Director General for the Directorate of Urban Planning, Policy and Strategic Planning (URP&SP) and the Planning and Development Department at the Government of Sindh also graced the conference with his presence. While addressing the participants, he said, “The Sindh Government is focused on tackling poverty as a top priority and the EU-funded PAIDAR programme implemented by UNIDO addresses a key gap in economic development through grants to empower MSMEs (especially targeting youth and women-led enterprises). The ongoing collaboration between EU, the Government of Sindh and UNIDO under the PAIDAR programme is expected to positively impact poverty reduction efforts in the province.”
The PAIDAR programme has launched a grant fund dedicated to micro-grants for MSMEs and communal infrastructure development through intermediaries. These grants aim to support sustainable poverty graduation, enhance enterprise activity, and generate pro-poor employment opportunities. Intermediary organizations from both urban and rural areas actively participated, spending the day understanding critical processes for successful grant applications. This event marks a significant step towards realizing UNIDO’s vision for poverty alleviation and inclusive development in Sindh.
PAIDAR programme- a five-year programme, being implemented by UNIDO, and funded by the European Union (EU) with the support of the Government of Sindh (GoS). This programme supports the GoS in implementing the economic growth agenda of the Sindh Poverty Reduction Strategy in selected districts and aims to contribute to sustainable poverty reduction by improving the livelihoods of poor communities, including women and youth in Sindh province.