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Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) have been severely affected by unrest and military operations over the past decade. About 260,000 households have been forcibly displaced. In response, the FATA Secretariat implemented a Sustainable Return and Reconstruction Strategy to support the return of displaced families. To support this initiative, FAO and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) launched the FATA Agricultural Economic Rehabilitation and Development Project. The project aims to stabilize the region by restoring livelihoods, reducing poverty and reducing economic inequality. The project does this by restoring productive assets (including land reclamation), improving agricultural production and providing capacity building training for local farmers, especially women. To date, the project has benefited about 46,452 households in Khyber and Kurram Agencies.
Gul Baro Bibi feels relieved as she looks at the vegetables she has grown. A sense of accomplishment lights up her face as she sees her okra and bottle gourds ready for harvest. These vegetables may seem ordinary to others, but for Gul Baro Bibi, her small vegetable patch is special because it tells her story.
Conflict and militancy in Bara, Khyber Agency, Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan left Gul Baro Bibi and her family with no choice but to flee their home. Many others have suffered the same fate.
The same goes for 32-year-old farmer Ahmed Baz, who used to live happily with his family in Khairabad village in Bara district, leading the life of an ordinary farmer and making a living from his farm.
When conflict engulfed the region, Ahmed, Gul Baro Bibi and many others had no choice but to leave their village for safer ground. For Ahmed, that meant moving to Peshawar’s Polosai district and leaving behind his beloved farm.
Leaving means safety, but also means losing homes, poultry, livestock and crops, with little hope of regaining these assets, which are the lifeline of these communities.
Return to Barra’s Farm
In 2015, many families were able to return to Bara, but they faced the daunting task of rebuilding their livelihoods. Upon returning home, Ahmed felt helpless and unsure how to start over.
Ahmed sadly recounted the impact of the situation on him: “My land has been barren for years and I cannot cultivate it. I have no money to buy seeds for vegetables and crops.”
His needs and those of others led FAO and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to launch the FATA Agricultural Economic Rehabilitation and Development Project in July 2015.
Stabilizing the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region is one of the priorities of Japan/JICA. Mr. Hiroshi Inomata, Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan, noted: “The stability of FATA is crucial for the stability of Pakistan as a whole.”
With the help of the project, things are starting to improve. FAO identified and selected farmers, including Ahmed, and provided them with a plot of land and a farmer’s tool kit. The project also provides farmers with poultry, livestock and agricultural inputs for the winter and monsoon seasons.
Empowering women in Bala
For Gul Baro Bibi, there is a silver lining behind all the dark clouds. Agriculture, which has always been dear to the women of Bara, provided a good opportunity for Gul Baro Bibi and her family to cheer up.
More than two-thirds of women farmers help grow crops in the region, but they often do not receive their fair share of post-production income.
Through the project, FAO has trained more than 400 women farmers. Fifteen Women’s Open Schools (WOS), led by female counsellors, are providing capacity-building training to women in Bara villages in Khyber Agency.
Gul Baro Bibi speaks fondly of the open school for girls that she was able to attend.
“I didn’t know the correct farming techniques for growing vegetables before. What I learned is that growing vegetables on a small plot of land is easy and fun.” Gul Baro Bibi said happily while looking at her vegetable patch.
Gul Baro Bibi’s vegetable garden is producing well because she and other women like her have learned the skills and knowledge needed to grow vegetables. The training also educated the women on the benefits of improving nutrition through vegetable production and home gardening.
Gul Baro Bibi now feels empowered: “Through WOS, I am now able to grow and sell vegetables more efficiently. My family and I enjoy fresh, chemical-free vegetables all season long.”
In addition to these capacity building trainings, FAO also plays an important role in agricultural development in FATA through the provision of basic agricultural inputs such as quality seeds, farm tools and improved irrigation infrastructure.
Restoring livelihoods
By adopting efficient agricultural methods, Gul Baro Bibi often has a surplus. The extra okra and bottle gourds bring her family 1,000-1,500 Pakistani rupees (about 9-14 US dollars) per week, allowing her to provide her family with a more nutritious diet and send her children to school.
From Ahmed’s perspective, the results were also positive: “I am really happy and very grateful to FAO for providing me with vegetable seeds and kits. With FAO’s help, I rehabilitated my land and planted okra and other vegetable seeds on 0.5 acres of land.”
For Ahmed, the benefits mean more income: “This enables me to harvest up to 150 kg of produce, which I can sometimes earn up to 800 Pakistani rupees (about 7 US dollars) a day at the local market.”
FAO helps returnees in the FATA to restore and improve agricultural production (crops, livestock, poultry and fisheries). Thanks to the project, farmers have regained access to key assets they need to sustain their livelihoods.
Farmers like Ahmed, Gul Baro Bibi and Bara are now more hopeful about the future because they can save some money to buy quality vegetable seeds and provide nutritious food for their families. These new agricultural skills and restored livelihoods are helping the people of FATA regain self-sufficiency.
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