Malakand Rural Development Project (MRDP) was a multi-sector area development initiative which aimed at creation of sustainable structures at the grass roots level to address rural proverty through enhancing the livelihood of the rural poor. There were five components of MRDP namely Community Development (CD), Community Managed Infrastructure (CMI), Gender and Development (GAD), Agriculture Livestock and Natural Resrouces Management (ALNRM), and Rural Financial Services (RFS).
Under the RFS component individual lending were made to the needy and potential people of the area, who could establish micro level income generating activity. The recovery of the amount remained 100%. About 400 VDOs and WDOs have been formed at the village level, more than 200 community managed infrastructure schemes such as irrigation, water supply, sanitation, micro hydro power unit’s and jeep-able tracks schemes have been completed on the basis of participatory approach, quality seeds and breeds along with the new techniques in the fields of agriculture livestock and natural resource management were introduced and more than 3000 female activists were trained in various skills; vocational, handcrafting, cutting and seweing, health, education.
Under the cross cutting component of Gender and Development more than 3000 female activits were trained in various skills such as vocational, handcrafting, cutting and sewing. Health was the major activity carried out under this component. Two hundred (200) TBAs on clean and safe delivery practices were trained throught the District Health Department and sixty four (64) LHVs and Midwifes were trained through Provincial Health Services Academy Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
All these components were process oriented. Social Mobilization was the essence for all the components. Two hundred Village Organization for men and one hundred and seventy women organization have been formed in the District through which the components of the Project were implemented. This gave empowerment to the community at the grass roots level.