On the morning of October 8, 2005, a devastating earthquake, measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale, struck the area. It took a while to comprehend the scale of destruction that the quake had unleashed. In the two weeks following, the quake had left over 50,000 dead in Pakistan. A second wave of deaths was expected with the onset of the region’s notorious winter. It also had a significant negative impact on livelihoods in district Shangla. According to the poverty ranking 28.8 percent population of the district Shangla was below poverty line. The earthquake exacerbated the existing poverty and created new vulnerable groups in the district, including hundreds of homeless widows and orphans, disabled people and single-parent households with high dependency ratios.

The Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) lived in a social set up where there was lack of awareness about their rights and so were left disempowered in the society. PWDs were characterized by Illiteracy and low level of skills, lack of resources or inability to access resources, and lack of employment opportunities not only at the local level but also at the national level. The handicap people were also discriminated on the basis of their disabilities and hence socially excluded. In remote areas like district Shangla these problems effected the special people more than other areas of the country due to prevalence of wide spread poverty and natural topography of the area. The PWDs were considered as a burden not only on the families but also on the community by the society. These dependencies had created low level of self-esteem in the people with disability and considered themselves as an idle part of the society. Lack of skills, low literacy level and absence of suitable economic opportunities at the local level contributed to their low income and poverty. They had been caught in the vicious cycle of poverty for whole of their lives.

The project aimed to empower the PWDs by integrating them into family unit as well as in the society and community thus earn them dignity and respect. The capacities of the handicaps were enhanced to enable them to use the natural endowments sustainably and to provide them with the means of livelihoods. The strategy was based on the practical needs and interests of the PWDs and families with disable people. It helped PWDs to focus on their capabilities rather than on their problems, thus enabling them to contribute to the family income. Such an empowerment made them capable to be on the giving side rather than on the receiving end, with dignity and respect on one hand while on the other being a vital unit of society contributes to the local and national economy 

Project Goal: To empower people with disabilities socially, economically and politically.

Project Achievements:

• ToT arranged for project staff on Apiculture (Bee rearing, Honey collection and marketing).
• People with disabilities (PWDs) were trained on Apiculture (Bee rearing, Honey collection and marketing).
• 119 langstroth boxes were distributed among 119 People with disabilities (PWDs).
• Brochures on honeybees rearing were developed and distributed in communities.
•   Two extractor machines were procured and granted to the community for honey extraction and collection.
•  Honey was sold, produced from provided langstroth boxes to PWDs.
•   PWDs income was increased 20% from apiculture.