Poverty is about not having enough money to meet basic needs including food, clothing and shelter.  However, poverty is more, much more than just not having enough money.

According to UN, poverty fundamentally is the inability of having choices and opportunities, a violation of human dignity. It means lack of basic capacity to participate effectively in society.

Poverty is a difficult cycle to break, often passed from one generation to the next.  Consequences of heightened levels of poverty are likely to cause increased tensions in society as inequalities are realized. These issues often heighten crime rates in communities affected by poverty.

So poverty is a call to action — for the poor and the wealthy alike — a call to change the world so that many more may have enough to eat, adequate shelter, access to education and health, protection from violence, reduction in crime rates and a voice in what happens in their communities.

Currently, about 35% population of Pakistan is living below subsistence level of which approximately, two third of our population lives in rural areas in extreme poverty. To alleviate poverty from our society, we should work on war footing to bring relief to the suffering masses. Individual and collective efforts are the need of time. It is the responsibility of all those who believe in human rights and in contribution to the society we live in.

Poverty also has a gender face that means women suffer more than men because of lesser access to basic resources and they lack empowerment.

As part of WWWT’s commitment is to offer tools to empower women to change their future, and providing women the tools to control their finances and transform their lives.

Our principle of poverty alleviation is providing such a tool to poor women, the strategy is to develop self reliance. These women have skills but face mobility issues as well as exploitation by middlemen with absolutely no access to marketing facilities. Our Village Embroidery program (VEP) offers income generating opportunities at the doorsteps of under privileged rural women possessing needle work skills. We empower these women through self employment, giving need based skills training as well as embroidery material to work for which they are paid there and then on the completion of work. We polish their embroidery skills and knowledge of modern trends in designs and fashion. Their finished products are sold in urban outlets and exhibitions. This has led to maximization of their profits and enhancement of their financial position.

Awareness is also given to them on better health, hygiene, rights, obligations, positive family and social values through educative lectures. Liberating them from negative customs and practices commonly prevalent in rural areas.

The impact of this program is very positive and encouraging. It has definitely brought a transformation in the lives of poor women and that of their families and community. Women are more confident, happy and satisfied with positive change in their attitudes and behavior. They are able to fulfill their basic needs. This program has also saved women from beggary, debt and wastage of time. Even the men are happy, welcome our visiting team and encourage their women to join us.  Other women of the community are eager to participate in our program but we cannot accommodate all because of our limited resources.

The program has provided tools to sustainable development by providing income generating opportunities, increased level of knowledge and skills training facilities to women as well as channels for display and marketing of their products.

As an outcome of our VEP Program an environment for women to develop their potential has been created in the areas where we work. It has also resulted in the realization of dignity of work and dignity of life with an acquirement of self respect and a belief in self worth in women.

This has given them increased ability to sustain themselves and others dependent on them. Women are now productive, self reliant, empowered and their families are also benefitting by getting education, health services and a better living standard.

WWWT efforts have resulted in reaching out marginalized women, identifying their problems, planning, tapping resources for implementing need based program.

It has enabled us to fulfill our social responsibility and our contribution towards productive and prosperous community through our poverty alleviation strategy.