Equitable Access to Public Services in Underserved Areas
From 2012-20 the Foundation worked intensely with over 200 civil society organizations in some of the poorest areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, helping them use social accountability to engage governments in the delivery of better public services. Their efforts helped make important improvements in schools, healthcare, drinking and irrigation water, veterinary care, roads and other essential government services benefitting over 500,000 households, of which 200,000 are poor. The improvements made by expending PKR100 million from public budgets, including about PKR29 million local government funds, showed how social accountability optimizes public spending by aligning services with public needs.
Extending footprints beyond Pakistan, in 2023-24 the Foundation delivered customised social accountability and budget monitoring training and mentoring support to more than 20 civil society rights-based organizations in Iran, assisting them to demand government actions on equitable distribution of local government funds, better services for divorced/widowed women, improved drug rehabilitation facilities, etc.