PESHAWAR - An irrigation channel in the Union Council Khazana, Peshawar was inaugurated on Friday. The inauguration was made by Elena Tischenko, Chief of South and West Asian Division, RBAP UNDP and Marc Andre Franche, Country Director of UNDP.
The irrigation channel has been completed by the Women Village Organisation (Noor) constructed at the cost of Rs1.7 million approximately, including Rs42,000 contribution from the community. The channel will irrigate around 800 acres of agriculture lands in the UC, Khazana Payaan, under the RAHA-KP Programme.
The RAHA being a joint venture of the government and UNDP and funded by the European Union, having an intervention in six districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that include Buner, Haripur, Lower Dir, Nowshera, Peshawar and Swabi.
For this project, the European Union extended a fund of 39.8 million Euros for a period of four years aimed to improve the living standard of more than one million Pakistanis, who hosted or are still hosting Afghan Refugees. Besides, infrastructure development, the RAHA focuses on the provision of health, education, livelihood facilities, economic stability and the revival of businesses for the local community through various interventions.
The RAHA also provide training and skill development programs in Afghan refugee affected and hosting areas.
The Chief South and West Asian Division, RBAP UNDP, Elena Tischenko and Country Director of UNDP in Pakistan, Marc Andre Franche, formally inaugurated the irrigation scheme, which was completed under the women community organisation.  Accompanied by UNDP Assistance Country Director Rabia Khattak, Provincial Programme Manger Shukriya Syed, National Programme Coordinator Zabardast Khan, RAHA-KP Staff and the local community. While sharing the success stories with visiting the UNDP team, the female/women community appreciated the efforts, who benefited by the great contribution for the economic, and social uplift of women in the area under the RAHA-KP.
They shared that large number of women and girls have been trained under the livelihood skill training, who are now earning handsome income for their families.