On this day last year, when I was appointed as the Vice Chairperson of the Punjab Social Protection Authority (PSPA), I did not know how beautifully Allah would use me to serve His creation. I was entrusted with the opportunity to serve the underprivileged, deserving, and marginalized people of Punjab, who lack access to corridors of power, cannot reach influential individuals, and whose eyes are always waiting for help.

Education and health are two sectors that are fundamental human rights; if the Government addresses them, it can solve many of the severe difficulties faced by its citizens. I believe that education, education, and only education can bring about change in society. If a girl receives an education, she not only transforms her family and community but also shapes the future of generations to come. The Zewar-e-Taleem program is the largest initiative by the Punjab Government for girls’ education. It is being implemented in 17 districts with low literacy rates and is run by the Punjab Social Protection Authority in collaboration with the School Education Department. Girl students of 6th to 10th grade in government schools receive quarterly stipends of 3,000 rupees to maintain an 80% attendance rate. This program aims to increase girls’ attendance in schools and is specifically designed for impoverished parents who cannot send their daughters to school. Since the program began, school attendance for girls has significantly increased. To date, more than 825,000 girls have benefited from this program.

Another program I find extremely important is the Aaghosh program, which is being run in 12 districts of Punjab. Under this program, every registered pregnant woman receiving health services from any government health facility receives conditional cash grants up to 23,000 rupees from the time of pregnancy until the child turns two years old. This program focuses on maternal and child health. In many rural areas, women lack access to basic health facilities, and children do not receive vaccinations, leading to various illnesses. The Punjab Social Protection Authority is successfully implementing this program, with over 882,607 women registered so far.

In addition to these two programs, the Punjab Social Protection Authority runs several other initiatives: Bunyaad, Khud Mukhtaar, Nayee Zindagi, Masawaat, Hum Qadam, and Sila-e-Fun. These programs benefit disabled individuals, transgender persons, impoverished artists, deserving individuals looking to start businesses, and victims of acid attacks.

Since these programs provide direct financial assistance to beneficiaries, my heartfelt effort from day one has been to ensure that the funds entrusted to the Punjab Social Protection Authority by the Punjab Government reach the people promptly and transparently. I realized that Punjab is a large province, and the underprivileged often lack the resources to communicate their problems to us. Therefore, I decided to reach out to them, listen to their issues, and resolve them to the best of my ability.

With this mission in mind, I began visiting all the districts of Punjab, and Alhamdulillah, as I complete my first year, I have visited 24 districts along with my team, including Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Rahim Yar Khan, Rajan Pur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Okara, Kasur, Muzaffargarh, Kot Addu, Sahiwal, Pakpattan, Bahawalnagar, Lodhran, Chiniot, Sargodha, Khushab, Mianwali, Bahawalpur, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Rawalpindi, and Attock. In each district, I personally monitored our programs, from the registration process to the entire cash transfer mechanism, listened to the issues of the people, especially schoolgirls, and held meetings with the School Education Department, Health Department, Commissioners, and Deputy Commissioners to resolve their issues. I believe that no Government initiative can be successfully completed, nor can the public access it unless our district administration fully takes responsibility and implements it. The Punjab Social Economic Registry (PSER) is the largest initiative by the Chief Minister of Punjab. In this regard, I have visited registration centers of the PSER in all districts of Punjab, received briefings there, and ensured that everyone living in Punjab registers for the program. It is crucial that the Government’s message regarding the PSER reaches everyone. I took immediate measures to address complaints, such as the issues faced by widows in registration due to the absence of a head of the household.

The Nayee Zindagi program is a unique initiative by the Punjab Government for victims of acid attacks, where if anyone in Pakistan becomes a victim of acid attack, they can receive free treatment at any of the seven burn centers in Punjab until they are fully recovered. I initiated the treatment of acid attack victims at five of the burn centers: Jinnah Burn and Reconstructive Surgery Center at Jinnah Hospital Lahore, Allied Burn and Reconstructive Surgery Center at Allied Hospital Faisalabad, Pak-Italian Burn Center at Nishter Hospital Multan, Burn Center at Bahawal Victoria Hospital Bahawalpur, and Burn Center at Sheikh Zayed Hospital Rahim Yar Khan. I held briefings with the doctors there and ensured that the funds provided by the Punjab Government under the Nayee Zindagi program are utilized for the treatment of these patients.

Additionally, the most significant step I wanted to take was to organize the first Social Protection Conference in Punjab. For this, we compiled all our previous efforts, discussed what the Punjab Social Protection Authority aims to achieve in the future, the Government’s vision for social protection, how to assist people, and what other programs could be included. We assessed what we have accomplished to date and how we can achieve our targets in collaboration with other departments of the Punjab Government. Thus, the first-ever Punjab Social Protection Conference was held through the Punjab Social Protection Authority. Alhamdulillah, it was a highly successful conference, where all Government agencies associated with us were involved. I would like to especially thank UNICEF for their collaboration in making this conference a success. Social protection becomes truly meaningful when we provide this safety net to people without any political or religious discrimination. The hallmark of our work is that the Punjab Social Protection Authority and the Punjab Government only assess whether the person applying for registration meets the eligibility criteria. We do not consider their gender, political affiliation, religion, or sect; we only ensure that they are citizens of Pakistan. To address issues in reaching the public, registration, and ensuring transparent fund transfers, we have established the Social Protection Helpline 1221.

In conclusion, it is essential to say that no individual can accomplish anything alone. I believe that all the officials of the Punjab Social Protection Authority and my team have supported me wholeheartedly with their hard work, dedication, and personal interest in the completion of these initiatives and programs, for which I am deeply grateful. Insha Allah, this journey of serving the public and nurturing love for them will continue.

Jahan Ara Manzoor Wattoo
The writer is the Vice Chairperson of the Punjab Social Protection Authority.