ISLAMABAD: The Rural Support Programmes Network (RSPN) hosted its Annual Community Convention 2025 on Wednesday, centred on the theme of youth empowerment, climate resilience, and healthy families.
The annual event brought together communities who have done remarkable work in villages with the nine RSPs who are members of RSPN.
The CEO RSPN, Shandana Khan, while opening the convention, acknowledged community members and especially women and youth on their successful efforts to reduce poverty at the household level and empower local communities.
Shoaib Sultan Khan, chairman RSPN, spoke about his 43-year-old journey in the RSPs and paid a heartfelt tribute to (the late) Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, under whose patronage AKRSP was started. Other RSPs were set up along the same lines. Shoaib Sultan Khan said, “If it had not been for the patronage of Prince Aga Khan, I would not be able to be sitting here. His patronage of my work changed my life forever.”
During the Community Convention, Syed Muhammad Habibullah, deputy director of the Department of Youth Affairs, Government of Sindh talked about the Sindh government’s commitment to empowering youth through education, employment, and skill development. “It is a blessing to have a large number of youth. But we must be proactive in providing socio-economic support networks, as it is crucial for our future as a nation,” said Muhammad Habibullah.
Community members shared their valuable experiences, highlighting challenges and achievements in key areas such as climate resilience, youth empowerment, and family planning. They discussed innovative solutions and strategies that have made a significant impact in their communities. The event provided a platform for sharing inspiring stories of development and demanded collective action towards sustainable development. Communities shared how this approach has empowered them enabling open discussions about their issues and challenges while finding solutions independently.
The panel discussions during the event focused on emerging role of the youth in development, strengthening community resilience to climate change and addressing the challenges of building healthy families - family planning in marginalised areas. Experts and community leaders shared insights on overcoming obstacles and implementing sustainable solutions to ensure the well-being of vulnerable populations. The discussions highlighted the critical need for collaborative efforts to tackle these pressing issues and promote healthier, more resilient communities.
RSPN is Pakistan’s largest development network. Comprising nine-member Rural Support Programmes (RSPs), RSPN champions a unified approach to community-driven development through social mobilisation. Through this approach, RSPN has engaged with 58.5 million individuals, establishing more than five million community-based organisations. Some RSPs were setup with the support of the government, a key advocate of this impactful development strategy.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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