SAFWCO conducts capacity-building training sessions for rural people

HYDERABAD: The Sindh Agricultural and Forestry Workers Coordinating Organization (SAFWCO), in partnership with the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF), successfully conducted a capacity building training session for borrowers under the Access to Finance (A2F) component of the Growth for Rural Advancement and Sustainable Progress (GRASP) initiative. The session was held at the HID Hall of SAFWCO’s Head Office, Hyderabad.

The GRASP project is funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by the International Trade Centre (ITC) in collaboration with PPAF, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA). The initiative aims to strengthen rural agribusinesses across Sindh & Balochistan by enhancing financial literacy and improving access to finance.

The training was conducted by Ms. Shabana Mallah, Manager Trainings at SAFCO Microfinance Company Limited (SMCL), and coordinated by Rajkumar Lohano, A2F Specialist at SAFWCO. A total of 12 participants; 5 women and 7 men, took part in the session.

They represented micro-enterprises engaged in livestock, pickle production, banana fiber, and mango orchards, and came from areas including UC Tando Qaiser, UC Chuki, and UC Sawan Khan Gopang. This highly interactive, activity-based training covered essential areas such as financial literacy, loan management, entrepreneurship and business skills, digital literacy, and legal and consumer rights awareness. A motivational video on entrepreneurship was also shown to inspire participants to strengthen their skills and grow their businesses.

Dr. Suleman G. Abro, Founder and Executive Director of SAFWCO, gave the inspiring session by personally engaging with each participant discussing their business challenges, listening to their stories, and offering innovative ideas for growth. He encouraged them to adopt by-product strategies to increase income, create strong market linkages for better pricing, and unite as a business community to drive collective progress. “Together, you can bring huge change in your lives,” said Dr. Abro. He emphasized the importance of resilience, understanding customer needs, and maintaining honesty and integrity in business. He also urged the participants to innovate by introducing new products to meet market demands.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025