By Rimsha Ali Shah
In 1987 things took a sharp turn for the inhabitants of Tando Soomro, a village situated 50 km away from Hyderabad. For years the village was plagued by poor governance and law and order, until finally the locals decided to take control of the situation. As bleak and unpromising as it seemed, the time was ripe for a reformation, and reform they did: into a community that has zero crime rate, proper infrastructure, and health and education facilities. What is the secret behind this? The community’s involvement and inclusion in the governance and development of their village.
Hailing from this distant village and an integral part of the reformation period of Tando Soomro is International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) alumnus Nizamuddin Nizamani, who was an exchange participant in a 2011 IVLP program on good government and decision-making. A banker by profession, Nizamani grew up as a part of the citizen-led reformation that turned Tando Soomro into a model village which piqued his interest in the connection between community activism and good governance.
“My family was part of the group in Tando Soomro who decided to take action against the rising crime rates and insecurity that was so characteristic of our village back in the day. What started as a small step has now converted into a system of governance that is by the people and for the people of our village. We now collect 10 million PKR annually,” Nizamani said, while recalling memories of how Tando Soomro was and now is. This collection is part of the fund that is reserved for the development, infrastructure and security of the village. “This helps the community stay vested in the welfare of each other.” The village has its own established Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) system and community policing comprised of community-member led committees on health, safety, hygiene and education.
“My IVLP experience was not only important for me but also for my community. We have managed to maintain our good governance model over the past 20 years and this opportunity allowed me to share our model of good governance with my counterparts in the U.S.”
The exchange program was tailored on effective methods of good governance and decision making. For Nizamani, this exchange experience was monumental. He established the Research Institute for Social Empowerment (RISE) in April 2015 with the sole mission of strengthening local governance through innovative interventions, building on the example of the model village of Tando Soomro and his IVLP experience.
Along with establishing RISE, Nizamani has also actively encouraged students and teachers in Tando Soomro to participate in exchange programs. “More and more people are now applying for the Teaching Excellence Award from Tando Soomro,” said Nizamani. “I am glad to see how teachers from our village are travelling and bringing diverse experiences for the community that are helping our small village flourish.”
Here is a documentary on Tando Soomro, a model village near Hyderabad:
