Meridian International Center, in partnership with the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, implements the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) Impact Awards Initiative (IIA). IVLP Impact Awardees from across the world administer community impact projects that build on their experiences and promote innovative solutions to shared challenges. IIA aims to engage alumni, strengthen global networks, and support lasting community impact.

Naheed Afridi is our IVLP alumna for ‘Strengthening Local Governance in the Newly Merged Tribal District, Hybrid’ project. She has successfully implemented an IVLP Impact Award titled ‘Enhancing Women’s Access to Public Services through Developing Women Leadership’.  

Naheed’s project aimed to develop women’s leadership in District Khyber and increase their access to social services and opportunities. She engaged 20 women leaders through her workshops.  Women in the community learned about the available access to different social welfare funds that they had no prior knowledge. This project exposed the women to the Zakat Fund (a social welfare fund), the Jahez Fund (a dowry fund), and different scholarships. The awardee claimed, “The Zakat department was appreciative of the project, as they stated previously the budget was not utilized and therefore led to budged lapse. They also added that women should take part in zakat committee at union council level, and this would benefit a lot of women and hence would also increase women visibility.” 

Read more on: https://www.meridian.org/profile/naheed-afridi/

Credits: meridian.org.