Overcoming poverty by working together to create local solutions

Even though 80 percent of families living in Layyah, Pakistan are completely reliant on livestock for their survival, no one could figure out how to reopen the only veterinary clinic in the region.

At first glance, the problem seemed to be the lack of veterinary services in the region, which is home to nearly 15,000 livestock.

A closer look, however, revealed that the real problem was that families were unsure of how to work together to get the clinic reopened.

HOPE International Development Agency assisted families in Layyah by helping them set up an action group focused on reopening the clinic. During the monthly meetings and training sessions held by the group, women and men in Layyah learned to work together to achieve common goals and build strategies for securing support from the local government.

The group raised awareness of the need for a veterinary clinic by holding press conferences and hosting other public events. After several events, the local government became aware of the need for a veterinary clinic and attended one of the press conferences.

Within a week of attending the conference, government officials not only appointed a veterinarian for the clinic, but also provided medicines for the clinic’s dispensary.

Today, the clinic is fully functional and providing services to Layyah and an additional 23 villages in the surrounding area.

With a bit of help and encouragement, families worked together to create a local solution that resulted in the veterinary clinic being reopened – a very important step in their journey out of poverty!