Name: Hira Shakeel

Class: BSS 4-A (IR)

Subject: Strategic Studies
Enrollment: 01-155142-101
Teacher: Sir Irfan

USAID Helping Pakistan Face the Economic Challenges

Definition of the problem:
The United States Agency for International Agency shortly known as USAID is the
lead agency of United States Government which is in control for overseeing
civilian foreign aid. Its aim is to end life-threatening poverty and enable resilient,
democratic societies to realize their potential. Less than 1% of the federal budget is
spent of the USAID works and its currently operating in 100 countries. USAIDs
objective is to improve global health, safeguard human rights, spread education,
support the societies to avert and pull through from the conflicts and also advance
environmental sustainability.
Explanation:
For almost 60 years or more Pakistan and United States are working in
collaboration with each other in a manner which profits the people of both nations.
This cooperation has led to the development of many institutions that are wellthought-out as a landmark accomplishment. The cooperation has resulted in
nurturing Pakistans economic and social evolution as well as strengthening
countrys role in the world. Programs of USAID are the essential part of the
commitment for improving the condition of Pakistan and its people. If US continue
its support towards Pakistan, it will help the country to become stable and prosper,
and the impact will remain for a long time. The continued commitment of US
towards Pakistan has been through Kerry Lugar Berman Act. The USAID program
in Pakistan focuses in five main areas, these are: economic growth, health,
education, energy, governance and stabilization. USAID partners with the
Government of Pakistan, the private sector, and Pakistani Civil Society to ensure
that all the assistance projects are aligned with local priorities and aims at building
local capacity. Since the beginning USAID has developed legacy institutions and
metamorphic partnerships and guarantees that the assistance programs will have
sustaining effects for a long time.

Application or Applied Nature:

From the time 2002, (according to a report published in 2011) USAID has
provided Pakistan with $5.1 billion for supporting its education, health, energy,
economy, good governance, earthquake reconstruction, and flood relief and
recovery. Through Kerry Lugar Burman Bill also known as Enhanced Partnership
with Pakistan Act of 2009, USAID is proposing to strengthen the capacity of
Pakistans government so that it can effectively provide valuable services to its
citizens and also to address the countrys urgent needs of development and also
deepen a strategic partnership with the people of Pakistan as well as their
government. USAID is helping all levels of the Government of Pakistan to address
the priorities of its citizens and enable the institutions of government to fulfill their
roles and duties in a transparent and liable way. USAID further projects to
strengthen local governments and legislative institutions empower civil society and
also promote a transparent electoral system. The projects that come under
governing justly and democratically also succor Pakistan in accomplishing its
Millennium Development Goals.
Closely collaborating with the ministries of health of Pakistan, the private sector
and other donors in improving the health and well-being of Pakistani people. The
agency furthers Pakistani efforts to meet the family planning needs, better the
maternal and child health, provide the people with safe drinking water, and also
control major infectious diseases such as polio. It wants to develop a healthy
workforce for the communities of Pakistan. The main focus under health sector of
USAID program is reducing maternal mortality, end preventable deaths of the
newborns, and also children. These approaches are directly aligned with the
President Obamas Global Health Initiative, the Government of Pakistans vision
2025, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The Government
of US has financed the construction of the Jacobabad Institute of Medical Sciences
(JIMS) hospital, which was completed in 2014. The hospital provides modern
healthcare and lifesaving services to the people of Jacobabad and other
surrounding districts of Sindh and Baluchistan. US also supported the project of
Jinnah Post- Graduate Medical Centre (JPMC) in Karachi. Later in the same
hospital US government funded $3.44 million for the construction of a 60 bed
obstetric and gynecological for the patients. And again in 2014, USAID funded the
construction of another 120 bed for maternity ward to replace the 80 year old ward
at JPMC. This new project is expected to be completed by 2016.

The Government of US through USAID is helping millions of Pakistani children as

well as young adults to rise as high as their hard work. Pakistan and United States
both have placed their first priority on ensuring educating Pakistans population
and to get them prepared for the 21st century workforce. In the past five years
USAID has built and also repaired almost 989 schools across Pakistan. USAID has
also trained 18,201teachers and school administrators. Since 2010, USAID has
provided 7000 scholarships to Pakistani students so that they can attend higher
Pakistani education. USAID defines literacy as the foundation of learning. 2,300
teachers have also been provided scholarships so that they can further acquire their
education degrees. Every children of Pakistan deserves a high quality education.
Many new schools are being built in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Federally
Administered Tribal Areas with the USAID assistance. Together USAID and
Higher Education of Pakistan have established the Merit and Need Based
Scholarship Program for the deserving students and the students who are
constrained due to financial barriers and cannot afford their educational degrees.
USAID has launched the U.S Pakistan Centers for Advanced Studies (USPCAS) to
strengthen the culture of applied research in 2015. USPCAS has connected those
three universities of USA which are expertise in energy, agriculture and water with
the other four Pakistani universities to modernize and conduct joint research and to
foster the students and faculty exchange.
According to the World Economic Forums Global Gender Gap Report of 2014,
Pakistan stands as 141 out of the 142 countries across the globe. Still larger gaps
continue to exist between male and female in the participation of health, education
and politics. The main factor behind this is the gender based violence, lack of
education, restricted mobility and little awareness of rights. To narrow all such
gaps USAID is continuingly working for prosperous and stable society. USAID
has provided more than 37,000 females with health and legal counselling who have
been victimized of gender based violence. More than that it has awarded 800
scholarships to the talented young women who are economically disadvantaged.
They have also rehabilitated more than 341 girls schools, many of them are in the
conflict affected areas of FATA and KP. 636 scholarships have been awarded to the
Pakistani women to complete their M.A and Ph.D. at the universities based in US.
Around 5,400 women of rural areas have been trained in animal husbandry and
livestock management which has resulted in an average earning of $132 per year.

Pakistans political and economic situation is critical towards the sustainability of

economic growth and job creation. In 2014 the trade between the United States and
America has been of $5 billion value. Thus, exporting Pakistans largest export
market. Many drainage and irrigation initiatives for over 928,000 acres of Pakistani
land have been financed by US since 2010. After September 2012, more than
30,000 jobs have been granted to Pakistani people attributed through USAID
programs.
During 1960s and 70s United States was a major contributor of the two
monumental dams , Mangla and Tarbela which soon accounted countrys
70%power output. Pakistan Green Revolution project has been due to the
cooperation between both the countries which also included projects like Indus
Basin, Faisalabad Agricultural Institute. Also during the 1980s and 1990s United
States helped build the Guddu Power Station in Sindh. Both United States and The
Government of Pakistan are working together to help Pakistan meets its deficiency
of energy and to alleviate the countrys energy crisis. 19.4 million Pakistanis have
benefited from USAIDs efforts since 2011 to add more than 1,750 megawatts of
electricity to the national grid. Now customers are receiving more than accurate
energy bills due to USAIDs effort to install and repair 250,000 meters.
Conclusion:
Pakistan as a country which is facing never ending economic and social challenges
due to the poor management has seen many improvements in the respective
sectors. People of the rural areas especially have continued benefitting from the
projects of the USAID. Thousands of children now are able to get quality
education which promises their future and the women have found a foundation on
the basis of which now they can stand for themselves. USAID has been working
effectively in removing the gaps between male and female across the country. If
such a support on true intentions continues from the side of United States,
Pakistani have a ray of betterment in the future.
References:
http://defence.pk/threads/usaid-projects-in-pakistan.121360/
https://www.usaid.gov/pakistan/economic-growth-agriculture