Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation - PKSF

PKSF, over the years, has gained in-depth understanding and valuable experience on the multi-dimensional aspects of poverty. Adding new dimension to its mission in 2010, PKSF reshaped its core goal as “establishing human dignity”, instead of limiting its efforts towards achieving economic freedom only and started undertaking new programmes for attaining this goal. With this core objective, PKSF undertook a special programme, titled Enhancing Resources and Increasing Capacities of Poor Households towards Elimination of their Poverty (ENRICH), to create productive and sustainable employment opportunities for the poor by ensuring optimum use of their existing resources and enhancing their human capacities. In order to increase productive assets and human capacities, each family is being provided with education, health, technical and financial services in a coordinated manner under this programme.

PKSF has adopted disaster management and micro insurance programme under the fold of its social protection programmes. PKSF has also started implementing a project aiming to enhance the capacities of the poor to increase their resilience to the adverse impacts of climate change. In addition, mapping of various rural business clusters has been completed to commence programmes for the development of rural industries.

Ensuring accountability and transparency at all levels of its activities is of utmost importance at PKSF. Proper utilization of its resources, both from policy and implementation perspectives, is crucial. PKSF compromises of two policy-making bodies as per its Articles of Association; the General Body and the Governing Body. These two bodies are responsible for providing overall policy guidance and strategic directions for the implementation of all PKSF activities. Members of these bodies are highly distinguished professionals of national and international repute, having demonstrated track records in the development sector.

The major objectives of PKSF are to:

a. Provide financial assistance and institutional development support to appropriate organizations for implementing sustainable inclusive financial programmes for reduction of poverty through creating productive employment opportunities for the moderate and ultra poor, small and marginal farmers and micro-entrepreneurs.

b. Support, promote, develop and identify sustainable employment opportunities for the moderate and ultra poor, small and marginal farmers and micro-entrepreneurs; and to provide them assistance including education, health, training and risk reduction services as may be necessary for enhancing their capacity.

c. Build and strengthen the institutional capacity of the POs (partner organizations) and enhance their ability to provide various financial and non-financial services to the poor on a sustainable manner.

d. Support, promote and sponsor innovative programmes and suitable projects for improving the quality of life of the poor and enabling them to lead a dignified life.

e. Help the poor to diversify and strengthen their livelihood strategies, enhance their security, give them access to assets and rights, and augment their self-respect by providing them with greater choices and independence.