Orangi Pilot Project
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The Orangi Pilot Project refers to a project carried out in the slum areas of Orangi, Karachi, Pakistan. It was initiated by Akhtar Hameed Khan, and involved the local residents solving their own sanitation problems. Innovative methods were used to provide adequate low cost sanitation, health, housing and microfinance facilities.
The project also comprised a number of programs, including a people's financed and managed Low-Cost Sanitation Program; a Housing Program; a Basic Health and Family Planning Program; a Program of Supervised Credit for Small Family Enterprise Units; an education Program; and a Rural development Program in the nearby villages.[1]
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[edit] The success
Orangi was a squatter community, and did not qualify for government aid due to their "unofffical" status. With endogenous research, the community was able to make an affordable sanitation system for the treatment of sewage, which helped to reduce the spread of disease. The system was created and paid for by the local community, who would not have had access to a sewer system otherwise.
The programme proved so successful that it was adopted by the communities across developing countries[2]. After the success of the initial phase, the program was expanded into four autonomous groups.
- The Orangi Pilot Project Society, to controls funding for the other three groups.
- The Orangi Research and Training Institute, to manage the programme and provide training for onward dissemination.
- Orangi Charitable Trust, to manage microcredit programmes.
- Karachi Health and Social Development Association, to manage a health programme.
[edit] Founder of Orangi Pilot Project (OPP)
Dr Akhtar Hameed Khan (1914-99) was the founder and first Director of the project [3], and managed to bring modern sanitation to the squatter community of 1 million people. He had previously organized farmers' cooperatives and rural training centres and had served as an adviser to various development projects in Pakistan. He was also a research fellow and visiting professor at Michigan State University (US), Director of the Pakistan Academy of Rural Development and Principal of Victoria College (Bangladesh). see Webpage dedicated to him
Comparing the OPP with his earlier Comilla project, Akhtar Hameed Khan commented:
- "The Orangi Pilot Project was very different from the Comilla Academy. OPP was a private body, dependent for its small fixed budget on another NGO. The vast resources and support of the government, Harvard advisers, MSU, and Ford Foundation was missing. OPP possessed no authority, no sanctions. It may observe and investigate but it could only advise, not enforce." [4].
However, both projects followed the same research and extension methods.
[edit] Publications
- Arif Hasan, 2000, Scaling Up of the Orangi Pilot Project Programs: successes, failures and
potentials, City Press, Karachi.
- Arif Hasan, 1999, Akhtar Hameed Khan and the Orangi Pilot Project, City Press, Karachi.
- Akhtar Hameed Khan, 1996, Orangi Pilot Project: Reminiscences and Reflection, Oxford University Press, Karachi
- Arif Hasan, 1993, Scaling Up of the OPP’s Low Cost Sanitation Program, Research Training Institute, Karachi.
[edit] References
- ^ 1996, Orangi Pilot Project: Reflection and Reminiscences. The Oxford University Press: Karachi.
- ^ 2000, In commemoration of The Life and Times of Akhter Hameed Khan: Talks of Akhter Hameed Khan at the National Rural Support Programme, Islamabad, NRSP
- ^ Allama Mashriqi & Dr. Akhtar Hameed Khan: Two Legends of Pakistan, Nasim Yousaf, Xlibris Corporation, 2003, ISBN 1-4010-9097-4
- ^ Introduction about Late Dr Akhtar Hameed Khan at Government of Pakistan website
