Where We Work

Created in 1901, the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) marked the border between British India and Afghanistan and later between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The NWFP was home to the Pashtuns, the world's largest tribal society and was divided into administrative units called districts. Bannu district was one of the southern most districts of the province, and Lakki Marwat was a tehsil (smaller unit) of Bannu district. In 1992 Lakki Marwat became a district itself. The NWFP is today known as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.

We focus on under developed areas of Pakistan in general, with emphasis on the southern districts of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa province in particular. At Wadaan Foundation (previously Nasr Foundation) we believe in developing the skills and providing the opportunities to the people from under developed areas of our country, hence enabling them to reach their full potential in becoming contributing members of society.

Lakki Marwat district has a population of 815,000 and an area of 3164 square kilometers. It forms a basin drained by two rivers from the hills of Waziristan, the Kurram River and the Gambila or Tochi River, which unite at Lakki and flow into the Indus south of Kalabagh.

Today the district shares borders with South Waziristan Agency, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Karak, Tank and Mianwali districts as well as the Frontier Region Lakki. The Indus Super- Highway, the artery linking the north of Pakistan to the port of Karachi passes through the district.

The district is classified as a semi-arid plain, rainfall is scanty and summers are very hot with maximum temperatures ranging between 46^oC to 50^oC. Winter is warmer and drier than the rest of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Lakki Marwat is one of the 25 poorest districts of the country with 60% of its population living below the national poverty line. There is a lack of access to basic services including clean drinking water, sanitation and social services. Healthcare facilities are inadequate with district hospital facilities under performing due to lack of doctors and trained para medic staff. The district has poor power infrastructure with 22 hours of blackouts not uncommon. Agriculture is mainly reliant upon rainfall.

On account of its location on the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA), the district has suffered from the fall out of the decades old war in Afghanistan as well as the more recent clean up operation by the Pakistan Army against counter productive societal elements in North Waziristan Agency. The district has played host to large numbers of IDP's (internally displaced persons) and was the scene for several devastating terrorist attacks. War, displacement and refugees have eroded the traditional social order, broken down the law and order, crippled the economy, discouraged investment and resulted in large-scale emigration to the rest of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and other parts of Pakistan. It is a tough neighborhood in a difficult part of the world.

During the last three decades, district Lakki Marwat has suffered both socially and economically. First due to the scourge of war in neighboring Afghanistan during the 1980's and 1990's and post 9/11 the people of the district have been combating the effects of the War on Terror. Off late the area has seen large groups of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) seeking refuge in Lakki, due to the military operation against terrorists and militants in adjoining areas. Lakki Marwat although one of the most arid areas of Pakistan, has had to host hundreds of thousands of refugees coming from North and South Waziristan Tribal Agencies after the Zarb-i-Azab military operation. Being an extremely water stressed area, the carrying capacity of the land is severely restricted both in terms of its capacity to support cattle and humans. The influx of refugees, has over time severely affected the water resources, social infrastructure and the economy of the district. As the district's problems aggravated over the years, the local and provincial governments' service delivery failed to keep up with the increasing demand to an extent that the district is now categorized as one of the 25 poorest districts in the country. The entire burden of the lack of basic civic, social and economic facilities is felt by the indigenous local population. Wadaan Foundation (previously Nasr Foundation) works to improve the socio-economic condition of the people of the area and envisions to develop district Lakki Marwat and its adjoining areas to bring them above the national average in terms of socio-economic indicators. The Wadaan Foundation (previously Nasr Foundation) steps in to extend a helping hand by targeting the following areas of intervention;