On their own : the Aga Khan rural support program in Pakistan -- an experimental partnership in village - controlled development -- summary

The program is supported by a nongovernmental organization, the Aga Khan Foundation, and it is funded by several donor agencies, including A.I.D. It has met with initial successes in organizing villagers, raising local savings, and in initiating infrastructure projects to increase local productivity and incomes. Although the program is firmly rooted in the principle of cooperation between villagers and program facilitators, it has significant organizational flexibility for project design and implementation. In the words of Program Director Shoaib Sultan Khan, "the only blueprint was our conceptual package; you have to organize, you have to generate savings, capital through savings, and you have to upgrade." Because of its natural mode of village participation, the program exhibits a simplicity uncharacteristic of many other - especially, integrated - rural development programs. (Author abstract)