Shahid Khan is the founder and CEO of the Indus Earth Trust, a development project which is based in Pakistan. In this interview he talks about his work helping people to build their own earthquake proof house, start their own business, and become an autonomous agent in the local economy. Starting the informal interview out with questioning me, Alex Dunedin, about the Ragged University project, he then goes on to talking about his experience of trying to get people to adopt sustainable development techniques which take account of the cost to the environment. For more information: http://wp.me/p4EpjT-3X7

1. Development With Dignity

2. Todays talk is to
encourage a paradigm
shift in our attitudes to
Development and the
Limits of Growth.

5. “Extreme poverty can be
ended Not in the time of
our grandchildren but in
OUR lifetime….by 2025” -
Jeffery Sachs, Economist
Development with Dignity

6. Inequality prevents growth and
effects the GDP of a country.
Development with Dignity

7. Development with Dignity
• Founded in 2000
• Currently 300,000,
beneficiaries, all below
poverty line
• Network across 400
villages
• Head office Karachi, 8
persons
• Regional office, 34
persons
• Training Centre,
Gharo
Indus Earth Trust
helping the vulnerable poor build better lives with dignity

8. Livelihood
Employment
& Enterprise
Development
Program Indigenous
Housing
Water
Alternative
Energy
solutions
Drought
Mitigation
and
Adaptation
Food
Security
and
Nutrition
Development with Dignity
Integrated Development-
is the way to fight extreme poverty- the only way to lift the overall economic index
All interventions to be provided in
Every Village
if a real difference is to become
apparent

9. Development with Dignity
Human Institutional Development
Empowering the grassroots to run their own lives and take ownership,
is the only way to Long Term Sustainability
CBO
VDO
LSO
Organize Community Based Organization
with minimum 25 members of volunteer men and women
550 CBO’s established
They form a Village Development Organization
who are responsible for all village development affairs
25 VDOs established
VDO elects a Local Support Organization
communicating village needs to elected govt.
representatives
linkages to National and International NGOs
and Donors
Access to markets for sale of community
made goods
3 LSOs established in 3 UC’s

10. Development with Dignity
Livelihood Employment & Enterprise
Development Program
“The poor are born entrepreneurs, give them incentive and a little bit of help
and get out of the way”.
• 12,000 people 1435 households have benefitted.
• 70% women are women, with own bank accounts earnings
minimum Rs.15000 per month
• Businesses established 5 years ago
• Provision of 3 meals a day for entire family reducing stunting in
children, a common prevalence across Sindh
• 20 women built their own houses
• Children go to schools

11. Food Security and Nutrition
Sindh is the most food insecure province in Pakistan, with the worst nutrition
record in South Asia
• IET has developed fish and crab farming techniques
for coastal 3 communities
• Drip irrigation pilot, 1 acre, for orchards. Providing
not only income (one coconut tree provides
income of Rs.5000/month) but much needed
vitamins
• Pitcher irrigation growing any crop next to house.
100s installed
• Growing certain plants in saline ground for both
animal and human consumption. Pilot on 1 acre
• Teaching sustainable organic agricultural
techniques. 4 acres
• Kitchen gardens techniques in 50 villages
• Storage techniques of vegetables.

12. Alternative Energy
Solutions
• Home Solar Lights to 3000 houses
• Solar street lights to 145 villages
• Solar Water Pumps 22 villages
• Solar Lanterns 300 houses
• Hybrid Wind-Solar System 100 villages
• Bringing “hope” to 25,000 people
• Target – to provide 300,000
persons with light within 10
years

13. Alternative Energy Solutions

14. Community Physical Infrastructure
• 300 Hand pumps providing clean
drinking water
• Improved health by 80% for 40,000
people Reduced dysentery, diarrhea,
improved skin aliments caused by
using saline water
• Irrigation channels for 5000 acres from
15 check dams -Income improved
300%
• Rain water reservoirs for an entire UC
• Fresh water availability increased for
500 households
• Flood protection for 32 villages-Built
and managed entirely by the
community
Praised by sitting senator and minister
for quality of provisions.

15. Indigenous Housing Systems
Houses made from the earth have existed for 100s of years,
Properly built they can last minimum of 50 years.
• A home is the centre of family life
• The marginalized communities live in
houses that do not survive the
vagaries of the weather
• IET has trained communities in
building their houses using proper
age old methods
• Communities have built 185 such
houses under the supervision of IET.
Built after the 2010 floods, each have
survived heavy rains
• IET in turn have been trained by
CRATerre, the best Institution
globally, specializing in Earth building
Techniques and Earth Quake
Resistant Houses.

16. Indigenous Housing Systems

17. The meaning of Development.
• Without the proper development in infrastructure, a GDP index will
falter. Forecasts made, to make people feel secure, will not happen.
• But the greatest threat to our lives is Climate Change. Hand in hand
goes Environmental Degradation. Unlimited infrastructure
development will continue to add to carbon emissions.
• Evidence is everywhere. Floods, droughts, Artic disappearing, with
Antarctic close behind. Sea currents temperatures alter, direct affect
on climate. Crops failing etc.
• We need to rethink the existing parameters. Business as usual is not a
going concern any more.
• A PARADIGM SHIFT IN THE CONCEPT OF DEVELOPMENT HAS TO TAKE
PLACE.

18. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF ECONOMIC
GROWTH
• The excepted norm is that it will create more jobs thereby increasing prosperity?
• So we have GDP targets from 2% to 6% in some countries like China.
• In Pakistan the GDP target, as stipulated by the Government, is 4.2%.
• According to a World Bank report, environmental degradation in Pakistan has
caused a lose to GDP by 3.8%.
• Environmental Degradation is not even considered, when it is perhaps THE most
important condition for economic growth to be considered.
• Surely the whole purpose for any Growth Graph must be to ensure the well being
of all its citizens.
• The “trickle down” approach only makes the rich richer. Very little is left for the
majority.
• Economic Growth to be created from the bottom known as the “trickle up” affect.
• Its beginning to work.

20. Change Development Strategy now
• There has to be a transition from a “charity-based approach”
towards the poor and underprivileged, to a rights based approach.
• Empower the underprivileged to become confident to know their
Human and Constitutional Rights so that they can lobby their elected
representatives and demand their rights.
• We do not believe in Charity. Ours is a Social Enterprise.
• Economic Growth to be created from the bottom up. The “trickle
up” affect.
• “Economic Growth occurs whenever people take resources and
rearrange them in ways that are more valuable”. Paul Romer
(economist).
• Create entrepreneurs and provide skill development to empower
them to run their own lives.
• Create “Development Dignity”.

21. (+92-21) 35864344 & (+92-21) 35866242
29 - C, 24th street, Tauheed Commercial Area,
Phase 5, Karachi, D.H.A. 75500 Pakistan
indusearthtrustpakistan@gmail.com
INDUS-EARTH-TRUST
Indus Earth Trust
http://www.indusearthtrust.org
Development With Dignity