By Jairam Ramesh
The book presents a beautifully written account of the life story of Shoaib Sultan Khan – the man whose noble efforts made a difference in the lives of millions of poor in Pakistan and many other countries. It traces the journey of a man, who for many decades, has served to lift people out of poverty and forge a way for development at the grassroots. His belief in the power of the poor was the key foundation of most of the Rural Support Programmes (RSPs) he founded.
Shoaib Khan pioneered the concept through his landmark Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) in Pakistan by promoting sincere investment in building the community organisations and capacity building of the poor. His focus including every poor member in all collective initiatives by the underprivileged rural communities had a remarkable impact on society. Successes of the AKRSP in the areas of land development, livelihood generation and skill development through community organisations were appreciated by development agencies across the world. His concept of community organisations was brought to the forefront of rural development intervention models adopted by many multilateral agencies.
Daily Times – Leading News Resource of Pakistan – Noel Cossins’ ‘Back to the Sun, Face to the Earth’.
Ismailimail 