World Bank launches Youth Initiative Program at UoP

Peshawar, The World Bank on Monday introduced the three-year Pakistan Youth Initiative Program at the University of Peshawar. A team of the bank shortlisted 25 UoP students for the program after interviews in the day and their hiring will be done after approval by University of Peshawar and the bank.

According to WB Country Director Rachid Benmessaoud, under the program, the selected students will work as the bank’s advisers on various ongoing development projects in the country besides designing new projects based on need analysis for the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata.

The launching ceremony held at the auditorium of the UoP Pashto Cultural and Heritage Museum.

The program has been launched for the first time in the country and is part of the South Asian Youth Initiative Scheme.
The program was initiated by Mr Benmessaoud, while UoP Vice Chancellor Professor Qibla Ayaz was also present on the occasion.

The World Bank official said 11 donor countries had established a multi-donor trust fund worth 159 million dollars for the rehabilitation and development of affected areas in Pakistan in August 2010. The fund is mainly aimed at enabling economic revival of the country with a forecast of enhancing the GDP growth to about 6-7 percent, he added.

The WB director said flexibility for Pakistani youths was encouraging for him. Mr Benmessaoud said 11 donor countries had established a Multi Donor Trust Fund valuing $159 million for the rehabilitation and development of disaster-hit areas in Pakistan in August 2010.

He further said that the main purpose of this fund is to enable the restoration of the country’s economy by enhancing GDP growth to around six to seven percent.

The WB director said the program was intended to enhance youth-to-youth interaction and highlighted issues affecting them.
“The selected youths’ ideas will be part of the projects the bank is going to start. These students will be given stipend along with all material support required for research,” he said.

Earlier, representative of MDTF Mehreen Saeed said his organisation was planning to generate 80,000 jobs by setting up small and medium enterprises in Pakistan by 2015.

She said currently, there were four mega developmental projects proceeding in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while three each were in the process of completion in Fata and Balochistan.

UoP Vice Chancellor Professor Qibla Ayaz thanked the WB for choosing the UoP for the program. He said the program was going to test the leadership abilities of the students, but they were certainly up for it.

He added that the UoP was working on the spirit of working together with international organisations to provide maximum experience and opportunities to its students.