Doaba Foundation

“Doaba” literally means the land between two waters and symbolizes the Doaba's work with flood-prone communities. The Doaba Foundation (DF), working since 1997, is a not-for-profit-organization, registered under the Trusts Act 1882, as a Public Welfare Trust at Islamabad. Members of the Board of Trustee of Doaba Foundation, both women and men, belonging to flood-prone districts, have personal experience of flood ravages. In 1988 some of them developed an Interest in flood disaster when approached by flood effects of Tehsil Muzaffargarh to help them obtain flood relief. Over the period, more like-minded persons gathered together and decided to establish an organization (eventually registered as Doaba Foundation) to facilitate flood prone communities to cope with flood disasters in a collective and organized manner, with enhancement of livelihood and food & nutrition security options. Doaba established small pilot projects on self-help basis (contribution from trustees and local philanthropists). This experience contributed to building a model of flood preparedness and mitigation which was systematically applied in implementing a pilot demonstration project on livelihood options incorporating disaster risk reduction in a flood prone community in District Jhang, Southern Pakistan. Over the years the model has been considerably refined, particularly with reference to gender mainstreaming and issues of rescue during flood disaster.

Doaba Foundation over the years has flourished and expanded its grass root community interventions in the eight (7) riverine districts of South Punjab & 1 District of Upper Punjab in Pakistan. It is facilitating the community by working on community based disaster risk reduction and development activities in the riverine belt of Chenab located in Jhang, Muzaffargarh, Multan & Khanewal Districts and the riverine areas of Indus located in Layyah, Bhakkar, and DG Khan Districts. It has started its work in Northern side Punjab, District Sheikhupura as well. Doaba Foundation is now nationally and globally recognized as one of the lead Non-Governmental Organizations in terms of establishing and demonstrating community based floods preparedness and management models at wider scale and fostering grass root integrated development process in the remote and poverty stricken disaster prone riverine areas in various parts of the Southern Punjab Region. At present, Doaba Foundation is directly working with more than 565 communities’ organizations located in and around the river Chenab, river Indus and drought prone in 8 districts of Punjab, established vibrant collaborative working mechanism with district governments, national/ international civil society institutions, and donor agencies, and advocating for the equal development rights of disaster prone poor and vulnerable communities living in the riverine areas of Punjab.

Vision:

Disaster prone communities becoming self-reliant in the pursuit of their interests.

Mission:

Doaba Foundation works to improve the quality of life among disaster-prone communities through optimal utilization of resources. Using a rights-based approach, Doaba Foundation seeks to build capacity of communities, focusing on vulnerable groups, for community-led disaster risk management, incorporating the same in programs of sustainable development intervention. Doaba Foundation expands its influence through strategic partnerships and policy interventions.