05 December 2024? Islamabad, Pakistan?: In her first visit to Pakistan, UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s Director General for Humanitarian and Development, Melinda Bohannon, celebrates 10 years of the UK’s £154.7 million investment in Karandaaz.
The programme supported over 1.1 million jobs, over 50% of which were for women, and generated over PKR 230 billion in additional income for businesses across the country.
In her 3-day visit, Bohannon also met the Minister of Finance to discuss progress on Pakistan’s IMF-supported programme, and on-going UK technical assistance to support the Government of Pakistan’s economic reform priorities. She also met the Sub-Committee of the Anti-Rape Act 2021, Chaired by the Secretary Law and Justice, to mark the milestone launch of Pakistan’s first National Sex Offender Register. 
During her visit, she opened the British High Commission’s final Chevening ‘Climate Connects’ debate. The debate bought together alumni from the UK’s flagship scholarship programme, Chevening, to debate progress made at COP29 on ‘Just Transition’. It followed a debate in Karachi on green growth, and in Lahore on urbanisation.
Reflecting on her visit, the UK’s Development and Humanitarian Development Director, Melinda Bohannon said:
‘In Haripur, I met the most fantastic teachers helping children catch-up on their learning. And I met wonderful, and dedicated women who are delivering vital family planning services through our mobile outreach medical camps. We are providing support to these schools and clinics, but these inspirational individuals are at the heart of delivering change.
I was also inspired by the stories from private sector leaders working with Karandaaz, mobilising capital to Small and Medium Sized enterprises and providing innovative solutions to develop Pakistan’s finance ecosystem’.
Her visit also saw her meeting with communities who benefit from the British High Commission’s groundwater recharging project in Mirpur, KPK. She heard from local communities how the High Commission’s cost-effective, locally sourced nature-based solutions are helping them to tackle the challenges they face from climate change.
To mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, she met with young, disabled, women leaders who with support from the British High Commission, are helping disabled people in their communities. Through supporting people to access disability cards, advocating for more accessible public transportation, and lobbying for job quotas for people with disabilities, Bohannan saw how UK support is empowering young leaders to make tangible changes in their communities.
