Caregivers of children up to five to receive financial support in Sindh

KARACHI: The Sindh government has approved a Rs14 billion Early Childhood Development (ECD) programme under which caregivers of children up to five years of age will receive Rs3,000 every quarter for growth monitoring, nutrition counselling and school readiness.

The decision was taken on Wednesday during the third board meeting of the Sindh Social Protection Authority (SSPA), chaired by Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah. According to a statement issued by the CM House, the board cleared a set of measures aimed at widening the province’s social protection system, improving maternal and child welfare, and extending seasonal income support to rural women.

The ECD project is being funded by KfW, a German state-owned investment and development bank, and will cover 885,000 children between one month and five years of age. The meeting was told that quarterly payments of Rs3,000 each would benefit more than 885,000 children.

Those who attended the meeting included provincial ministers Dr Azra Fazal, Saeed Ghani and Syed Sardar Shah, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, board members Haris Gazdar, Sono Khan, Shireen Narejo and Amar Habib Khan, Planning and Development Chairman Najam Shah, Finance Secretary Fayaz Jatoi, Social Protection Secretary Khadim Channa and SSPA CEO Irshad Sodhar.

Mamta programme changes approved

The board also approved changes to the Mamta maternal health cash transfer programme, which is currently operating in 22 districts with a Rs56 billion budget and more than one million registered beneficiaries.

To make payments more predictable for low-income households, the board adopted a Hybrid Predictable Payment Model. Under this arrangement, fixed-schedule cash disbursements will continue even if a health visit is delayed slightly.

The meeting also approved what it described as a pro-poor adjustment under which mothers will receive full payments for pregnancy or for their youngest child, along with 75 per cent of the conditional cash transfer for an older child under two years of age, so that no vulnerable child is left out.

Seasonal support for women farm workers

The board approved a new Women Agricultural Workers Programme that will provide monthly cash transfers during lean seasons for two to four months each year.

The chief minister said the initiative was intended to help rural women manage seasonal income losses, lower debt burdens and improve food security in farming households.

The meeting was informed that, to expand the reach of the Mamta programme, a feasibility study would be conducted with the Gates Foundation for extension into underserved urban union councils and high-risk areas of Karachi and Hyderabad.

For governance matters, the board authorised specialised committees on audit, human resources, legal affairs and research. It also approved a Rs2.29 billion budget for the fiscal year 2026-27.

“Our goal is to create a predictable and reliable safety net that empowers the most vulnerable women and children of Sindh,” the chief minister said.

He added that by linking health, nutrition and financial stability, the government was investing in the province’s future. He said protecting mothers, supporting young children and helping rural women during difficult seasons would strengthen families and contribute to a healthier and more resilient Sindh.

CM attends St Patrick’s School reunion

Later in the evening, Murad Ali Shah attended the 165th Reunion (centennial sapphire) of his alma mater, St Patrick’s High School, in what was described as a homecoming at one of Karachi’s leading educational institutions.

The event marked 165 years of academic excellence and contributions to nation-building. On arrival, the chief minister was received by Archbishop Benny Travas, chairman of the institution, and Fr. Mario A. Rodrigues, among others.

Addressing the gathering, he highlighted the institution’s role in shaping generations of Pakistanis and referred to the values of discipline, humility, integrity and service taught there. The ceremony concluded with cake cutting and the launch of the school logo by the chief minister, along with a renewed commitment to preserve the institution’s legacy.