DDO is a community based Non-Governmental Organisation which has been founded in 1996/97 by the rural communities living in the remote villages of Bagrote and Haramosh valleys, located in the Northern Areas of Pakistan. It is a grassroot level organisation of the people for the people by the people.

DDO is non-communal, non-political and non-religious. It is named after the famous Dubani Peak of the Karakorum Range, standing above the villages of Bilchar and Taisote, a central point of three valleys: Bagrot Nala, Bagrot Paeen (Jalalabad) and Haramosh.

DDO aims to improve the living standard of the households living in the programme area by bridging the gap between development agencies and rural communities through strengthening the traditional social organisation and institutional development, initiating social and economic development activities on community participatory basis.

It covers 3051 households in 24 villages with a population of 12.358 males and 11.839 females.

Households of a local Hati, the indigenous social community, are organised in Village Organisations (VO) and Women Organisations (WO).

Village Development Organisation: Hatis of a village are further organised in Village Development Organisations (VDO) consisting of the representatives of all VOs and WOs.

Cluster Development Organisation: Village Development Organisations are organised in Cluster Organisations.

Board of Directors: Members of the Cluster Organisations.

Executiv Body: Elected by office bearers/VO and WO representatives of the DDO area.

DDO consists of 79 VOs with 2.459 members and 43 WOs with 1.424 members. Their savings stand at a total of 5.592.000 Rupies.

1 Students Hostel in Gilgit

1 Girls Intermediate College in Jalalabad

7 Englisch Medium Schools

1 Girls High School in Datuchi/Bagrote

3 Girls Primary Schools

23 SAP Schools

1 Model School

14 Medical Camps

2 Mother and Child Care Centres (Bagrote and Haramosh)

3 Dispensaries

17 Awareness Workshops

12 Gender Workshops

5 Vocational Centers

1 Sewing Center in Jalalabad

DDO has completed the following infrastructure projects on community participatory basis with the financial help of international development agencies:

7 Irrigation Channels (Aga Khan Rural Support Programme)

2 Linkroads (AKRSP)

Protective Work (EC grant)

3 Water Supply Projects (Water and Sanitation Implementation Programme)

4 Water Supply Projects (Local Bodies & Rural Development)

3 Social Forestry Projects (AKRSP)

DDO aims at establishing cluster banking for which initially a cash counter has been started in Jalalabad cluster to collect VO and WO regular savings.

Since its implementation, the DDO Arbitration Committee has settled 21 conflicts at village and cluster levels.

Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN)

Social Action Programme (SAP)

Local Body & Rural Development (LB&RD)

NA Cooperative Bank

GoP line Departments

Shahrahe Quaid-i-Azam

Khomer Chowk

Gilgit/N.As. 15.100

Phone: ++92-(0)572-55 409

Zahid Hussain Syed