In a building of 1560 sq ft, constructed by IBC - AJDC in the village of Sarbala in Azad Jammu & Kashmir's high mountains, on a piece of land donated by the people of the village, a Community Center will start functioning. The Center will have a Meeting Hall, a Training room to be used for Computer Classes for Youth), a Vocational Training room for women, a Children room with a Library (the first ever in the village or surroundings!) etc.

The project aims to create a space of interaction and learning for Sarbala village community and sorroundings, which would enhance participation and would get the high up mountain village people out of isolation. The Center will provide new learning opportunities in modern skills for the youth living in a limited access area, will initiate vocational training courses and income generating activities for the women and will create a space of leisure and learning for the youngest members of the community.

The direct beneficiaries (within 1 year of functioning) are estimated to be as following: approx. 50 members of the Village Committee; 80 young people attending the Computer Class; 60 women learning new skills; 30 pre-school children; 400 school children of all levels. The indirect beneficiaries of this facility are estimated to be as of 1400 people, inhabitants of Sarbala village, approx. 2000 people inhabitants of surrounding villages etc.

The Community Meeting Hall will be furnished and arranged for the use of the people of Sarbala and surroundings, for different activities related to the area. The Hall will be also used as official gathering space of the Sarbala Village Committee (an emerged group of the members of the former Village Relief Committee and the VRC - Village Reconstruction Committee, established during IBC Rural Housing Reconstruction Project, since May 2006). Previously in the village there was no meeting place, the only area where people could meet was in some other villager house, in one of the mosques (but here only men) or near the school (but with not enough space for such purpose) or in front of the local improvised shops. The project proposes the function of a furnished hall, with facilities for meeting purposes. This initiative would stimulate the sense of community, will enhance the participation of a larger number of people in the decision making process at community level, would enhance the chances of the village and its surrounding villages to attract opportunities of development etc. The idea of establishing the "Sarbala Association for Community Support" will encouraged. its surrounding villages to attract opportunities of development etc. The idea of establishing the "Sarbala Association for Community Support" will encouraged.

The city where "opportunities" are is quite far from the village and there is a lack of means of transportation to it, as well as limited resources for the people living in the area to afford regular trips to Muzaffarabad - the main city of the area and the capital of AJK. Access to computers is possible in extremely limited way mainly in the city of Muzaffarabad in the same way with organized opportunities to learn such skills. In the same time, it is well known the fact that all young people who finish secondary school or high school in the area will leave to the big cities of AJK & Pakistan to search for jobs or continue education and those left at home have no other chance than just dealing with the household or go for unskilled labor both in the area or just abroad. Due to the lack of facilities to attract learning and facilitate the creation of new opportunities for change, the youth will continue to leave their villages and at a certain point in time the villages themselves will have hard time in existing. ing.

The activity proposes the equipment of one of the available rooms of the Community Center in Sarbala with the necessary furniture and computers to accommodate a computer class for at least 20 young people from the village and its surroundings. For a period of 8 months, a skilled trainer will be maintained to develop and implement a training course in computers use, having 2 months courses and at the end of the year a possible number of approx. 80 trained students (after 4 training courses). A possibility to have a trainer recognized by the Ministry of Education or else, to be able to provide official diplomas to the students at the end of the course will be explored. The practice could transform itself after 8 months into a self sustaining activity, by opening the classes for all those interested in the area (not only Sarbala and surrounding villages). Sarbala, for instance, is a junction place almost between Muzaffarabad and Bagh Districts, the nearest villages of Bagh District having easy access to Sarbala. A bus is also regularly passing through the village making routes from Muzaffarabad - Chikar to Bagh etc., therefore Sarbala Community Center with its facilities can be a "stop" for learning. However, after 8 months of functioning, new programmes of enhancing the collaboration school - Community Center in terms of use of the Computer Lab are planned to be implemented, according to the initiative of the involved parties. A bus is also regularly passing through the village making routes from Muzaffarabad - Chikar to Bagh etc., therefore Sarbala Community Center with its facilities can be a "stop" for learning. However, after 8 months of functioning, new programmes of enhancing the collaboration school - Community Center in terms of use of the Computer Lab are planned to be implemented, according to the initiative of the involved parties.

The action aims also to establish a Vocational Training Workshop for the women of Sarbala and surrounding villages, by providing an opportunity for women to learn or to enhance their skills in sewing and embroidery, activities very useful both as a mean of supporting / sustaining a household as well as of possible income generation. For the purposes of the work, one of the rooms of the Sarbala Community Center will be equipped with the necessary for a "sewing & embroidery workshop" (sewing machines, embroidery frames, furniture and all the necessary materials), accommodating between 10 - 15 women students / class. The training would be conducted on at least a period of 2 months with each class accordingly an approximate number of 60 women will be trained in the present support period (8 months). A trainer (skilled woman) will be provided for the class (preferably from the village or surroundings) and all the necessary materials put at their disposal for learning and making of products which could be marketed for income generation. In accordance to the progress of this "workshop", the possibility of establishing a group of initiative of the women to work together and market their products will be explored. The role of the Project Coordinator in this matter has a key role, as he is supposed to do the initial exploration of the products & the market and to attempt and develop an opportunity of sustainability for the Women's Workshop. It is also envisaged and work will be done that at least 15-20 women get together after 8 months or earlier in a Cooperative to produce & market textile & embroidery products. Accordingly, a basic plan of marketing and development of the Women's Workshop will be elaborated.for income generation. In accordance to the progress of this "workshop", the possibility of establishing a group of initiative of the women to work together and market their products will be explored. The role of the Project Coordinator in this matter has a key role, as he is supposed to do the initial exploration of the products & the market and to attempt and develop an opportunity of sustainability for the Women's Workshop. It is also envisaged and work will be done that at least 15-20 women get together after 8 months or earlier in a Cooperative to produce & market textile & embroidery products. Accordingly, a basic plan of marketing and development of the Women's Workshop will be elaborated.

Due to the scattered structure of the village, the community had previously very limited interaction. However, even when happening, women participation has been always a minus. The participation of women for learning and work in a communal place, also used by all different other groups of the community, will smoothen the interaction and stimulate the participation of women in the life of the community. Even since the first assessment done by IBC - AJDC in the village, back in March 2006, the man of the community themselves have requested and agreed upon the role of the women and their participation to the life of the community which would have been limited mostly due to the lack of facilities or subjects of active participation.

Neither before nor after the earthquake, pre-school system existed in Sarbala. In a certain way this can be understandable due to the difficult access to the main roads from each household, this being possible mainly on footpaths. Whenever bad weather, this access would be also endangered, making sometimes impossible the walk of the women with small children. However, during the first assessments and during the implementation of other projects in the area, including Sarbala village, it was observed and claimed by the women the need for some sort of facility where, at least some children and at least when the weather permits, to have a place to hang-out, play and learn useful things, whenever the mothers are busy with other household jobs or need to go for different reasons out of the village for some hours (to the nearest dispensary, for different bureaucratic actions in town, for normal household work or on the fields / woods with the livestock).Therefore, one of the rooms at the Community Center is envisaged to be furnished for the purpose of a "child friendly room" for the access of the youngest members of the community (kindergarten age). One young woman from the community will be empowered to be in charge and have activities with the children. d to be furnished for the purpose of a "child friendly room" for the access of the youngest members of the community (kindergarten age). One young woman from the community will be empowered to be in charge and have activities with the children.

A Village Library will be also sat-up in the Center. This comes out of the reality that no library facility is existing around the area, but only in Muzaffarabad city, also that the school children have no other books (or possibilities of purchasing / finding books) than the school text books. With the support of the project's initial budget as well as with the stimulation of donations, a reasonable number of books - both in English and Urdu - can be ensured for the Sarbala Library, where school children of all ages as well as youth or other members of the Sarbala & surrounding communities can apply.

IBC - AJDC works in Sarbala village since after the earthquake of October 2005, having been involved at different stages of relief, recovery and rehabilitation. Some were implemented during relief phases or as a need after emergencies as landslides, winterization, some of other projects addressing the most vulnerable (widows, disabled, old couples, orphans), with construction of permanent houses, livelihoods assistance etc., with the kind support of different donors. AJDC and ABC's joint venture fructified also in the reconstruction of the villages 3 schools (Boys Primary School, Girls Primary School and Girls Middle School) which will be handed over with a ceremony to the Ministry of Education in AJK at the end of November 2007.