NGO working for Elimination of Poverty, Illiteracy and Unemployment
SYF is an independent, flexible, democratic, non-profit youth organization working for poverty reduction, literacy, employment, women empowerment, peace and disaster management in Malakand Region, NWFP, Pakistan since 1997 with a vision to strive in partnership with community, public and civil society organizations to achieve MDGs for developing a just, peaceful and prosperous society where all have equal access to opportunities irrespective of gender, color, race, religion and status … (full text Homepage).
Ongoing Projects; Publictions; Partners;
Address: Swat Youth Front, P.O Box 34, G.P.O Saidu Sharif Swat, N.W.F.P Pakistan;
Contact.
About Malakand region: Malakand is a region in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan. Named after Malakand Agency, a part of this region, it covers one third of the total area of the province.The area of Malakand Region is 29,872 sq. Km and its population is 5.52 million. The region is further divided into Chitral, Dir upper,Dir Lower, Swat, Buner, Shangla Districts and Malakand Agency.
Malakand Agency: Malakand agency lies at a strategically important position as it acts as a Gateway to Swat, Dir, Chitral and Bajaur. It is surrounded by a series of mountains that were overgrown with different kinds of trees. In the past though, they have a barren look today.
The swat river flows through it down towards Charsada district where it falls into the Kabul River. Malakand Agency is bounded on the north by Dir district on the East by swat district, on the south east and south west by Mardan and Charsada districts respectively and on the west by Mohmand and Bajour Agencies. The area of Malakand protected area is 952 sq.km. Malakand agency is divided into two sub-division. Swat Ranizai and Sam Ranizai. Malakand is the head quarter of Malakand Agency.
The Administration has raised a levy force for the control of law and order situation. High court extended its jurisdiction to this area in 1974 and district and civil judges work here ever since. Historic ruins, founded at different places in the agency, indicate that this area was part of Ghandara civilization and Buddhist peoples lived here. The last Buddhist ruler, Raja Gira, seems to have ruled over here about 900 (Nine Hindered) years ago. Sultan Mahmood of Ghazni, a Muslim ruler, came here from Afghanistan through Bajaur and defeated the Buddhist ruler, Raja Gira.
While traveling form Mardan towards Swat, one comes across the town of Dargai, form where a road leads to the top of a pass in the mountains, which is known as the Malakand pass. While coming down of the Malakand pass one can see a beautiful village of Jolagram on the left. Its is one of the most beautiful village of Malakand Valley. it lies in the foot of a hill and on the brink of a river.
As one passes down the famous Malakand pass small hamlet of Piraan kalay is located. At the foot steps of Malakand pass a tributary of the main road leads to Dheri Jolagahm and the main GT road passes through a large commercial centre and a town called Batkhela.
As one goes along the GT road and at the end of Batkhela baazar a place called Amaandarra comes. Here a road separates and leads to twin villages called Dherai and Aladhand.This is the village(s)where the tomb of Malik Ahmed Khan Baba is situated at Gul-e-Nargis Ghardi ( called Gulingass Gardi locally ).
Malik Ahmed Khan Baba was the chief of Yusufzais who led his tribe after the great Exodus of Yusufzais from Kabul, Afghanistan in the days of Mirza Ulugh Beg, the Moghul king, who brutally and coldblooded killed 300 of the strong elders and sardars of Yusufzais and order the tribe to flee.This was the second exodus of Yusufzais Pukhtuns after the first Great Exodus of Pukhtuns, as a Hebrew tribe, at the time of the fall of Hebrew State at Jerusalem in the hands of ‘Bakhth Nasre’.
The main GT road then leads to Chakdarra, a famous ancient town on the side of river Swat where the famous Churchil pique t is located and from here a road leads to Dir, Chitral, Bajaward and onward to Afghanistan and another road goes to Swat, Kohistan/Bisham , Northern Areas and ultimately to China.Another small road leads to the historic Shahkote, famous for Bhudist remains and through Shahkote pass to Katlang and Mardan. As we pass along the road towards Swat a well known historic village and now town called Thana ( locally called Thandra )in located. This the place of great sophistication and civility of Yusufzais,then and now, where the chief of Yusufzai, The Khan , use to live.The clan of the khan called as ‘Khankori’ mean the ‘Family of Khan’ still is a commonly used nobility. It is still one of the highly educated and most respected people and place in NWFP .
The town is located close to river Swat on one side and the famous mountain of ‘Mora’,a well known name in Hindu mythology and place of worship where Chandar Gupt Moria stayed and worshiped. A road tributary passes from here to Katlang and Mardan via Charat, a pass adjacent to ‘Mora’.Mora is also known in the history of Yusufzai where the Moghul king Babur met Mubaraka Bibi,and got married with her. From Thana the GT road goes to Mingora and Saidu Sharif with many historic and ancient places of Pukhthun ,pre-Pukhtun times.As one passes down the Malakand Pass the Swat valley starts and reaches up in the mountains to Kohistan.
DISTRICT SWAT: … (full very long text).