Core Thematic Areas:

• Education for Every Child
• Youth development
• Promoting safe and congenial environment
• Communal Health & Hygiene

Education for Every Child

Child Labour- Farz Association of Rehabilitation and Development mainly operates in urban slums of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. These slums are poverty stricken where a large number of families compel their children to get involved in child labour. Child labour in itself denies a child from education and social nurturing. Besides this, it exposes a child to a number of social and health hazards including child sexual abuse.

Farz Association of Rehabilitation and Development realizes this issue as one of the major issues of Pakistan. The organization took some practical steps to address this issue. First of all it conducted a rapid assessment in slums of Rawalpindi and Islamabad to understand the intensity and gravity of the issue. Furthermore in 2006 it also joined hands with ITA-Idara-i- Taleem-O-Agehi and ILO to establish 10 Drop-in centers for children involved in rag-picking (one of the worst and most hazardous form of child labour). It provided mobilization and project implementation support to both the partner organizations.

Youth Development

Youth of urban slums has great potential to build their societies provided their potential is channeled in the right direction. However, owing to uncongenial social environment lack of proper counseling and nurturing opportunities, the youth of urban slums get bewildered, often discontinue their studies in the middle; being jobless get involved in hazardous practices like usage of drugs, sexual abusage and other criminal activities. The areas where Farz Association of Rehabilitation and Development is operating, has a large number of youth appearing to be potential dynamite for the peace and integrity of the society. 

Farz Association of Rehabilitation and Development understanding its obligation, established and Information Communication Technology Centers with the support of UNDP in 2006. The ICT center not only provides ICT related knowledge, skills and information to young girls and boys but it also helps in engaging the youth in healthy social activities. Through this ICT center, Farz Association of Rehabilitation and Development has developed a cohort of volunteers who participate in social development activities. This ICT center is focal point for delivering life skills trainings to youth as well as career counseling sessions. Monthly personal health & hygiene sessions are also delivered to the youth coming to ICT center.

Promoting Safe & Congenial Environment

Environment (both natural and social) of poor communities is not conducive. This occurs because of their poor settlements as well as un-healthy practices resulting from lack of awareness about social and environmental issues. These slums have poor sanitary conditions because poor public infrastructure as well as unsafe disposal of liquid and solid waste.

Farz Association of Rehabilitation and Development launched a solid waste management program in union council #5 of Rawalpindi city with the support of UNDP. The program focused on establishing a primary collection system of solid waste management by adopting 3R strategy i.e. Recycle, Reduce & Reuse. Under this program, the organization sensitized families and the target community with the help of IEC material, interactive awareness sessions, door-to-door sensitization campaign and regional level workshops. The organization also successfully developed liaison with the District Municipal Administration of Rawalpindi for effective secondary collection of solid waste from the target area.

Moreover, Farz Association of Rehabilitation and Development also installed a communal water purification plant in 2007 with the support of UNDP.

Health & Hygiene

Farz Association of Rehabilitation and Development regularly holds health and hygiene awareness sessions with the youth and children of its drop-in centers and ICT centers. Besides this, the organization also joined hands with The Asia Foundation to conduct awareness campaign on TB in Dhok Hasu, Rawalpindi.The organization has organized free medical camps in Dhok Hasu, Rawalpindi on biannually basis. The organization also has a Blood Donation Group to help patients in need.

Other Interventions