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ABOUT SAHIL
Reflection of a
Beginning
PCP Certificate
Contact
Us
Sahil
- meaning 'shore'
in English -
is a non government
organization
that was established
in 1996.Sahil
is the only
organization
in Pakistan
that works exclusively
against the
issue of child
sexual abuse
and exploitation.
The recognition,
which Sahil
cherishes today,
being the expert
in the area
of child protection,
is the result
of ten years
of field based,
hard work.
Among
our foremost
achievements
were the steps
taken towards
expansion, sustainability
and self-sufficiency
of the organization. Sahil
has moved towards
a geographical
expansion of
its services
and initially
one district
office per province
would be opened.
In this regard Abbottabad (NWFP),
Sukkur (Sindh),
Jaffarabad (Balochistan)
and Rawalpindi
(Punjab), are
the areas selected
for intervention.
By May 2006
all the new
offices would
be functional.
A
significant
advancement
was the close
coordination
of Sahil with
the Government.
Especially with
the Department
of Education
– which allowed
Sahil to conduct
its child protection
trainings based
on its book
‘Meri Hifazat’
in more than
two thousand
primary schools
of Rawalpindi
and Islamabad
district. Sahil’s
coordination
with the Working
Group against
Child Sexual
Abuse (CSA)
provided input
to National
Policy and Plan
of Action against
CSA/Commercial
Sexual Exploitation
of Children
(CSEC)- which
will be forwarded
to Cabinet
for approval
in March 2005.
For
its Mass Media
Awareness campaign
against CSA,
Sahil along
with TV and
Radio also used
cinema halls.
The holidays
were considered
as a platform
for the public
from where the
message can
be conveyed
on a larger
scale.
Sahil
painted a public
transport bus
in Lahore with
the cartoon
characters displaying
the scenes of
Child protection
on it. Social,
Legal and Educational
Program of Sahil
is continuing
with the sensitization
of the Police
and Education
Department on
CSA issues and
with the display
of FIR poster
at public places.
Sahil
takes pride
in the activities
of Jeet Healing
Centre – which
not only provides
counseling services
at its premises
but also at
the doorsteps
of the victims.
Sahil
also conducted
Training events
on Child Rights
in collaboration
with partner
NGOs that resulted
in generation
of funds for
the organization
– but this activity
was carried
out at a small
scale and it
may be enhanced
in terms of
scale in the
coming year.
For
financial sustainability,
Sahil did the
aggressive marketing
of its Just
Paper products
in the last
quarter of the
year on a pilot
basis to check
the market potential.
The findings
have revealed
that there are
immense resource
mobilization
opportunities
that can be
tapped. In
the year 2004
Sahil launched
two awards:
Volunteer Award
and Child Friendly
Newspaper Award
to acknowledge
the services
and contributions
of individuals
and newspapers
in the field
of child rights
and protection. At
the end, I am
indebted to
volunteers who
support Sahil,
and encourage
our team members
to work as hard
as possible.
I would like
to commend Sahil
staff and acknowledge
their untiring
commitment for
making this
effort possible.
I am grateful
to our donors
the Royal Netherlands
Embassy and
the Royal Norwegian
Embassy for
their generous
support, which
enables Sahil
to ensure that
no one has to
be a victim.
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