Support Awareness: Child Protection & Safeguarding

Summary of Project Activities

Over the past few months, Sanash Welfare Foundation has continued its commitment to raising awareness about child protection and safeguarding within vulnerable communities in Pakistan. Our project focuses on educating parents, teachers, and community leaders on children’s rights, safe behavior, and reporting mechanisms to prevent abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

Although full-scale fundraising activities were delayed, our team continued awareness sessions on a smaller scale in flood-affected regions, where child safety risks were especially high.

2. Progress Made

Despite facing several operational challenges, we have:

• Conducted 6 small-scale awareness sessions in rural areas of Sindh and Punjab, engaging approximately 220 community members, including parents and school teachers.
• Distributed 300 leaflets and posters in Urdu and Sindhi to promote understanding of child protection concepts and reporting procedures.
• Collaborated with local schools and community leaders to identify at-risk children and share best practices for safe environments.
• Developed content for a child safety toolkit that will be finalized and shared online in the next quarter.

3. Reasons for Delay

The delay in project reporting and fundraising activities was primarily due to:

• Due diligence and verification process with GlobalGiving, which took longer than anticipated.
• Flood response activities undertaken by Sanash Welfare Foundation on a smaller scale, diverting limited resources to immediate humanitarian needs.
• Limited staff availability during the fieldwork and relief operations.

We recognize the importance of regular reporting and deeply appreciate GlobalGiving’s patience. Our team is fully committed to maintaining the project’s active status and resuming scheduled updates.

4. Current Status & Next Steps

With the verification phase complete and organizational operations stabilized, we are now focusing on:

• Relaunching the online fundraising campaign to expand outreach and sustain project activities.
• Organizing community workshops on “Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse” in collaboration with local schools and social welfare departments.
• Creating a digital awareness campaign (short videos and infographics) to reach youth and parents online.
• Engaging volunteers and university students to support community-level awareness drives.

5. Community Impact

Even with limited funding, our field engagements have helped improve understanding of child safety and protection mechanisms. Parents and teachers expressed gratitude for learning about issues such as child neglect, early marriage, and physical punishment — topics often overlooked in rural education settings.

One teacher from rural Sindh shared:

“Before this session, we didn’t know how to guide children who faced abuse or bullying. Now we know where to report and how to protect them.”

6. Conclusion

Sanash Welfare Foundation remains steadfast in its mission to protect children from harm through awareness, education, and community empowerment. We are committed to providing regular project updates every three months moving forward and will ensure that our reporting remains timely.

We thank the GlobalGiving team and our supporters for their understanding and continued trust.

Project Overview

The “Awareness on Child Protection and Safeguarding in Pakistan” project by Sanash Welfare Foundation aims to create a safe environment for children through awareness, education, and advocacy. The project is rooted in the belief that every child deserves to grow up free from abuse, exploitation, and neglect.

Progress Summary

To date, our advocacy campaign has successfully:

• Conducted community-level sessions with parents and local leaders in Sindh to sensitize them on child protection risks.

• Distributed educational materials (posters, leaflets) highlighting children's rights, reporting mechanisms, and the importance of safeguarding.

• Partnered with local influencers and civil society networks to promote safeguarding through social media and community radio.

• Trained staff and volunteers on basic child protection protocols and referral pathways for suspected abuse cases.

Despite financial constraints, Sanash Welfare Foundation has ensured continued advocacy efforts through low-cost and community-driven activities.

Challenges Faced

While progress has been made, we are currently facing significant funding constraints that have impacted the scalability of the campaign:

1. Inability to Expand to Schools:
   Due to a lack of dedicated funding, the project has been unable to initiate awareness and training programs directly within schools where preventive interventions are most needed.

2. Loss of USAID Support:
   The departure of USAID and related funding has negatively impacted the sustainability of child protection initiatives across the sector. Our planned activities for long-term engagement, such as school-based safeguarding clubs and child-led campaigns, are on hold.

3. Community Expectations vs. Resources:
   Communities are now more aware and demanding institutional support for child protection. However, our current capacity does not meet these growing expectations.

Organizational Commitment

Sanash Welfare Foundation remains firmly committed to upholding child protection and safeguarding standards. Despite financial setbacks, we continue to:

• Promote safeguarding as a core organizational value.

• Seek alternative funding sources and partnerships for continuity and expansion.

• Advocate for government engagement to prioritize child protection policies in schools and communities.

• Provide technical advice and capacity building to community volunteers and organizations that can act locally.

Next Steps and Funding Needs

With adequate funding, our next phase will focus on:

• Implementing school-based awareness sessions using age-appropriate materials.

• Establishing Child Protection Committees in communities and schools.

• Training teachers and school management on safeguarding policies and referral pathways.

• Developing a helpline or reporting system in collaboration with local authorities.

Estimated Budget Requirement: $25,000
(To cover training, materials, travel, local facilitators, and basic operational support)

Call to Action

We invite GlobalGiving donors and child rights advocates to join hands with Sanash Welfare Foundation in protecting Pakistan’s children. With your support, we can take this advocacy beyond conversation—and into classrooms, homes, and public spaces where real change begins.