Disability Rights Pakistan Project #67129

Unlock Their Voices: Help Children Overcome Speech

Project Report | Mar 3, 2026
Progress Update & Way Forward v3

By Malik Ashfaq Ahmad Ahmad | CEO

Project Summary

Unlock Their Voices is not just a project for us—it represents the heart of our mission and the core of our organizational purpose. This initiative addresses a deeply overlooked issue in our communities: children living with speech delays who are often misunderstood, neglected, or seen as a financial and social burden rather than children in need of timely therapeutic support.

During this reporting period, while active fundraising was temporarily halted due to internal organizational restructuring, our advocacy, awareness-building, and commitment to the cause continued. The need for speech therapy in underserved communities remains urgent, and the silence surrounding these children is precisely what this project aims to break.

Why This Project Matters (Context & Need)

In many low-income and marginalized communities:

Children with speech delays are often misdiagnosed as “slow learners”
Families lack awareness about speech and language therapy
Therapy costs are perceived as unaffordable financial liabilities
Children face social isolation, stigma, and long-term educational setbacks

Speech delay is not a disability—it is a treatable developmental challenge when addressed early. However, without awareness and financial access, children lose critical years of development.

This project exists to change perceptions, open conversations, and create access.

Activities During the Reporting Period

Although fundraising activities were paused, the project progressed in the following non-financial yet essential ways:

1. Community Advocacy & Awareness

Continued informal advocacy with parents, caregivers, and community members
Conversations focused on:

Early identification of speech delay
Importance of early intervention
Removing stigma attached to speech therapy

2. Parental Engagement & Counseling

Engagement with families already connected to our network
Addressed misconceptions such as:

“The child will speak on their own”
“Therapy is unnecessary or too expensive”

Emphasized long-term benefits over short-term costs

3. Internal Program Readiness

Internal discussions and planning to:

Re-align project implementation post-restructuring
Improve sustainability and outreach strategy
Strengthen accountability mechanisms for future donors

Challenges Faced

Fundraising Pause Due to Organizational Restructuring

Sanash Welfare Foundation underwent internal restructuring to:

Strengthen governance
Improve compliance and financial transparency
Build long-term sustainability

As a result, active fundraising and new enrollments were temporarily paused

Societal & Financial Barriers

Persistent belief that speech therapy is a luxury rather than a necessity
Families prioritizing immediate survival needs over developmental care
Limited availability of affordable therapy services in remote areas

Impact So Far (Qualitative)

While quantitative expansion was limited during this period, the qualitative impact remains strong:

Increased parental awareness about speech delay as a treatable condition
Strengthened community trust in our organization
Reinforced our role as advocates for children who cannot yet speak for themselves

Sometimes, progress is measured not in numbers—but in mindsets shifted and fears reduced.

What’s Next (Next Quarter Outlook)

With restructuring nearing completion, we are preparing to:

Resume fundraising activities on GlobalGiving
Re-engage donors with updated transparency and impact plans
Scale awareness campaigns with clearer messaging
Support children from low-income families with:

Speech assessments
Therapy referrals
Parent guidance and follow-up

Our goal remains unchanged: no child should be denied their voice because of poverty or lack of awareness.

Message to Our Donors

Your belief in this project means everything to us.

Even during a period of pause, your support reminds us that:

Children who cannot speak still have stories worth hearing.

We are committed to rebuilding stronger, returning more accountable, and delivering greater impact—because this cause is not optional for us; it defines who we are.

Thank you for standing with us.

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Nov 3, 2025
Unlock Their Voices; Help Children Overcome Speech

By Malik Ashfaq Ahmad Shahid | CEO

During this reporting period, Sanash Welfare Foundation continued working toward our mission of helping children overcome speech and communication challenges through early intervention and speech therapy sessions.

Although the project experienced delays in fundraising and implementation due to several external factors, our commitment to supporting vulnerable children remains unwavering.

Key Developments and Activities

Due Diligence Process with GlobalGiving:
A significant portion of this period was spent fulfilling GlobalGiving’s due diligence and compliance requirements to ensure our project meets all standards. We appreciate the platform’s thorough review process, which helps strengthen donor confidence and organizational transparency.
Flood Relief Activities in Pakistan:
During the year, Pakistan witnessed recurring monsoon floods that affected many communities. Our team was engaged in small-scale flood relief activities to provide essential supplies and assistance to affected families. This urgent humanitarian response temporarily slowed our progress on the speech therapy project but reaffirmed our broader mission of serving children and families in crisis.
Organizational Capacity Building:
Sanash Welfare Foundation focused on developing internal systems, onboarding skilled professionals in HR, Finance, and Program Development, and aligning our strategies with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This capacity building ensures that future interventions, including this speech-focused initiative, will be managed effectively and sustainably.

Looking Ahead

With the foundational work completed and our internal capacities strengthened, we plan to:

Launch the first phase of speech assessment and therapy sessions in early 2026.
Partner with local speech therapists and child development specialists to ensure high-quality service delivery.
Develop awareness campaigns for parents and teachers to identify early signs of speech delays.
Seek additional funding through donor outreach, GlobalGiving campaigns, and local partnerships.

Challenges and Lessons Learned

The due diligence process and external humanitarian demands affected project timelines but also enhanced our administrative and programmatic rigor.
Continuous engagement with donors and transparent communication are key to maintaining trust, especially when facing unavoidable delays.

Appreciation

We are deeply grateful to the GlobalGiving team and our donors for their continued patience and understanding. The trust and encouragement we have received inspire us to keep moving forward with renewed determination to unlock the voices of children in need.

Next Steps

We plan to share photos and short stories from our initial speech therapy sessions in the next report, once implementation begins in the field.

Thank you for standing with us in making a real difference in children’s lives. Together, we can help every child find their voice.

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Jun 28, 2025
Progress Update & Way Forward v2

By Malik Ashfaq Ahmad Shahid | CEO

Dear Supporters,

Thank you for your continued interest in and encouragement for our mission to help children in Pakistan overcome the challenges of speech delay. We are deeply grateful to everyone who has visited our campaign page, shared the cause, or contributed toward this critical initiative.

We would like to share a brief update on the progress and also the current challenges that have impacted the timeline of this project.

Current Status

Our project, “Unlock Their Voices,” aims to reach children aged 2–8 in underserved communities who are experiencing speech delays and communication difficulties. The initiative involves early screening, parent support, and basic community-based intervention sessions, all under the supervision of speech-language professionals.

To date:

We have completed initial community mobilization and awareness sessions in two selected pilot areas (peri-urban Islamabad and northern Sindh).
Volunteer facilitators have been identified and trained, and screening tools are ready to be rolled out.
A network of tele-supervising therapists has been assembled and is prepared to begin remote guidance once children are enrolled.

Funding Delays and Implementation Challenges

Unfortunately, due to a delay in reaching our fundraising goals, the full-scale rollout of therapy sessions and screening activities has been temporarily postponed. Limited funds have meant that we are unable to:

Purchase essential materials and visual aids for child engagement.
Provide travel reimbursements for facilitators working in remote areas.
Launch the mobile-based support platform for parents and caregivers.

We acknowledge that this has slowed our implementation timeline more than expected. However, we are committed to full transparency and assure you that every preparatory step taken so far will contribute to a successful launch once sufficient funds are secured.

Next Steps

Once the next funding milestone is achieved, we will:

Begin screening of 1,000 children across our pilot communities.
Enroll approximately 200 children in Speech Support Circles (SSCs).
Launch our home-based parent support toolkit in Urdu and Sindhi.
Share real-life stories of children impacted by the program.

We are actively working on forming partnerships with local clinics, schools, and community health workers to maximize outreach and impact with the available resources.

How You Can Help

You can continue to support this cause in any of the following ways:

Make a donation—no amount is too small to make a difference.
Share the campaign link with your friends, family, and networks.
If you represent an organization or CSR initiative, consider partnering with us to co-sponsor this intervention.

Final Words

Our goal is not just to help children speak—but to make sure they are heard, included, and supported in their journey to communicate with confidence. Your generosity and belief in our work are what keep this mission alive.

We will share another report once funding resumes and project activities are reactivated on the ground.

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