Legal Status:

• Registered under Societies Act 1860
• NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, NY (ECOSOC)
• Accredited with Department of Public Information of the United Nations, NY (DPI)
• Council member of International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT)
• Founder organization for Crisis Center for women in Distress under the Ministry of Law, Justice & Human Rights
• Expert Committee member for Child Rights in Pakistan
• SACH received United Nations Recognition Award 2004.

Brief History:

In 1994, SACH- Struggle for Change was registered as a non-governmental organization, working on the issue of traumatic Human Rights Abuses with particular focus on the well being of violence/ torture survivors. 

The vision of SACH is to see a violence free society, where human beings specially marginalized sections of the society could practice their rights with out any fear of being exploited and exposed to violence and torture. To achieve this objective, SACH works for the empowerment and awareness of the victims through service delivery, and by educating them about their rights.

SACH -struggle for change is one of the few organizations in Pakistan, which is presently working on the issue of Torture and Human Rights Abuses. SACH has a team of professional and experienced staff, which includes health and social workers and professionals working for the rehabilitation and reintegration of the violence survivors.

Mission and Objectives: 

 

To initiate work for the elimination of all forms of institutionalised Human Rights Abuses.

§  To raise consciousness against torture, violence and cruel inhuman treatments and punishments and to organize public meetings and seminars for advocacy.

§  Training professionals to work with victims of torture.

§  To provide feedback to the government on policy implications regarding all forms of institutionalised traumatic Human Rights Abuses.

§  To work with a multidisciplinary approach to provide the survivors with services they require and to reach out to the survivors, like in prisons.

§  To coordinate with other national and international Human Right Groups.

Guiding Service / Treatment Philosophy:

 

SACH- Struggle for Change is committed to work towards violence and torture free society. It achieves this by sensitising people and providing a variety of services to the beneficiaries including marginalized and vulnerable groups of people including children and women, survivors of violence and torture, internally displaced individuals and refugees who are facilitated at grass-root level as well as with government and civil society organizations at the national level.  SACH adopts a multi-pronged approach, which is reflected in the diversity of the Programme and the tools used for the promotion of human rights of the survivors. 

 

§  Psychosocial Support

 

Since 1994, SACH- Struggle for Change is providing psychosocial support and rehabilitation services to its beneficiaries and clientele. In order to rehabilitate and reintegrate it’s beneficiaries SACH operates on an interdisciplinary and holistic approach, and takes into consideration the overall well-being of the clients. SACH has an intensive rehabilitation program, which provides assistance to the clients by a group of professionals who have acquired experiential learning and specialized training in the management of violence/torture survivors and their families.

Under the Psycho-social support program the clients undergo psychological assessments to identify their issues and challenges. Group and individual counselling session are organized for the clients based on the nature of the identified issues.

SACH has also adopted the methodology of developing Self-help groups of clients to empower them to manage their stressors and to make them learn the techniques to manage their stress reactions, anger management, conflict resolution, and behaviour modification and to overcome individual differences etc.  

 

Stress Tension Reduction and Life Skills Workshops are arranged on regular basis with victims to reduce their anxiety and stress. Different exercises and massages of stress tension reduction therapy are used to decrease tension that the survivors go through.

SACH’s Psychosocial team has been actively participating in volunteer activities in past e.g in 2005 earthquake  the team has provided extensive psychosocial support and counselling to the earthquake victims in various hospitals in Islamabad and KP regions.

§  Medical & Physiotherapy

 

Medical help is provided to the survivors to combat all kinds of medical problems they have. Medical aid is provided both at the centre and also by arranging medical camps with in the communities, including refugee communities and prisons.

Injuries sustained as a result of physical and psychological violence and torture are treated through physiotherapy, and attention is given in building up the lost bodily strength and balance.

 

Socio-economic Support

 

Legal assistance, temporary shelter facilities, small business training and counselling are provided to the survivors with respect to their social and economic problems.

§ 

Legal assistance and Legal aid

 

Legal assistance and legal aid is provided to the victims at all forums of the judicial       system. Cases are dealt not only in Rawalpindi/Islamabad but also in Peshawar, Abbotabad, Kotli and Muzarferabad etc. The Cases dealt with are of both Family and Criminal nature, including desolation of marriage, custody of children, maintenance, dower, and criminal offences like in honor killing and Hadood Ordinance etc. 

 

§  Residential facility

 

SACH has established a shelter home in collaboration with British High Commission Islamabad under its Forced Marriagesproject since year 2000, where SACH provides protection to high-risk security cases, victims / survivors of torture and gender based violence having dual nationality. The clients availing shelter facility are being provided with full rehabilitatation services and facilities to combat and address their grievances (agonies) by themselves and to redevelop their lost self-esteem, poor decision-making and emotional instability

§  Non-formal education for working and abused children

 

Educational Programme of SACH was launched in 1998 with the mission to provide basic education to the working and displaced children (both male and female) and to promote human rights awareness amongst them. Target communities include children of the internally or externally displaced families that are prone to torture and violence. SACH Centres provides complete health facilities including medical, psychological and physical therapy to these children belonging to the abused families.  

Rehabilitation Services within the Prisons

 

A complete package of the rehabilitative services is also provided to the victims of torture and violence within the prisons since 2000. The aim is to provide health facilities in prison by regularly visiting the jails in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Haripur and Attock districts to provide them with immediate assistance along with medical aid. 

 

Networking and Collaborations: SACH has developed strong networking with service providers and stake holders which include local NGOs working on the human rights issues, government run crisis centres and shelter homes, rehabilitation and detoxification centres, hospitals, schools, vocational centres, police stations, courts, as well as through our provision of rehabilitation services within the prisons. SACH also collaborates with various Embassies and High Commissions to extend its services and support to the dual nationals on various issues including psychosocial support, medical, food, shelter, clothing, legal services and logistic support. SACH develops innovative partnerships with UN agencies and embassies to implement interventions on key issues of violence and abuse. SACH also provides policy suggestion to the Government of Pakistan to undertake legislative reforms for the protection of human rights in general and protection of women and children in particular.

At national level, SACH is closely working with the Government of Pakistan’s Ministry of Women Development, Social Welfare and Special Education in its on-going crisis centre for women programme, Women police station, Ministry for Law and human rights, Quid-e-Azam University Islamabad and other educational institutes, United Nations system in Pakistan like UNHCR, UNIC and UNICEF etc.

Capacity Building of Relevant Stakeholders

 

One of the main objectives of SACH is to train professionals to work with the victims of violence/torture and to build the capacity of the service providers and in order to fulfill this objective SACH has organized a series of training of trainers, capacity building and awareness raising workshops with different INGOs/ NGOs, Parliamentarians, Lawyers, Health professionals, Media personnel, Police officials, Judiciary (KP, AJK and Punjab) & public prosecutors.

SACH in collaboration with British High Commission, Islamabad conducts sensitization / training workshops on The Hague Convention. The workshops are conducted in Lahore, Mirpur, Kotli, Bhimbar (AJK), Jhelum, Multan, Karachi and Islamabad with inputs from parliamentarians, renowned professionals from academic institutions, senior law practitioners, judiciary representatives, media personnel, civil society associates and representatives from relevant ministries and dignitaries from foreign missions. The overall objective of these trainings is to initiate a progression on child protection with reference to International Child Abduction under “The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (October 25, 1980)”. 

SACH capacity building efforts include a year-long training on “Human Resource development to Support Women Victims of Violence” in 2002.SACH initiated this programme for human resource development with the support of Gender Equality Project of the DFID for 25 internees on dealing with victims of torture and violence. SACH team comprising OF medical doctor, psychologists, lawyers and physiotherapists, provided these internees with extensive training. The training sessions focused on paralegal and rehabilitation work with emphasis on counseling, medico-legal jurisprudence and psychotherapy to address stress related anxiety and tension of these violence/torture victims. At the end of the training, 7 trainees have been awarded with a scholarship to obtain higher degrees in psychology, law and sociology while the others were supported for professional attachment to have hands on experience.

In addition to this, SACH has also extended its expertise to train staff members and field professionals from Plan International, Health Net TPO, Oxfam and NIRM on psychosocial support, Rehabilitation and concepts of care for caregivers.

Range of Service (Telephonic Counseling)

 

SACH provides nationwide multidisciplinary services to its clients including both male and female, with no age barriers, and without any discrimination of religion/cast and culture. To reach out to its clients, SACH has a dedicated helpline service that operates 12 hours a day to listen to the problems faced by the clients and to provide them immediate possible relief to resolve the problem. In addition there is also a UAN (Universal Access Number) that also remains active 24hours a day.

SACH Management Structure: 

 

SACH- Struggle for Change has a dedicated and sensitized team of professionals consisting of staff members that include doctors, psychologists, physiotherapists, lawyers, teachers, trainers, managers, accountants, administrators, and social counsellors working for the cause.

SACH is a part of various regional and international networks and is an active participant of their trainings/workshops. SACH staff members are provided with professional trainings on regular basis in their relevant fields at local, national, international and regional level. During last two years, 10-15 staff members have attended prestigious international learning and professional exchange programs in United States, Turkey, Cambodia, Philippines, Bangladesh and Lebanon.

Technical and financial capacity:

 

SACH has a sound and effective internal control mechanism translated through financial management policies. These mechanisms include annual internal as well as external audits to ensure efficient utilization of resources from external/ internal sources in order to achieve desired outcomes. A few prominent of these are mentioned hereunder for reference.

 

United Nations Voluntary Fund & International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims: Since 1998, SACH has been associated with the UNVFT through IRCT for its rehabilitation program for torture victims. Through the program, SACH is providing regular support to torture victims by providing them medical assistance individually and at community level through medical camps. Under the services of REHAB, regular visits to prisons are conducted.

United Nation’s High Commission for Refugees: SACH as an IP of UNHCR had been assisting refugees since 2004. SACH has been implementing community services program with UNHCR – Branch Office Islamabad for refugees from July 2004 to December 2013 along with integrated services including health, education, livelihood, shelter, counselling, psychosocial support, legal advice & aid. For Khyber Pakhtunkhuwah, SACH has been an implementing partner of UNHCR – Sub Office Peshawar since 2009 for its Protection & Legal Activities for Afghan refugees and asylum seekersprogram.

§  Group Development – Children Protection Centre: SACH had an established Protection and Monitoring Centre for Children in Peshawar General Bus Stand area since 2005 to 2013 in collaboration with Group Development, where a Transit Home had been established for unaccompanied and separated children.  Another Protection and Monitoring Centre for Children is currently working in Rawalpindi operating from 2005 under Listen to My Voice project of Group Development. In the centre, SACH has been providing educational (formal and non-formal), recreational, psycho-social, medical and skill development trainings support to Afghan minors.  In both the centres, Afghan minors living in the streets due to lack of family support have been provided with a complete range of rehabilitation services and re-unification, if possible.

Protection interventions of registered Afghan refugees -KP:

SACH’s mandate is to serve the vulnerable refugee population. SACH continues to support and to enhance accessibility of registered Afghan refugees to legal aid and assistance and address to protection needs of SGBV victims survivors within Afghan refugee community. This program is supported by Bureau Of Population, Refugee & Migration (State Department, USA). This program is implemented in 12 districts across KP.