About
UMEED PARTNERSHIP PAKISTAN (UPP)
Umeed Partnership Pakistan (UPP) has a non-political, non- profit ethos, registered under Societies Act 1860 with registration # 764 on 18 April 2001 at Quetta and it is entitled to work nationwide. UPP is multi faith and is a humanitarian organization committed to work for the development and promotion of human rights. It has a partner organization in the UK – the Umeed Partnership (UK) which is also registered in the UK as a charity under the UK Charity Commission. In the year 2000 UPP initially started working in Baluchistan tribal areas of districts Quaetta and Loralai and then its activities spread rapidly among the desert communities of the Districts of Bahawalpur/Yazman, Bahawalpnagar, Southern Punjab, rural areas of district Kasur and Khanewal and slum areas of Lahore. Umeed is the Urdu word for Hope. UPP has its Head Office in Lahore along with three regional offices in Loralai (Balochistan), Bahawalpur and Lahore. The Umeed Project is managed by an executive Committee.
The Umeed Partnership exists to provide opportunities through education and vocational and human rights trainings to vulnerable and disadvantaged girls/women, transgender and street children across Pakistan. The organization has expanded and evolved into a women’s support body to provide help to those who are victims of abduction, rape, forced conversion, forced marriages, widowhood, disease, domestic/gender violence, sexual harassment and gender discrimination.
Mostly, Umeed’s work is focused on building up and empowering women, street children and transgender through education, skills training and programs of awareness about their own rights. UPP wants to see economic freedom where girls/women, children and transgender are able to take decisions to have control over their own lives. UPP’s activities in all districts are mostly comprises of running adult literacy training centers for illiterate girls/women, educating street children especially girls in Umeed schools, training girls/women, children and transgender in their human rights, providing legal aid to girls/women survivors of abduction, rape, forced conversion and forced marriage, formation of peace committees among women of all faiths, promoting unbiased curriculum in the schools and conducting physical, psychological (personal self care and well being) and digital security trainings especially for women human rights defenders for their organizations and institutions. Umeed also promotes the right of religious minorities and gender equality at all levels.
UPP is committed to the socio-economic rights and promotion of human rights amongst the masses (especially women) of the country. It applies its resources to breaking the unjust structures prevailing in Pakistani society. It works at grass-roots level as well as lobby with policy makers and cooperate with all those who believe in human liberation and who have committed themselves to this worthy cause.
Vision:
The vision of Umeed Partnership is to see educated, skilled and talented youth, improved gender equality, poor people liberated from all forms of slavery and oppression and human rights promoted among the oppressed masses.
Mission:
- To reach out to those who lack basic human needs with the aim of restoring dignity and respect irrespective of caste, creed or gender.
- To promote basic Human Rights and democratic processes within oppressed communities.
- To provide opportunities to young people to improve their talents, abilities and leadership qualities.
Goal:
To facilitate formal and non-formal education and human rights at all levels irrespective of caste, creed or gender.
Umeed’s Focal Sectors include:
Human Rights:
- Human Rights and democratic education
- Empowerment of women and elimination of gender disparities
- Capacity enhancement of women’s’ groups and civil society organizations
- Research and documentation
Development:
- Promotion of entrepreneurship and development of small business skills
- Formal and non-formal education
- Socio-economic empowerment of the poor
- Assisting women in distress through free legal aid
Programs of Umeed
Forced Faith Conversion
Umeed provides legal assistance in cases where women are abducted, raped or forced to change their religion and get into unlawful wedlock. Umeed also provides training on women’s human rights and women are prepared to visit police, doctors and politicians to register their cases and to proceed to judiciary for justice.
Child Marriage
Umeed works among women and children in the most suppressed communities in the tribal areas of Balochistan and rural/slum areas of Punjab. Through awareness programs, skills training, adult education and by running schools, Umeed prepares parents and their daughters to avoid child marriage since the long term effects of an early marriage can be devastating especially for the girl.
Transgender Community
Umeed provides help to transgender community in their psychological and health related issues. Umeed holds and organizes motivational sessions for them to lift up their moral, respect and dignity and provide counseling in their physical and psychological problems. They are really vulnerable folks in the whole society.
Security Training
Umeed got a qualified team of security trainers providing physical, psychological (personal self care and well being) and digital security training to Human rights defenders and their organizations in Pakistan. Due to a growing concern of security of every person, institution and organization in the country there is a big demand for such trainings.
Interfaith harmony and Peace building
Umeed works among women through skills trainings, adult education, running schools, women human rights trainings, interactive public debates through stage performance, forming women human rights committees and women peace committees. Through these activities Umeed initiates interfaith harmony and peace building process and dialogue of life among women of all faiths. Umeed believes that women are the best carriers of peace and dialogue of life. If minority and majority women have good understanding among them then they could change the whole atmosphere of their homes.
Education (formal and non-formal)
Umeed Schools
UPP runs two middle schools for the children of poor desert communities of Cholistan desert district Bahawalpur. These schools are registered with the department of Education district Bahawalpur. Both schools provide free and quality education to more than 300 students, both boys and girls.
Adult Education
Umeed runs 50 adult literacy Centres (each centre 25–30 women) for about 1,400 illiterate women in all its operational regions. The project is ongoing and one session is of 9 months.
Economic Development
Skills Training for women and street children
UPP empowers women/girls and street children by providing them skills training (embroidery, sewing/tailoring and carpentry) for their economic independence
Youth talent development
Umeed runs sports club and street theatre for youth talent development.