Projects
Interfaith harmony and peace building
Due to sectarianism and extremism the atmosphere of coexistence, peaceful pluralism, respect for diversity and human rights becomes a dream in Pakistani society. Intolerance, hatred, discrimination, rights violation, hostility, prejudice, gender inequality and religious strife are on the increase. The struggle for peaceful co-existence and justice requires both a human rights approach as well as a community approach-which fosters restoration of personal relationships between people of different faiths and ethnicity. Thus under this proejct interfaith women groups and interfaith peace committees are formed and trained who have increased resilience against escalation and violence and are capacitated to contribute to local peace building and to perform community conflict mediation and reconciliation in case of (emerging) incidents. Also community volunteers selected and capacitated to provide paralegal aid to victims of violence and rights violations. Under this project court cases are dealt to facilitate access to court justice for religious minority and women victims of rights violations through cooperation with lawyers and police.
Physical, psychological (self care and well being) and digital Security Training
On 16 December 2014, in a terrorist attack on the Army Public School Peshawar 149 people were killed including 132 school children and such attacks were also carried out in other institutions of the country. The government of Pakistan in an official notification summoned all the institutions to take security measures to protect each institution by building 8 feet high boundary walls along with barbed wire on the top, fix security cameras and walk through gates, employ security guards with weapons and metal detectors, hire snipers for monitoring the buildings. As a result panic, fearful and frightening atmosphere prevailed in each institution. To coup up with the situation the staff and administration of each institution and especially Human rights defenders working in fields needed physical, psychological and digital security training. Umeed immediately formed and trained a team who started providing security training to HRD, staff and administration of various institutions especially in Punjab. So far Umeed has provided training to hundreds of HRDs and institutions giving them tools and techniques to face the unpredictable situations if occurs.
Faith Forced Conversion
Minority girls/women in Pakistan are the weakest most vulnerable, defenceless and marginalized. They are easily exposed to harassment and threats. 75% of girls abducted and forced to convert are under the age of 18 but cannot prove it in courts or at the police station because they do not have legal documents. Also at the time of conversion the other party produces false birth certificates to prove that the girl is not a minor. Umeed Partnership Pakistan provided free legal aid to women survivors of abduction, forced conversion, rape and forced marriages. Through seminars, human rights trainings and advocacy - women are empowered to voice their rights as a collective group. Through awareness and information communities are convinced to acquire legal documents. Communities are also strengthened to approach the police, judiciary and the medical staff in hospitals to assist them in registering their cases to get justice. Advocacy campaign are also being launched with law enforcement agencies to promote and protect women’s human rights.
Political awareness and democratic consciousness
This project mobilizes women particularly minority women, for an effective engagement with the political and human rights institutions. It increases awareness among the minority women on participation in the national and local body election process. They are made aware about the value of their votes and they are helped to acquire leadership roles in the law making agencies and the human rights institutions. They are trained to promote and protect their own rights. It enhances the local ownership towards the political and human rights systems. The project also prepares minority women at grassroots level to play an effective role in the local governance system and engage with the human rights institutions, to promote and protect their rights.
EM Umeed Middle Schools
In Pakistan Umeed Partnership provides education at all levels irrespective of cast, creed or gender. The rate of education among the communities Umeed serve is the lowest in the world. These communities in urban areas live on the fringes and peripheries of the cities forming miserable slums and in rural areas live outside of the main villages and towns where there is no access to any type of development. They have no schooling, no health care, no sanitation facilities, no roads and no facilities for socialization.
A few years ago Umeed was invited by two dalit and most disadvantaged communities of Cholistan desert, Southern Punjab Pakistan where there was 100% illiteracy rate to begin middle schools one for the community of village 18/BC Bahawalpur and another for the community of village 52/DB Yazman. Both the schools continue providing quality education to about 300 students both girls and boys.
Adult Education
This is an ongoing project. For the last several years Umeed Partnership Pakistan (UPP) is a training partner with Australian Bible Society through Pakistan Bible Society for the Adult Literacy Program for illiterate Women in Pakistan. 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 6 months.
Skills Training for women and street children
Through this project UPP empowers women/girls and street children by providing them skills training (embroidery, sewing/tailoring and carpentry) for their economic independence
Child Marriage
Through this project Umeed works among women and children in the most suppressed communities in the tribal areas of Baluchistan 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.
Youth talent development
Umeed runs sports club and street theatre for youth talent development.