ABOUT US
MISSION STATEMENT
SERVICES
Implementing a community-based bottom up approach in human development, with a special focus on women empowerment.
REPAIRS
IMAN IFTIKHAR
VICE PRESIDENT
OUR TEAM
PAINTWORK
Spray paint, Custom Stencilling & Variety of Custom Made Artwork
MAHNOOR ALI SYED
PRESIDENT
NOOR AFSHAN
VICE PRESIDENT
ABOUT US
Spread the Word was founded in June 2016, as a student-based youth led organization. The projects started with the following main values: youth involvement in the community, accessibility of awareness and education on topics of importance in underprivileged communities, women empowerment and trans-community rights. By 2018, the core team members started a project—“Her Turn”—under Spread the Word, specializing in women empowerment. Currently, the team is focusing on implementing sustainable approaches to further development in underprivileged communities, with a humanitarian lens and special focus on women empowerment.
MISSION STATEMENT
SERVICES
Implementing a community-based bottom up approach in human development, with a special focus on women empowerment.
REPAIRS
PAINTWORK
Spray paint, Custom Stencilling & Variety of Custom Made Artwork
OUR TEAM
IMAN IFTIKHAR
VICE PRESIDENT
MAHNOOR ALI SYED
PRESIDENT
NOOR AFSHAN
VICE PRESIDENT
OUR PROJECTS
"SPONSOR A CHILD" PROJECT
Spread The Word collaborated with Aasra Foundation to arrange school bags, uniforms, textbooks as well as stationary for school-going children in Khamba Pind! Orders for school uniforms and sweaters were also placed.
A few more families were also interviewed, and as per the needs of those respective families, data was compiled in order that team STW is able to arrange for school supplies for these families too.
IKHTIAR
Project Ikhtiaar, initiated in June 2019, is based on a sustainable approach to ensure the empowerment and wellbeing of communities. Currently, we are working with a community named Khamba Pind in Lahore. Upholding our values about women empowerment, mobility, health access and education, we are working with the Khamba Pind community on micro finance, sponsoring children’s education and health accessibility. Our micro finance projects include tailoring businesses and a beauty salon. We look forward to work with the community on waste management, menstrual and reproductive health and awareness on family planning and domestic violence.
SPONSOR A CHILD PROJECT
EmpowHer
In 2017, team Spread the Word worked on a project named EmpowHer. EmpowHer was based on a program of empowering women with sustainable sources of earning; in so, financial independence was viewed and valued as an important aspect of women empowerment. Around 50 women—including single mothers, victims of domestic violence seeking economic security to escape abusive marriages, domestic helpers seeking to sustain financial independence—were provided with sewing kits to start tailoring businesses.
EMPOWHER
HERTURN
Started in Summer 2018 by our Vice President Iman Iftikhar, Her Turn is a project specializing in women empowerment. The main areas of work include self defence training to girls, running support groups for women, helping women report institutional harassment to authorities, legal aid and awareness on abuse and domestic violence. From a health perspective, we also work on menstrual health and family planning. In the near future, we hope to work with institutions on sex education.
HERTURN
HEALTH CAMPS
Since December 2016, we have remained in partnership with Barkat Foundation, an NGO based on increasing accessibility to health facilities. We have collaborated with Barkat Foundation to conduct over 50 health camps in schools and rural areas with low access. One major component of the camps managed independently by Spread the Word is menstrual hygiene and women’s reproductive health. We have also worked on mentoring and guiding other teams to replicate our model of the menstrual hygiene camps; currently, one of our members organizes ongoing menstrual hygiene camps in Marav Village, Balochistan.
HEALTH CAMP
IKHTIAR
TRANSPOWER
In October 2016, we partnered with a local NGO, named Khwajasira Support Program (KSP), and worked with 50 transgender people on micro finance projects. We were also involved in case study research with the community. Supporting the transgender community remains one of the major values that our team uphold.
TRANSPOWER
CHILD ABUSE AWARENESS SESSIONS
Since 2016, we have collaborated with multiple organizations in Lahore to organize awareness sessions on child abuse and violence in local schools and communities. Our awareness sessions entail discussion on good and bad touch, reaching out to authority and creating a safe space for children to reach out and confide.
CHILD ABUSE AWARENESS SESSIONS
EDUCATION PROJECT WITH NADIR DAST-E-SHAFQAT
From 2016-2018, our team worked in partnership with Nadir Dast-e-Shafqat(NDS), an NGO based in Lahore, Pakistan. With NDS, not only did we operate multiple schools and TV schools for children from underprivileged backgrounds, but we also connected NDS with student volunteers from all over Pakistan. Under Project Pehchaan, team STW, team STW organized an internship with NDS with over 100 volunteers from all over Lahore. With the awareness based program, sessions on menstrual hygiene, self-defense, gender based violence and child abuse were organized. Spread the Word also partnered with NDS to introduce two libraries for children in underprivileged rural areas in Lahore.
PROJECT WITH NADIR
DAST-E-SHAFQAT
#EhsaasKaro
Under Project #EhsaasKaro, team Spread the Word collaborated with Rizq to provide 3-month ration packets, sanitary products (bar soaps and hand sanitizers), as well as necessary information on the importance of social quarantining to families in Khamba Pind, our host community. The project was initiated to tackle the potential hunger crisis that could arise due to COVID-19.
COVID-19 RELIEF PROJECT
NEWS
#EHSAASKARO
Spread the Word X Rizq
Under Project #EhsaasKaro, team Spread the Word collaborated with Rizq to provide 3-month ration packets, sanitary products (bar soaps and hand sanitizers), as well as necessary information on the importance of social quarantining to families in Khamba Pind, our host community. The project was initiated to tackle the potential hunger crisis that could arise due to COVID-19. Funds for nearly 70 ration packets were raised, and after catering to families in Khamba Pind, old age homes were catered to as well.
REUSABLE PAD PROJECT X BANAFSH
Under our collaboration with Banafsh, we are also focusing on a reusable pad distribution project.
Our team visited the community once again, and this time, to work on one of our most important projects: the menstrual hygiene project. Materials for making reusable sanitary napkins were arranged and given to one of the community members, Farhat Baji, who will be stitching reusable sanitary napkins for the women at Khamba Pind. As of yet, an order for a 100 reusable sanitary napkins has been placed.
HEALTH CAMP
We organised a family planning camp in Khamba Pind, a rural community in central Lahore. This camp catered to around 40 women. We provided free health check-ups by our in-house gynaecologist, free medicines, and sex action kits. The kits were given to all the attendees and included condoms, menstrual pads, and iron supplements. Family planning is an absolute necessity in Pakistan where such issues are shunned, and where reproductive health is deemed unnecessary.
COLLABORATION WITH BANAFSH
Spread the Word is collaborating with Banafsh, an up and coming jewelry business by 6 entrepreneurs. Banafsh has graciously decided to give the proceeds from its business to Spread the Word's recyclable pads' project.
Under Ikhtiar, a micro financing project led by Spread The Word, sessions have been held to train women to make reusable hygienic menstrual poducts.
COLLABORATION WITH AASRA
Team Spread The Word is collaborating with Aasra Foundation to help finance children's education in Khamba Pind. From getting new uniforms stitched, to arranging school bags and books for the children, our team has been deeply involved in financing a better school experience for the children in Khamba Pind.