ABOUT AAHUNG:
Since 1995, Aahung has used a rights-based approach to improve access to quality sexual and reproductive health. Aahung aspires to achieve this through capacity building and information dissemination. Aahung focuses on the creation of an enabling environment in Pakistan where people are comfortable with their bodies, are taking care of their bodies and are able to exercise their sexual and reproductive rights. Aahung has been successful in developing culturally informed strategies to respond to the sexual health needs of the population and in bringing attention to sexual health issues and concerns in medical, educational, public and government organizations across Pakistan.
Aahung believes in a society that is just and free of gender-based discrimination. They do this by working towards empowering children and adolescents by informing them of their rights. Teachers are trained to deliver this information and to engage parents so that adults can support the growth of young people. Aahung empowers women and families by providing information and supporting them in making choices according to their reproductive health needs, and by improving the quality of the reproductive health services they receive.
Aahung believes systematic change can only occur when the society works in harmony. This is why they invest in partnerships with the government, non government organizations, and the media to amplify their impact and messages on sexual and reproductive wellbeing in Pakistan so that a more equitable society can be formed.
WHAT AAHUNG DOES:
LIFE SKILLS BASED EDUCATION:
Aahung’s Life Skills Based Education (LSBE) program is a comprehensive curriculum, which introduces critical reproductive health information and management skills in line with the emerging capacity of children and adolescents. In an environment where young people are not provided with timely information regarding their body, health and well being, our LSBE program supports young people in accessing such information in a safe environment.
AAHUNG’S SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HELATH MANAGEMENT:
Aahung’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Management (SRHM) Program prioritizes improving the quality of sexual and reproductive health services available to individuals, including young people, across Pakistan. Aahung focuses on providing capacity building to health care providers on critical areas of reproductive health such as client-centered care, tackling sexual history, reproductive tract infections, sexual dysfunction, family planning and post-abortion care. Healthcare providers are trained on overcoming prejudices and misconceptions, particularly towards stigmatized issues such as HIV/AIDS, abortion and family planning, enabling them to tackle reproductive health issues in a safe and effective manner.
COMMUNICATIONS:
Aahung’s Communication efforts amplify messaging on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights to the communities they work in and beyond. They use innovative, cutting edge media strategies to deliver their message to a wider audience. By creating captivating information, education and communication materiel in Urdu and English that is distributed widely, and by working closely with journalists on capacity building and partnerships, as well as broadcasting their content on cable television, they are able to reach a diverse audience. They have also built communities through social media campaigns and an engaging content website for the youth. They use more traditional forms of communication to reach the communities we work in, such as theatre, radio campaigns, and mobile cinema to spread information and promote safer behaviors.
ADVOCACY:
Aahung has been instrumental in the Sindh government’s move to integrate the LSBE curriculum. Since their inception, they have focused on sustainability as a key component of their program and implementation. In 2009, their first pilot project was carried out with the government schools of Sindh to develop a replicable model for integration into the school system and in 2014, we undertook a mapping and curriculum integration process in which the LSBE content was also integrated into the existing subjects of the national curriculum.