About SathSath

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Category: SathSath

Published on Monday, 15 August 2011 05:43

Written by Super User

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SathSath (meaning "together”) has been working with children and youth (along with their immediate family) living and working on and of the street in Nepal since 2000. Informally established by a small group of volunteers who had previously worked with/for street and street based children. SathSath was formed around street educators who had spent many years of their life on the street. Initially, the group undertook field-based activities to provide flexible support to children on and of the street through these street educators and founders of SathSath in 1998. During this period they faced lots of challenges on their causes of work, time and again they have to prove they are working voluntarily. It took a turning point in February 2001, when these group of dedicated volunteers legally registered SathSath to give the group a formal identity. Some of the founding members today work professionally through SathSath to address the needs of children, youth and their immediate families and communities. Today, SathSath "Together With Children" is an organization recognized as national NGO working for disadvantaged and underprivileged children and youth (along with immediate families) across Nepal.  SathSath have proved record of working in 29 districts, trained around 150 NGO staffs of more than 70 organizations in Nepal. Established as organization working solely for children and child rights, it has expanded it working target group to youth and women, and immediate families and communities of the target group. Besides, SathSath works in overall issues of working and most disadvantaged children and youth and addresses other issues which concern the livelihood and survival in the society. HIV prevention is one the key health related area SathSath started working since 2005 with KABPS study with support of UNESCO, the survey was conducted in Kathmandu valley and Pokhara. And in 2007-10 with support from UNICEF-Nepal developed HIV prevention outreach toolkit for the outreach workers for the organization working with HIV in general.  .

We have been advocating Rights of children through different mediums like radio, street and theatre drama, publications and other means. Consistently we have aired more than 305 radio progarmme dedicated to advocate the rights of children, which is still continuing from the different radio stations across the country. (Currently we have been advocating Children, Child Rights and New Constitution - which is being aired from Radio Sagarmatha - Kathmandu, Kalika FM - Chitwan and BFM - Biratnagar with support from www.kios.fi) We develop and perform street and theatre drama on the stories you have choose to make and perform in your target areas.

SathSath has been establishing itsefl a resource organisation in developing and delivering different training toolkits. We have successfully developed and delivered training toolkit for UNICEF-Nepal supported organisation in Kathmandu valley on HIV Prevention Outreach Programming for Outreach Worker/Street and Peer Educators.  Similarly, developed and delivered Practice Business Toolkit (PB) on youth entrepreneurship for Street Kids International-Canada, which they will be applying through their partner organisation in 160 countries. 

Children and youth are given opportunities to develop individual styles and capacity by involvement in the programmes. Children receive psychosocial counselling and helped to identify their future goals. Children are encouraged for social reintegrating programmes to mainstream their capacity to earn their life from business training and support programme, life-skill trainings, vocational skills and apprenticeship, need-based education to self-sustain individual lives. 

Children and youth from different outreach areas are invited once yearly to out-of–city camp experience to discuss their interests and current needs for the effective programme interventions. Based on the suggestion and evaluation given by the children, programme strategy is altered to meet the needs. Besides, drop-in centre meets regularly with children in monthly planning. Consultation with the target group is the base of the drop-in centre activities.

SathSath believes in networking and working together with the other youth-serving organisations. “Best Practices” are shared amongst the National Alliance of Organisation Working for Street Children. SathSath is one of the founders of the NAOSC. Entrepreneurship and Livelihood training were delivered to front-line staff to help build capacities of many of organisations in the NAOSC.