logo

Children First

Striving for a society
where children and their best interests always come first

Children First is a not-for-profit child focused national organization. The organization particularly works with disadvantaged segments of society by adapting multi-sectoral area development approach to bring about such positive changes which ultimately improve living and learning environment of marginalized community, especially children. Children First has gone through a planned transition from Save the Children-UK Kashmir Programme to a national organization and is registered under section 42 of Companies Ordinance 1984 by The Security Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP). The focus geographical areas of the organizational outreach AJ&K, NWFP & Southern Panjab.

Vision

A society where children and their best interests come first.

 

Mission

Mission of Children First is to contribute towards realization of child rights by engaging key stakeholders in multiple ways. We strive to achieve this through:

  • Increasing access and quality of education
  • Expanding livelihood opportunities for the poor;
  • Enhancing access to quality health services;
  • Improving community physical infrastructure;
  • Protecting children from neglect, abuse and exploitation; and
  • Developing institutional capacities for disaster risk reduction.
 

Values

  • Gender equality
  • Transparency
  • Accountability at all levels
  • Collaboration with all stakeholders
  • Non discrimination
 

THEMATIC PROGRAMMES AREAS

  • Education Programme
  • Child Protection Programme
  • Health Programme
  • Livelihoods Programme
  • Physical Infrastructure Development Programme
  • Disaster Preparedness Programme

BACKGROUND

The investment carried out by SC-UK during the course of emergency response related to the earthquake of October 8, 2005 which included recovery, rehabilitation and development was highly significant and required some institutional mode of phasing out. During the process of working in Kashmir SC-UK came across new development realities of the area. The rich experiences of working with local communities not only came with great satisfaction but also with new social realities to be worked on. The incurred sense of new liabilities compellingly persuaded the thinking minds to retain an institutional setup to work actively in the area even after the completion of ‘Emergency Response’. That critical reflection laid down the very basis of conception of ‘Children First’. The idea was materialized soon before the phase out of Kashmir Programme in 2008 and Children First emerged as a national child focused organization.

Children First formally started operating from 1 Nov, 2008 by carrying forward the rich inherited 3 years experience of integrated development and rehabilitation. In addition to this, the organization took over the quality human resource and management systems of an INGO which includes Finance, HR and Admin & Logistics.

logo