HANDS is a Not for Profit registered organization working with a mission to improve primary and secondary health facilities, quality of education and to alleviate poverty through capacity building, intervening in public and private sectors and is benefiting more than 2 million population of 5000 villages in districts Hyderabad, Sanghar, Badin, Thatta and Karachi Rural. HANDS regional offices in these districts are not only resource centers for different non profit, & private organizations but also perform as facilitators for different departments of the district governments. 

HANDS is one of the Not for Profit organizations working in social sector to develop the communities to meet the challenges. During 2003 – 2004 HANDS focus has been more on developing the institution both at organization and at grass root levels. It’s a bitter fact that Pakistan placed at 144th position among 175 countries in Human Development Index facing serious threat in human development sector. All the development specialists agreed upon that poorly developed human resource is the major reason of all the evils in developing countries i.e. from poor governance to corruption which lead to low health, education and poverty indicators.  

One of the overwhelming challenges facing society and policy-makers in the 21st century will be as to how develop capacities of the people to reconcile the economic and social needs of populations in ways which are sustainable. This means ensuring the well-being and a good quality of life for citizens, being environmentally friendly, and socially integrated and just. 

Keeping in view the low human development status, HANDS brings solutions that are more comprehensive, systematic, encompassing—and integral. HANDS anticipating the need of capacity building and community development in 21st century, HANDS established Institute of Community Development to help, strengthen the NGOs, COs, Govt. departments (District & Provincial) and promote health, education and alleviate poverty in the rural communities. 

HANDS Institute of Community Development (HANDS ICD) is unique in the sense that it links the resources of various educational institutes of Sindh and hundreds of basic community units of the province with those of district and provincial governments to forge a network of partnerships with education department, government and private-sector institutions in pursuit the goal of community development.

HANDS is working for many years in social sector for improving the living status of the rural community and is considered a large organization in not for profit sector, but its fame has been as a health NGO, which is proven from the fact that its health services program is benefiting a population of more than 0.452 million of 179 villages in Sindh province. During 2003 – 2004 HANDS achieved a milestone when one of its Community Midwifery Training Schools (Taluka Hala district Hyderabad) was recognized by Sindh Nursing Education Board (SNEB). HANDS Community Midwives appeared in SNEB exam and success rate has been 78%. During this period, HANDS’ health team developed training manuals for Community Health Attendants and Community Midwives in Urdu which was later endorsed by a renowned obstetrician Prof. Shershah Syed. Health program trained 38 CHAs & 50 CMWs and established 37 Reproductive Health Centers in Karachi rural, Hala and Thatta. 

Another achievement that health program bagged is the status of client satisfaction. Community Health Sciences (CHS) Department The Aga Khan University in collaboration with HANDS conducted a study “Introducing Quality of Care Dimensions in HMIS to improve patients satisfaction of Health Services at CDG- HANDS hospital” during   Feb – Nov 2004. According to the assessment of the study 82% clients are satisfied with the services of CDG-HANDS Hospital Jamkanda. 

During last two years health program stepped into another sector i.e. adolescent health & life skills. Trained 42 educators of 21 Govt. High Secondary Schools, district Hyderabad. The trained educators conducted 720 awareness raising sessions about “adolescents health and life skills” with the help of a specially designed training module in these schools and benefited 1260 students of class VIII. Next