Founded in 1999, Sahil is a national child-protection organisation dedicated to building a Pakistan where every child is “Har Bacha Mehfooz” safe, secure and protected. Rooted in communities and working closely with schools and families, Sahil focuses on preventing child sexual abuse and strengthening the social, psychological and legal support systems that keep children safe. Over two decades, it has become a trusted presence for awareness, counselling and referral, meeting children and caregivers where they are, and advocating for institutions to respond with care and accountability.
Sahil’s partnership with Aflatoun International began in 2007 and has grown into a sustained effort to embed Social & Financial Education (SFE) for adolescents, especially girls. Starting with master training and the contextualisation of Aflateen+, Sahil translated materials, trained educators and established youth clubs that bring SFE to life through practical activities. To date, the team has trained 810 teachers and reached 14,732 students through 69 youth clubs, supported by six civil-society partners. These clubs have become safe spaces to practise saving and budgeting, plan small projects, explore entrepreneurship and learn how to use banks and markets safely.
Provincial engagement has been central to scale and quality. Education Ministries in Sindh and Balochistan endorsed the initiative, while the Provincial Institutes for Teacher Education (PITE) in both provinces were trained as master trainers. This cascade equips public-sector educators with the skills to deliver SFE with fidelity, while aligning content to local calendars and constraints creating a pathway to sustained delivery in public systems rather than isolated projects.
Our Partnership
In many communities, limited financial capability and restricted social agency heighten risks debt traps, unsafe work, online exploitation and early exit from school. By pairing financial skills with social education communication, rights awareness and problem-solving Sahil helps girls build confidence and make informed decisions. Teachers report stronger bonds with girl students, more gender-sensitive classrooms and visible growth in leadership. Families notice better communication between girls and mothers, alongside small but meaningful boosts to household income where girls apply enterprise ideas at home.
The change is tangible. One student used time-management and planning skills to streamline her mother’s tailoring work, doubling daily output and income. When exam fees threatened to exclude classmates, an Aflateen club mobilised its savings to cover the shortfall, prompting teachers to match the contribution. Another student started a tiny after-school venture with her brother selling boiled eggs and fried peanuts to support their schooling. These are modest steps, but they signal a shift: girls practising initiative, stewardship and solidarity in real contexts.
Implementation has brought lessons, too. Interactive pedagogy makes the curriculum easy to adopt and highly motivating, but heavy textbook loads, exam seasons, school holidays and even flooding can compress delivery windows. Sahil’s response has been to plan around these cycles, build in catch-up sessions and keep a strong focus on teacher mentoring so quality holds even when time is short.
Looking ahead, Sahil is poised to deepen and widen its impact: strengthening mentorship for trained teachers, expanding to additional districts and building clearer pathways from school clubs to community enterprises. The vision is simple and urgent girls who are informed, confident and economically capable, supported by educators who nurture their leadership and by systems that protect their rights. Through its partnership with Aflatoun, Sahil is showing how social and financial skills can become a protective force improving daily decision-making, expanding life chances and helping communities grow more resilient, one confident learner at a time.