Child Protection:

We do respect the rights of all children irrespective of their gender, religious, ethnicity, language, disability, etc. Disabled children have the same rights as all children. We make efforts to recognize the risks to children and the responsibilities to keep them safe.

Accordingly, in 2019, we in line with the strategic objectives and humanitarian response plan 2019 (HRP 2019), started provision of community-based protection services for at- risk and displaced children in Saripul, Faryab, Takhar and Kunduz provinces in order to prevent and respond to child protection concerns including early and forced marriages, girls’ inaccessibility to education, child recruitment, child labour and child abuse.

Furthermore, SAF in 2019 continued implementation of its child protection policy aims at protecting children from intentional and non-intentional harm or abuse. Based on this policy, SAF and its employees were obliged to consider the international standards and terms of the constitution of Afghanistan about the children rights at its / their activities and adjust its / their standard operating procedures.

The child protection policy also makes SAF and its employees to consider the following principles as stipulated in the UN Convention on the Rights of Children and Constitution of Afghanistan:

• All children have equal rights to protection from abuse and exploitation;
• Everyone has responsibility to support, care and protection of children;
• SAF has to pay attention and to let the employees (Parents or Care givers) to take care of their kids;
• Parents, educators and others are not exempted of children responsibilities; and
• SAF cannot tolerate and will not accept any child abuse.
• SAF prohibited any form of child labour/employment in its operation 

It is worthy of sharing, that SAF through its ongoing projects like SEHATMANDI, TSFP, AHF/Child Protection, makes its best efforts to ensure all the children in its catchment areas have opportunities to grow and have access to the health facilities and better protection.

Ongoing Projects:

1. Jawzjan SEHATMANDI project:

SAF as of January 2019, is implementing all components of BPHS under SEHATMANDI project in Jawzjan province through 2 District Hospitals (DHs), one Comprehensive Health Center Plus (CHC+), 6 Comprehensive Health Centers (CHCs), 14 Basic Health Centers (BHCs), 1 Prison health Center, 21 Sub Health Centers (SHCs), and 332 Health Posts (HPs), in effective and efficient manner. CME and CHNE programs are also parts of the project for 24 months. MoPH/ WB financially supports the project till end of June 2021.

• Sar-e-Pul SEHATMANDI project:

SAF through this project will make sure all components and sub components of the revised BPHS are being provided to the population of Saripul province through 3 District Hospitals (DH), 9 Comprehensive Health Centers (CHCs), 20 Basic Health Centers (BHCs), 32 Preliminary Health Centers (PHCs/SHCs), 1 Prison Health Centers, I MHT and 351 HPs. Two community midwifery education (CME) schools are also parts of the project. The MoPH/ WB financially supports the project. The project has been started from January 2019 and will continue till end of June 2021.

• The strengthening and scaling-up Malaria Preventive and Case Management to improve Health status in Afghanistan:

SAF started implementation of this project in 1-April-2016 and the first phase of it continued till 31-Dec-2017 by financial support of UNDP/ GF. In the second phase the project was extended in Jawzjan province which continue till end of March 2019. The main goal of this project is “to contribute to the overall improvement of the health status in under coverage province, through reduction of morbidity and mortality associated with malaria.

• Child Protection/AHF Project (Project Code: AFG-19/3481/RA4/APC/NGO/14847):

Provision of community-based protection services for at- risk and displaced children to prevent and respond to child protection concerns including early and forced marriages, girls’ inaccessibility to education, child recruitment, child labour and child abuse:

This project after a competitive bidding process was awarded to SAF by UN-OCHA in December 11, 2019. Through this project, SAF in line with the strategic objectives and humanitarian response plan 2019 (HRP 2019), will offer the community-based protection services for at- risk and displaced children and their families in Saripul, Faryab, Takhar and Kunduz provinces in order to prevent and respond to child protection concerns including early and forced marriages, girls’ inaccessibility to education, child recruitment, child labour and child abuse.

• Targeted Supplementary Feeding program (TSFP) in Jawzjan province:

SAF since 2016 has been continuously implementing Targeted Supplementary Feeding program (TSFP) in different provinces of Afghanistan.

In January 2020 SAF signed two separate contracts with World Food program (WFP) for the implementation of TSFP in Jawzjan and Saripul provinces which will be continued till end of June 2020. Under the new phase of TSFP SAF will ensure implementation of TSFP through 17 sites/HFs in Jawzjan province and 19 sites/HFs in Saripul province.

This project is complementary component of Community Based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM). The overall objective of the project is treatment of moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) and prevention of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) among children 6-59 months and pregnant and lactation women (PLW).

• The new Twinning Program 2, “Localisation of the humanitarian response in Afghanistan through capacity building of national NGOs: 

The Twinning Program 2 (TP2) pairs the national NGOs with the experienced organizations (Advisors) to provide mentoring and guidance on institutional management, humanitarian practices, and strategy to prepare the national NGOs to become part of the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund partner base. 

In November 11, 2019, SAF based on its successful performances in the first round of twinning program, was invited by ACBAR (the principle implementing agency) to join the Twinning Program 2 (TP2) as an advisor. SAF in line with the program’s requirements has paired a national NGO called Organization for Health in Action (OPHA). In this way, SAF provides guidance and assistances to OPHA to become part of the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund partner base. The selected national NGO (OPHA) accordingly will have access to humanitarian meetings, training, field visits and other capacity building activities to strengthen its institutional capacities.