Society for Awareness, Harmony and Equal Rights (Saher)

Founded in 1997 as an interfaith cricket club, SAHER (SOCIETY FOR AWARENESS, HARMONY, AND EQUAL RIGHTS) shaped up into an organization addressing com Read moremunal conflict and rebuilding faith between people. Registered in 2005, SAHER’s work started in Jogeshwari, Mumbai where settlement patterns, even otherwise demarcated across communal lines, were completely ghettoized after the ’92-93 communal violence. Some of its key youth programs were incubated with Changelooms' support. SAHER realizes that growing up in segregated communal settlements has not equipped young people to develop competencies to operate in a diverse world.  SAHER works towards empowering communities, by enabling people to aspire, lead, and contribute to bringing meaningful changes in the society, effecting a shift from social conflict to a just and equitable society.  Its core programs are: Parwaaz:   Nurturing Active Citizenship  – Has reached out to 1000 young people intensively through a curriculum with components of citizenship education, conflict management, reproductive health, and gender issues, and sustainable development. Bridging the Digital Divide: Creating access to Quality Education for Children   –  200 children from schools and  madrasas  attend weekly sessions on improving learning and higher-order thinking through a computer-based curriculum. Mohalla Hamara: Building Responsible Communities –  Young people from diverse backgrounds come together to exchange ideas to build a shared understanding of issues of governance, citizenship, and careers. Neenv:   Enhancing Employability  – More than 2000 youth have gained information on livelihood options, career counseling, and guidance for internships and employment. Sports for Peace and Development :  Affirming Children’s Right to Play   – While 200 adolescents have gone through a Sport based curriculum on Life skills for building Peace, a cohort of 50 young people are currently enrolled for weekly sessions on Sport for Peace and Development.