Half of Pakistan’s story, written by the women who live it.
WELSA Center (Women Entrepreneurship, Leadership & Skills Advancement) is Sukh Saanjh Foundation’s flagship initiative to unlock women’s potential inside their own communities.
Overview
Pakistan’s future depends on its women
Pakistan’s future depends on its women, who are nearly half of its population. Yet the lack of joined-up policies and targeted opportunities keeps too many of them out of financial, professional and social progress.
The Women’s Entrepreneurship, Leadership & Skills Advancement (WELSA) project turns that around. After its launch in Azad Jammu & Kashmir, WELSA is expanding to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, at Aalamabad (the second project of the Rashid Memorial Welfare Organization in Nabi Village).
The problem
- There are few coordinated efforts to empower half of the country’s population.
- Women face high unemployment because entrepreneurship, leadership and skills training is not designed for their needs.
- Low financial literacy and weak training in financial management keep women out of financial opportunities.
- Women starting out in business find little or no support.
Our solution
- Training built for women: entrepreneurship, leadership and skills.
- Financial literacy and money-management sessions so women can take part in financial opportunities.
- WELSA Incubators: community-based training hubs that can be copied across the country, supporting women-led enterprises and leadership.
Who is it for?
Whatever her starting point
Women in rural and underserved communities who want to earn, lead or learn, whatever their starting point. We focus on the skills women already have, such as farming, stitching, sewing, weaving and teaching, and then modernise them with accessible technology.
Programs at WELSA Center
Three programs under one roof
Samajhdar Maan aur Ghrana (SMG)
The signature program for mothers & families: nine weeks of parenting, health, nutrition, budgeting and communication.
ICT Training
Digital skills for everyday life and work: computers, smartphones, online safety and mobile banking.
Entrepreneurial Training
From a skill to a small business: planning, pricing, bookkeeping, marketing and access to finance.
The first WELSA Incubator
Tehjian Village, Sharda, Neelum Valley
In Tehjian Village, Sharda, Neelum Valley, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, where reliable power and connectivity are still a challenge, we opened our first WELSA Incubator with the local community and Helping Humanity Organization. Officers of the local army unit inaugurated the centre, and Patron-in-Chief ACM (R) Sohail Aman and Chairperson Dr. Shagufta Jabeen addressed the trainees remotely, praising their drive to empower themselves.
Skills outside the technology sector are often overlooked by investors and funders. We think that is a mistake. Skills such as farming, sewing and teaching feed families every day.
Progress so far
What has been done
- First WELSA IncubatorTehjian, Neelum Valley, AJK, opened with Helping Humanity Organization.
- ExpansionMoving to Aalamabad, Nabi Village, KPK, with the Rashid Memorial Welfare Organization.
- Signature programSamajhdar Maan aur Ghrana (SMG): 300 women across 8 completed cohorts at Nabi Gaon, Swabi District.
Intended outcomes
- Women take part more fully in financial, social and entrepreneurial life.
- Fewer women are unemployed because of skills-based training.
- Better financial literacy and household money management.
- Lasting support structures for women entrepreneurs.
Policy and global alignment
National
Constitution of Pakistan, Article 25: all citizens are equal before the law, with no discrimination on grounds of sex, and the State may take special measures to protect women and children.
“No nation can rise to the height of glory unless your women are side by side with you.”
Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Global
- SDG 5Gender Equality
- SDG 8Decent Work and Economic Growth