Our History

IRC is a nongovernmental organization (NGO). It was established in the year 2000 with the aim of providing sustainable and replicable models for integrated social and economic development in Sindh, Pakistan. It is now one of a key player in this field.

We have 12 Board of Directors that are all volunteers, and over 900 staff members in 5 offices and more than 8 great development partner agencies. Our initial focus was on building capacity of local community organizations, and on education for girls.

0 +

Quality Education

0 +

Gender Equality

0 +

Low Inequalities

0 +

Peace Justice

0 +

Sustainable Cities

However as we became embedded in the communities we served, our involvement became more holistic and over the years we have developed a comprehensive program around rural development. In addition to education we have programs for income generation, empowerment of the poor and marginalized, and disaster relief. We believe in a democratic approach to problem solving and are advocates for the communities we serve.

IRC’s Past Important Projects

0 +

They Need Your Help!

Your Every Single Donation Counts.

	Thematic Area	Education and Literacy
01	Project Title	Improving Adolescents Lives in Pakistan- IKEA-II
	Status	Completed
	Duration	32 Month (Nov 2018 to June 2021)
	Donor	UNICEF
	Location	District Ghotki and Khairpur
	Major Objectives	To establish and manage 100 Non formal Education centers for out of school adolescents in program districts. Output 1: Approximately 100 teachers trained in interactive methods of teaching and non-violent disciplinary solutions Output 2: Approximately 3,000 Out Of School (OOS) children have access to non-formal education Output 3: Approximately 3000 children Girls/Boys adolescents & elderly community members participate/ engaged in community mobilization process

02	Project Title	Accelerated Learning for Girls
	Status	Completed
	Duration	Feb 2019 to December 2021 (Completed in Feb 2020)
	Donor	Save the children
	Location	District Shikarpur
	Major Objectives	The project aims to improve wellbeing of girls through safe alternative learning and development opportunities. Under this project 70 Non Formal Education centers (50 for primary education and 20 for post primary) have been established for rural girls of Distirct Shikarpur.

03	Project Title	Sindh Community Mobilization Program
	Status	Completed
	Duration	August 2013 – March 2019
	Donor	USAID through Blumont
	Location	District Karachi, Dadu, Qamber Shahdadkot and Khairpur
	Major Objectives	CMP has four key objectives: 1) Increase communities’ involvement in the GOS reform of merging, consolidating, and upgrading schools; 2) Improve community and district administrations coordination for increased girls’ enrolment; 3) Improve child nutrition in selected communities and government schools through research that informs innovation and good practice; and, 4) Pilot component: Launch of the Education Management Organization (EMO) system. In addition, CMP has three cross cutting themes: Gender: mainstreaming; Water and sanitation (WATSAN); and 3) Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)

04	Project Title	Sindh Reading Program
	Status	Completed
	Duration	Feb 2014 to January 2016
	Donor	USAID – Chemonics
	Location	Karachi, Dadu, Khairpur and Qambar-Shahdadkot
	Major Objectives	Reading skills of the students in targeted districts’ public schools are improved through multiple interventions.

05	Project Title	Management of 3 Government Schools
	Status	Completed
	Duration	2011 – 2014
	Donor	Government of Sindh
	Location	Khairpur
	Major Objectives	Improve quality, increase enrolment and control drop-out in three high and higher secondary schools major repair and renovation to improve physical environment for teaching/learning teachers’ professional development provision of missing facilities and equipment provision of transport facilities wherever needed to facilitate access

06	Project Title	Bringing Girls Back to School in Shahdadkot
	Status	Completed
	Started from	2010
	Completed in	2012
	Donor	Oxfam-GB
	Location	Kambar-Shahdadkot District
	Major Objectives	Improve the quality of government schools and conduct advocacy for girls’ education Construction of five totally flood devastated schools improvement of 60 schools through teachers’ training and School Management Committees *building advocacy on the lessons learnt and missing gaps

07	Project Title	Revitalization of High Schools of Lyari
	Status	Completed
	Duration	June 2014 – June 2015
	Donor	Karachi Youth Initiative (US-AID)
	Location	Lyari Town, Karachi
	Major Objectives and Achievements	The objectives are: to rehabilitate 10 government schools to enhance enrolment and serve as focal schools for neighboring 2 to 5 schools for trainings, leadership, education, youth and community centered activities; to promote education, youth leadership and community participation through training teachers, extracurricular activities, youth capacity building for leadership, formation of School Management Committees; and to increase opportunities for the beneficiaries to learn / develop values and beliefs that undermine the attraction of VE groups and behaviors
08	Project Title	Enhancing Mathematical Skills of Primary Students
	Status	Completed
	Duration	July 2014 – March 2016
	Donor	British Asian Trust
	Location	Karachi, Dadu, Khairpur and Jamshoro.
	Major Objectives and Achievements	The overarching purpose was capacity building of selected teachers in Mathematics (technology –based) at targeted districts.

09	Project Title	Promoting Child Rights in Cotton Farming Areas of Sindh (CRCF) – IKEA I
	Status	Completed
	From	May 2017- December 2017
	Duration	8 Months
	Donor	UNICEF
	Location	Four UCs of Tehsil Khairpur (Babrloi, Khanpur, Shadi Shaheed and Tando Masti)
	Major Objectives and Achievements	To provide education opportunities to children in the project areas using CFS strategies To improve the quality of learning environment, building capacities of teachers and on bringing children from out of school in system of education in targeted locations of District Khairpur Sindh Education is the thematic area of project 140 primary schools, and 20 NFE center will be the target along with 280 teachers and 600 students
	Target/ Outputs	140 existing educational facilities in the target districts are child friendly and inclusive and provide 2^nd chance education Approximately 280 primary schools teachers and 20 NFE teachers trained in interactive methods of teaching and non-violent disciplinary solutions Approximately 2500 out of school children have access to formal/ informal education Approximately 2500 children Girls/ Boys, adolescents and elderly community members engaged in community mobilisation process

10	Project Title	Reading, speech, Maths, spelling and story telling competitions at school, taluka and tehsil levels
	Status	Ended
	Duration	December 2014 – 15 June 2015
	Donor	Alif Ailan
	Location	120 schools of Districts Jamshoro, Mirpurkhas and Thatta
	Major Objectives and Achievements	Reading competitions in 120 schools at school, taluka and district levels Spelling Bee competition in 120 schools at school, taluka and district levels Maths Quiz Competition in 120 schools at school, taluka and district levels Altogether 114 schools from three districts such as Jamshoro, Mirpurkhas and Thatta participated

11	Project Title	Professional Development Project (PDP) Education Sector Reforms Assistance Programme (ESRA)
	Status	Completed
	Duration	July 2004 – July 2007
	Donor	USAID through American Research Institute
	Location	Sindh
	Major Objectives and Achievements	The ESRA program supported the Government of Pakistan’s Education Sector Reform efforts by operating across five technical areas: (1) policy and planning; (2) professional development for educators and administrators; (3) literacy; (4) public-private-community partnerships; and (5) Information and Communication Technologies. Out of the five components mentioned above, IRC was engaged in two: professional development of educators and administrators, and literacy. The training was in-class, follow-up and then in-class. Therefore, two phases of two-week in-class training workshops were conducted for teachers and in between they were given an assignment to be carried out in their own schools for four weeks. Support was provided for that assignment too. Finally after the second phase training, two weeks field support was made available. For administrators or Head Teachers, the training was conducted in two phases of four weeks each.

12	Project Title	ED-Links: Link to Learning: Education Support to Pakistan
	Status	Completed
	Duration	October 2007 – September 2012
	Donor	USAID through American Research Institute
	Location	Khairpur, Jamshoro, Dadu, Sukkur, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Kashmore, Nawabshah, Sanghar, Tharparkar and Mirpurpur Khas Sindh
	Major Objectives and Achievements	The objective of ED-Links activity was to improve the quality and sustainability of teacher education and student performance in the targeted geographical areas of Sindh, Baluchistan, Islamabad Capital Territory, and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). The project had three main areas of support: i. Improved student learning and learning environment, ii. Improved teachers’ education and professional development, and iii. Improved governance and strengthening public sector capacity to sustain quality education. The project was implemented in above-mentioned 11 districts of Sindh. IRC implemented this project in Sindh only. During the project period IRC provided the following services: professional development of government Middle and Secondary school teachers and Head teachers. The project targeted to train teachers of 330- schools in 11 districts of Sindh keeping gender parity in consideration.

	Thematic Area	Disaster Risk Management & Response

31.	Project Name	Building resilience through Community based disaster risk management
	Start Date	Oct 2014
	End Date	Dec 2015
	Donor	USAID/OFDA through Concern worldwide
	Location	192 villages of 24 union councils of District Jacobabad
	Key Objectives/ Achievements	– To increase resilience if vulnerable communities (men, women & children) to potential natural disasters (natural +technological risks) and promote culture of risk reduction among communities and institutions – To increase the resilience to disasters of vulnerable communities through capacity building, planning, mobilizing, awareness raising and improving early warning system to holistically reduce the loss of lives, livelihoods and safeguard land & infrastructure.

32.	Project Name	Community based disaster risk reduction (CBDRR)
	Start Date	Feb 2014
	End Date	Dec 2016
	Donor	Trocaire
	Location	02 union councils of district Dadu
	Key Objectives/ Achievements	–The loss of lives and household assets are reduced during disasters through communities preparedness and effective emergency response; –The risk of destruction/damage of critical community infrastructure and land is reduced through construction of disaster resilient infrastructure –The risk of loss of livestock livelihoods after disasters is reduced through appropriate actions

33.	Project Title	Provision of Multi-sector Humanitarian Assistance to the Flood and Conflict Affected Population in Pakistan (ECHO-III)
	Start Date	Sep 2011
	Completion	Jun 2012
	Donor	ECHO through Concern worldwide
	Location	District Dadu
	Project Objectives/ Achievements	–1200 Targeted beneficiary families have access to appropriate, safe and secure one room shelter –1200 Targeted beneficiaries have access to short term livelihood support through: CFW by rehabilitation community infrastructure schemes provision of agriculture packages

34.	Project Name	Livelihood Support for Flood-Affected
	Donor	DEC-II through Concern worldwide
	Location	District Jamshoro
	Start Date	March 2011
	Completion	August 2012
	Objectives /Achievements	–Construction and rehabilitation of 52 community schemes by involving community through CFW –Provision of livelihood support (Agriculture package, kitchen gardens) to 7682 families –Livestock (Goats) support to 850 women-headed families –Short-term training course for 120 young men &women

35.	Project Title	Education and Child Protection in Emergency
	Donor	UNICEF
	Location	District Mirpurkhas, Tando Mohammed Khan & Tando Allahyar
	Start Date	October 2011
	Completion	March 2012
	Major Objectives /Achievements	The project overall benefited to 7844 children (3352 Girls +4492 Boys) Major interventions were: –Establishment of 150 Temporary learning centers (TLCs) for children –Teachers training programme for government teachers –Provision of stationary supplies to 3800 students

36.	Project Name	Food Assistance to flood-affected households
	Start Date	August 2010
	Completion	December 2010
	Location	District Dadu, Jamshoro and Khairpur
	Donor	PPAF, WFP & Trocaire
	Major Objectives / Achievement	–Provision of emergency food assistance to 20,500 flood-affected families living in affected villages, camps/ temporary shelters

37.	Project Name	Emergency Support to Flood Affected population of Sindh
	Start Date	September 2010
	Completion	Feb 2011
	Donor	UK-Aid through Concern worldwide
	Location	02 Talukas of District Dadu and Jamshoro
		–To address the emergency shelter, household and WASH needs of 10,000 flood affected households in Taluka K.N.Shah District Dadu and Taluka Sehwan of Jamshoro. It Included: –Provision of transitional emergency shelters –Construction of permanentlatrines –Installation of hand-pumps –Construction of small level community schemes through CFW –Hygiene Promotion in flood-affected villages

38.	Project Title	Emergency Support to flood affected population of District Mirpurkhas
	Donor	ARC Pakistan
	Location	District Mirpurkhas
	Start Date	Oct 2011
	Completion	Mar 2012
	Major Objectives / Achievement	Shelter, NFIs support for 500 flood-affected families

39.	Project Title	Child Protection in Emergency
	Donor	UNICEF
	Location	District Mirpurkhas, Tando Allahyar & Tando Mohammed Khan
	Start Date	October 2011
	Completion	January 2012
	Major Objectives /Achievements	–Establishment of 50 PLACEs for children for recreation of children and Psychosocial support –100 Outreach locations covered through mobile teams –Arranging six mega events –Birth registration campaign, CNIC, GBV, Early Marriages through C4D messages,

40.	Project Title	Protective Learning and Community Emergency Services (PLaCES) to flood affected children and women in flood affected areas
	Donor	UNICEF
	Location	District Mirpurkhas & Tando Allahyar
	Start Date	April 2012
	Completion	October 2012
	Major Objectives /Achievements	Provisions of community emergency services thorugh establishment of PLaCES in flood affected areas

41.	Project Title	Pakistan Emergency Food Security Assistance (PEFSA III)
	Donor	OXFAM –GB
	Location	District Tando Allahyar
	Start Date	May 2012
	Completion	Nov 2012
	Major Objectives /Achievements	To address the nutrition and food security related issues of community through short-term support

42.	Project Title	Emergency Food Security and Nutrition Support to Disaster Affected Population in Pakistan (PEFSA-IV)
	Donor	Oxfam GB
	Location	District Badin
	Start Date	June 2014
	Completion	Jan 2015
	Major Objectives /Achievements	A total of 22391 individuals will directly benefit from the action through FSL support. Beneficiaries of District Badin will be receiving the following package: – Conditional cash grants: 13800individuals from 2000 households – Cash for work: 8591 individuals from 1245 households
43.	Project Title	Rehabilitation of Government schools in Shahdadkot
	Donor	Dubai Cares through OXFAM –GB
	Location	District Qamber-Shahdadkot
	Start Date	Dec 2012
	Completion	Mar 2014
	Major Objectives /Achievements	Rehabilitation of 05 government primary schools affected by flood. Provision of

44.	Project Title	Protection & Psychosocial support to Flood Affected children and women through mobile child friendly spaced
	Donor	UNICEF
	Location	District Khairpur, Dadu & Shahdadkot
	Start Date	September 2010
	Completion	June 2011
	Major Objectives /Achievements	–Establishment of 20 static child-friendly spaces in camps –recreational activities for children through 30 mobile teams –02 Mobile Child friendly spaces –Identification, documentation, family reunification, referral & follow-up on vulnerable child protection cases.

45.	Project Title	Emergency food security and nutrition support to disaster affected populations in Pakistan PEFSA IV
	Started from	May 2013
	Completed in	October 2013
	Duration	Nine months
	Donor	Oxfam-GB
	Location	District Kashmore
	Major achievements	3500 beneficiaries were targeted through three modalities, 1. Food vouchers 1225 beneficiaries; 2. Conditional Cash grants 700 beneficiaries; 3. Cash for work 1575 Beneficiaries;

46.	Project Title	Emergency Response to 2012 Rain affected UCs of District Shikarpur ECHO VI
	Started from	January 2013
	Completed in	January 2014
	Donor	Irish Aid and Concern
	Location	District Shikarpur
	Major Activities	Distribution of NFIs, 200 Shelters, 60 latrines, 800 hygiene kits, 800 livestock and agriculture distribution

47.	Project Title	Emergency Response to Malnourished Children and Pregnant and lactating Mothers
	Started from	January 2013
	Completed in	September 2013
	Donor	WFP and UNICEF
	Duration	18 months
	Location	District Shikarpur
	Major Activities	Screening of beneficiaries, establishment of OTP and SFP sites, awareness sessions, and referrals to appropriate stabilization centres

48	Project Title	Restoring Livelihoods and Community Based Infrastructure and Governance
	Duration	Oct 2010 – March 2011
	Donor	UNDP
	Location	Qamber-Shahdadkot District
	Major Activities	The objectives of the contract are as follows: To support and complement livelihood opportunities to communities, particularly non-farm income for both men and women, and To rehabilitate public buildings particularly schools and Basic Health Units, and construct crucial community based infrastructure through Cash for Work Programme.

	Thematic Area		Governance, Women and Children
19	Project Title		SIDA CSO Framework 2017-2021 Component: Child Protection
	Started from		March 2017
	Completed in		December 2021
	Donor		Save the children
	Location		Dadu, Larkana, Shikarpur and Karachi
	Major Objectives/ Activities		General Objective: Protection mechanisms (institutional and community based) are in place to prevent and respond to the violence against children in all settings in urban centre and 3 rural districts/ locations of Pakistan by 2021. Specific Outcomes of the Project: Reduced PHP (corporal punishment) in communities, homes, and schools in rural districts and urban centre Improved prevention and response mechanisms to child protection violations in 6 rural districts

20	Project Title		Promotion of Gender Equality in Education
	Status		Completed
	Project Duration		2015 to March 2018
	Donor		Oxfam
	Location		Sindh province
	Major Objectives/ Activities		Conduct research on how to make schools girl friendly – prepare case studies of success stories Demonstrate in the field by making 20 schools in rural setting girl friendly. In collaboration with the government, form a Gender Working Group to advise on policy issues To facilitate the government to establish a Gender Unit within the Education and Literacy Department of the Government to ensure that the recommendation for Gender Equality in Education given in the Education Sector Plan are implemented.

21	Project Title		Setting up District Coordination Committees
	Status		Completed
	Project Duration		April 2016 – April 2017
	Donor		DAI Global LLC
	Location		Karachi
	Major Objectives		Formation of 6 District Coordination Committees in 6 Districts of Karachi


22.		Project Title		Reproductive Health through Girls’ Education
		Status		Completed
		Project Duration		2010 t0 2015
		Donor		The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
		Location		Khairpur and Jamshoro
		Major Objectives		Awareness raising on Reproductive Health and building Life Skills of adolescent boys and girls school students through secondary education. The project is being implemented in 25 IRC and Government schools of Khairpur and an equal number in Jamshoro.

23.	Project Title		Pathways to Success
	Status		Completed
	Project Duration		Jan 2017 to March 2018
	Donor		USAID through World Learning and Engro Foundation
	Location		District Ghotki
	Major Objectives/ Activities		To train 210 adolescent rural girls in livelihood skills such as Early Childhood Education (ECE) Training, Web Designing, Fashion designing, Beautician and Office Management. Courses varied between 3 to 4 months. To give awareness to these girls on Reproductive Health and Rights. To groom them to be able to take up professional jobs

24.	Project Title		Promoting Child Rights in Cotton Producing Areas of Sindh
	Started from		April 2012
	Completed in		Dec 2016
	Donor		IKEA Foundation through UNICEF
	Location		District Ghotki & Khairpur
	Major Objectives/ Activities		It is multisector project which involves: -Non-formal education to out of school children -Employment through vocational skills, -Ensuring availability of PHC to all vulnerable —Improved water and sanitation services -Raised awareness on child labour and its implications on Agriculture labourers -Ensuring retention of school going children, and continuation of their education -Strengthening services at the community level –CCCD

25.	Project Title		Institutional Development
	Status		completed
	Started from		April 2013
	Completion		March 2014
	Donor		PPAF
	Location		Two UCs of Ghotki
	Major Objectives		To mobilize and organize communities of 95 villages for preparation and implementation of village Development Plans through self-efforts and networking with other stake holders. One function of the committees was ensure women and child protection of the villages.

26	Project Title		Human Rights Defenders Programme
	Status		Completed
	Donor		German Consulate Karachi
	Duration		One year (2011- 2012)
	Location		District Khairpur, Sindh
	Major Outcome		Capacity building of selected members of 10 local CBOs through series of training workshops. The focus was on women and child rights.

27.	Project Title		Strengthening State-run Shelters and Citizens’ Engagement for responding more effectively to Gender- Based Violence
	Status		Completed
	Donor		EDACE-DAI
	Started from		March 2014
	Completion		March 2015
	Location		3 Dar-ul-Amans of Hyderabad, Sukkur & Larkana
	Major Objectives		1. Women survivors of violence in 3 districts of Sindh benefit from a more conducive environment, referral pathways, activated citizens and community accountability for services. 2. Selected state institutions at sub-provincial level better respond to citizens’ demand for more effective gender-sensitive state measures supporting women survivors of VAW including those from minorities and marginalized groups, with robust data/analysis systems, appropriate SOPs and enhanced knowledge base in place and operational protection of civil rights. 3. Collaborative initiatives to address and overcome VAW initiated in 3 districts reduce the state-citizen gap.

28.	Project Title		Marriage: No Child’s Play
	Started From		August 2016
	Location		Larkana and Shikarpur Districts
	To be completed		2021
	Donor		Oxfam
	Location		04 union councils of District Larkana & Shikarpur. The objective is to prevent Child marriages and support the enforcement of Child Marriage Law that has been passed by the Parliament.

29.	Project title		Supporting Transparency, Accountability and Electoral Process (STAEP)
	Status		Completed
	From		2009
	Ended in		2014
	Duration		Almost five years
	Donor		The Asia Foundation
	Location		Shahdadkot, Khairpur, Sukkur, Dadu and Jamshoro
	Major Objectives		Overall goal is to build trust and credibility between citizens and the state. The project works through Constituency Relations Groups (CRGs) to improve performance of elected representatives and public institutions through robust monitoring, ensure elections are inclusive and peaceful.

30.	Project title		Long Term Election Observation and Oversight Project (LTEOP)
	Status		Just ended
	From		2013
	Ended in		2014
	Duration		Almost one year
	Donor		The Asia Foundation
	Location		Shahdadkot, Khairpur, Sukkur, Dadu and Jamshoro
	Major Objectives		Training of Long term observors Focusing not on election day but before and after. Develop recommendations for electoral reforms

	Thematic Area	Sustainable Livelihoods
13	Project Title	Promoting smallholder agriculture in Dadu by developing farming families’ livelihood assets and building local leadership.
	Status	Ongoing
	Started from	Sep 2013
	Completion	Feb 2017
	Donor	Trocaire
	Location	02 union councils of District Dadu
	Major Objectives	– To protect natural resources (water, land) through promotion of sustainable agricultural practices – To increase income generation and nutrition for peasant communities through diversified livelihoods options

14	Project Title	Community Physical Infrastructure
	Status	Completed –closed out
	Started from	January 2010 to December 2012
	Completion	N.A
	Donor	Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund
	Location	District Jamshoro
	Major Objectives and achievements	Formation of Community Organisations in Tehsil Manjhand Identification and construction of 41 physical infrastructure schemes through a participatory process

15	Project Title	Enhancement of Employability of Women and Youth in Deprived Coastal Areas of Karachi
	Status	Completed
	Started from	April 2012
	Completed in	July 15, 2013
	Donor	GIZ (German)
	Location	Ibrahim Hyderi, Rehri and Korangi of Bin Qasim Town of Karachi
	Major Objectives and achievements	—Technical training for youth —Vocational training for women —Networking for employment/ self-employment

16	Project Title	Short-term Skills Training Project (STST)
	Status	Completed
	Started from	April 2013
	End Date	Apr 2016
	Donor	PPAF & Engro Foundation
	Location	District Ghotki,
	Major Objectives and achievements	—Poverty Ranking through poverty score cards for identification & selection of youth for vocational courses —It is a program consisting of 4 sequential batches of vocational courses lasting 6 months each in technical vocational skills like welding, fitting, fabrication, carpentry etc.

17	Project Title	EQUATE-Enhancing Quality and Access to TVET for Employability
	Status	Completed
	Started from	October 1, 2012
	Completion	December 31, 2015
	Donor	Oxfam-Novib
	Location	Khairpur District
	Major Objectives	—Improving income of 1300 youth through Vocational and Technical skills —Enhancing handicrafts and entrepreneurial skills of 800 poor women —Setting up of 2 career counseling centre

18	Project Name	Changing Lives through technical and vocational training
	Status	Ongoing
	Donor	Community Development Programme, Govt. of Sindh
	Started From	Apr 2015
	Completion	Mar 2016
	Location	Two UCs of District Khairpur
	Major Objectives	The overarching goal was to increase income levels of marginalized communities through enhancement of vocational and technical skills, and networking with employers and market. It has three specific objectives: 1. Vocational and Technical skills of 630 marginalised women, unemployed youth (both girls and boys) enhanced through training, practicing, designing, products development, marketing and entrepreneurial skills 2. 225 illiterate women become economically and socially empowered, functionally literate and aware of their rights and responsibilities 3. Income of 70 % of 630 beneficiaries increased by 25 % through employment or self-employment.

Our History

Quality Education

Gender Equality

Low Inequalities

Peace Justice

Sustainable Cities

IRC’s Past Important Projects

Education and Literacy

Sustainable Livelihoods

Women and Children

Disaster Risk Management

They Need Your Help!