Group of Helping Hands (SAHAS) Nepal is a non-governmental and social development organisation founded in 1996. Since inception, the organisation has been working in remote rural areas focusing on vulnerable and socially excluded families who are deprived of development opportunities. SAHAS puts its development efforts towards strengthening the capacities of the communities and local development partner organisations to create an enabling environment for sustaining the development activities by fostering collective efforts of the communities themselves. SAHAS Nepal continues to use the “bottom-up”, “Rights-Based Approach (RBA)” and “inclusive community-based approach” to community development to identify and serve its target groups. These approaches involve group formation focusing on the vulnerable, Dalits, women, persons with disability and other marginal groups, ensuring full ownership over their development activities.

Aligning with the federal structure of Nepal, SAHAS Nepal is working in 23 rural municipalities, seven municipalities and two sub-metropolitan cities in all seven provinces.

SAHAS is currently implementing 21 projects engaging 1,706 Community Based Organisations (CBOs) and benefiting more 40,000 Households. CBOs implement development programmes and projects in collaboration and coordination with local government bodies, sectoral line agencies and other development actors.  In total 45 Community-Based Organisations Networks (CBNOs) have been successfully formed in working districts of SAHAS Nepal.

Vision

Just and resilient society where everyone enjoys life and live in peace and dignity.

Mission

SAHAS Nepal’ strives to reduce poverty of disadvantaged, marginalised and people in needs by working with them and their institutions to create livelihood opportunities, bring equality and strengthen local governance.

Goal

Contribute to enhancing livelihoods of disadvantaged, marginalised and people in needs, especially women and youths by strengthening sustainable and resilient food systems and income opportunities, supporting education and leadership, and building community capacity.

Core Values

SAHAS Nepal’s work is guided by the following core values.

Equality: SAHAS Nepal values treating everyone equally and fairly regardless of gender, caste, ethnicity, religion and economic status. We seek to work with people of diverse backgrounds, cultures and perspectives.

Integrity:SAHAS Nepal beholds high moral principles in all its conducts. We are honest, transparent and accountable to our programme communities and stakeholders, and accept responsibility for our action.

Respect:SAHAS Nepal believes in respecting each other, the communities we serve and partners we work through cultural sensitivity, friendship, listening to diverse opinions and voices of unheard, and understanding each other with humility.

Professionalism: SAHAS Nepal delivers high quality service to the communities. We are committed to continuous improvement, learning and professional growth. We encourage feedback from all stakeholders, and we learn from our failures and success.

Sustainability: SAHAS Nepal promotes sustainable and resilient development impacts. We are committed to improve social, economic, cultural and environmental wellbeing of current and future generation.

Objectives

 The objective of SAHAS Nepal is to strengthen the capacities of the poor and excluded people and their organizations in the social, economic and political spheres through its development, research and advocacy activities at all levels. This is done through:

• Empower the local people to resolve the issues causing hardship to them,
• Bring together potential partners for collective action for community based development activities.
• Biodiversity conservation and management of ecosystem services
• Develop climate resilient communities
• Women’s and Youth Empowerment

Strategy

SAHAS Nepal implements the programs based on the experience and learned from the previous project and carry forward the approaches and activities that have proven to be effective in reaching the poor and marginalized communities, with a strategic partnership of likeminded organizations.