Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Saathi Samuha


Sathi Samuha (SS) is a Non-Governmental Organization serving people who use drugs, people living with HIV & AIDS as well as the general community in Nepal. Founded in February 2006, it is officially registered under the District Administrative Office and affiliated to the Social Welfare Council. The organization was formed by energetic and concerned individuals to respond to HIV and AIDS scourge among the people who use drugs (PWUDs), support people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) and the society at large. Sathi Samuha has initiated a number of projects and programs in order to provide health, HIV/AIDS and livelihood services to PWUDs, PLWHAs and the community through prevention, treatment, care and support interventions, harm reduction services as well as advocacy initiatives to promote greater access to social and health services as well as human rights.

Currently, Sathi Samuha runs three drop in centers and one exchange center, offering harm reduction services to injecting/drug users and community care center for people living with and affected by HIV & AIDS through partnership with Save the Children (P.R) under GFATM round-7 HIV and AIDS program in Kathmandu district. Sathi Samuha provides NSP service, BCC outreach and home based care services, while counseling, PHC, condom distribution, nutritional support to PLWHAs, family/community sensitization, ART observation & management are some of the key services provided to PLWHAs, PWUDs and the local community.  Since registration, Sathi Samuha has worked closely and mobilized resources both locally and from key partners such as UNDP, UNODC, Save the Children, ITPC, G.o.N, RN, NAP+N and VSO-Nepal.

The main challenge of Sathi Samuha has been to meet the expansive and even the strategic other than just immediate needs of its target groups –PLWHAs, PWUDs and the community in general due to limitations in resources and organizational capacity. Taking these into account, the organization has developed this Three Year Strategic Plan (2011 -2013). It’s the first longer term plan or strategy designed to give SS a clear focus and bearing. The development of the plan involved the participation and inputs/feedbacks of staff, board, beneficiaries (community representative), our networks and donors such as Recovering Nepal, Save the Children and Asian Network of People who use Drugs (ANPUD) as well as the financial and technical support from VSO Nepal.
I wish to express my deep gratitude to all who participated in the preparation of this Three Year Strategic Plan. It’s our hope that this Strategic Plan serves as a framework for decisions, as a basis for detailed plans, for a performance monitoring and as a building block for future plan. Armed with clear Vision, Mission, Goals, Objectives and strategies and if we work to implement this strategic plan in an efficient, effective, transparent and accountable manner  S.S will grow from strength to strength and our target groups’ health and livelihood would be improved.

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Binod Gurung,
Executive Director