People’s Action for Change organization (PACo) is a not-for-profit, non-government organization established in 2012 and registered with the Ministry of Economy of the government of government of Afghanistan, with a mission to work with poor, excluded and marginalized sections of society by empowering them to lead a life with dignity. Our prioritized objectives include empowering people through community organization and capacity development, promoting rights women of and children, ensuring livelihood options to end hunger and food insecurity, and responding to calamities and conflicts through humanitarian assistance.
PACo is certified by Afghanistan Institute for Civil Society (AICS) and is a member of respected groups of NGOs. PACo is also member of Afghanistan NGOs Coordination Bureau (ACBAR) and Afghanistan Civil Society Forum Organization ( ACSFO). PACo is an active member of Food Security and Agriculture Cluster(FSAC) and Afghanistan Protection Cluster (APC). Over the years of operation, PACo successfully implemented various humanitarian and development projects, with a primary focus on food security, livelihood development, child protection, women empowerment, peacebuilding, education, health, rural development, WASH, governance, and humanitarian response.
PACo partnered with numerous prominent organizations, including UNFAO, UNHCR, SI, WHH, ZOA, THEJOHANITER International, ActionAid, and War Child Canada, to extend its reach and strengthen its programs.
With a head office based in Kabul, PACo has active presence across 10 provinces in the north, northeast and central regions of Afghanistan, enabling PACo to address a broad range of needs in both urban and rural areas. PACo’s expertise spans a variety of sectors, including community empowerment, food security, agriculture and livelihoods, climate change adaptation, education, health, rural development, WASH, resilience and disaster risk reduction, shelter, and non-food item (NFI) distribution, and emergency response. Through these areas of focus, PACo remains dedicated to strengthening community resilience, promoting sustainable development, and supporting the most vulnerable populations in Afghanistan.
The Food Security major Interventions include promoting resilient agriculture, protected agriculture, and innovation; promoting high-value industrial and medicinal plants (Saffron and Hing); provision of climate-resilient inputs, including seed; organizing farmer field Schools (FFS) & establishing demonstration plots; market linkages, provision of food and cash for food during the emergency.
The Livelihood major intervention, include vocational skill development; entrepreneurial support; agriculture, livestock protection and support; small business development grants; assistance with value chains; farmer and herder technical capacity building; promoting sustainable agriculture; diversifying livelihood by promoting technology of protected agriculture systems, such as greenhouses; enhancing irrigation systems and promoting drip irrigation; protecting agricultural land from flooding and erosion; building farmers’ capacity in organic fertilizers, compost making, and green manure; building herders’ capacity in livestock farming, nutrition, and breeding; assisting farmers with access to certified and climate-resilient seeds; forming farmer associations in enterprises; assisting farmers with value chains and market linkages; supporting herders in livestock feeding and immunization, as well as promoting better breeding practices; building farmers’ capacity in concentrate feed, mineral block making, and urea treatment.
PACo’s education Interventions involve providing pre-schooling or community-based schools, teachers and school management capacity building, equipping (library, science and computer labs) schools, provision of computer, science and international language facultative course for school and graduated students, facilitating literacy and REFLEC circles particular for girls and women deprived form education, constructing and repairing educational infrastructure (schools) and WASH facilities.
Health Interventions include basic health and hygiene awareness raising and distribution dignity kits, building midwifery capacity through training and education, and constructing health facilities (district-level health clinics).
Rural Development Interventions include community engagement & resilience building; community capacity building for risk analysis and disaster risk reduction (DDR) planning; DDR awareness in schools & vulnerable communities; environmental restoration & protection; promotion of disaster-resilient infrastructure; social infrastructure development; construction of protection measures; and building roads to facilitate communities’ access to markets and public services.
WASH Interventions include promoting hygiene and sanitation through awareness raising, training, and provision of sanitation and dignity kits; facilitating access to potable drinking water through the construction of wells and water supply networks in vulnerable communities and schools; and constructing latrines for households, public, and in schools.
Shelter and NFI Interventions include the provision of emergency, transitional, and permanent (regular) shelters to IDPs, returnees, and host communities affected by natural disasters, in accordance with ESNFI cluster guidelines and UNHCR SOPs for shelter implementation. Provision of NFIs and winterization support; linking shelter beneficiaries with livelihood interventions to improve resilience, sustainability, and long-term solutions; provision of NFIs, including core relief items as per ESNFI cluster standards; and distribution of cash for NFIs and winterization.
Our Vision:
An equitable and just society without hunger, poverty and suffering where every person is able to lead a life with dignity in an environment of peace and harmony with society and nature.
Our Mission:
Work with poor and marginalized groups of people by facilitating, creating, providing and promoting opportunities to improve their livelihoods, access to basic services and to protect their rights without discrimination of class, race, ethnicity, gender, religion or political belief.
Our Approach:
Our Approach is a Human rights-centered approach:
PACo is a rights-based organization, adopting an approach with human rights centrality, where the people living in poverty due to injustice/unequal social structure won’t be considered and treated as passive recipients of aid or charity, Placing human rights at the core of its work. PACo firmly believes that people living in poverty due to injustice or unequal social structures should not be seen as passive recipients of aid or charity. Instead, they are recognized and treated as right-holders, whose rights have been denied or violated. We believe this approach empowers individuals and communities to assert their rights, advocate for justice, and actively engage in transforming their own lives, rather than merely depending on external assistance.
In addition, and adhering to Joint Operating Principles (JOPs) and DoNo harm, PACo operational commitments include:
Participatory planning: Work with people living in poverty, putting them at the center for planning and implementation stages. For intervention and program-related planning, the interest of the community and participation of stakeholders is considered and is as base for our planning. Hence, PACo adopts famous participatory planning tools such as Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA), Poverty Vulnerability Analysis (PVA), and Organized capacity building training about PRA and PVA for INGOs and NGOs in different region of the country.
Accountability, Participatory monitoring and control: We create a space and opportunity via community review and social audit where community and rights holders / beneficiaries encouraged to critical question, comment on implementation, and recommend further improvement.
Community Empowerment: We committed to focus and invest on community empowerment by mobilizing, organizing them and build their capacity so that they advocate for their rights and entitlements.
Financial Effectiveness and Transparency: We always strive to ensure value for money by promoting economy, efficiency, effectiveness, and equity. We maintain a high level of transparency and accountability towards our donors, government and the people we work with (Right holder / Beneficiary).
Monitoring, evaluation, and learning is integrated into each stage of our Program /project cycle. Verifiable indicators provided us with the relevant information and reports as required.