Working in Partnership

Working in Partnership:

Name of the organisation:

Steps Forward

Introduction:

· There is a need to consider the widening gap between the communities

· In the current global scenario the ‘local to global’ approach is the most effective tool for community empowerment and also for community uplift initiatives

· Steps Forward will be working in partnership with other similar respective organisations towards increasing opportunities for targeted communities

Mission Statement:

Empowering communities through education

Mission:

At Steps Forward, our mission is to:

Enable people to take responsibility for the empowerment and uplift of the isolated
Motivate the communities for collective action
Give targeted groups an opportunity and platform to realise their full potential; and
Bridge the Gap!

Aims and Objectives:

We aim:

To advance education, empowerment and welfare of the targeted communities from local to global
To create and foster a spirit of understanding among the people of the world to work for a common goal to serve humanity with passion and compassion
To provide all possible assistance to help relieve financial hardship among people in such need, either generally or individually, through the provision of grants, goods, opportunities, or appropriate services
To work towards alleviating poverty, improving health, suffering of victims of natural or human made disasters by useful means
To promote and preserve art and culture of the diverse communities. We believe that art & culture is, perhaps, the best medium that can help communities to bring together experience and understand each other and integrate

Our Charter:

Our charter is built on the principle that:

“ALL human beings are born with fundamental freedom and potential and ALL human beings have some inherent rights to be free, to live with dignity and honour and to reach to their highest potential”.

Our development goals:

1) Socio-economic empowerment and uplift, including the sectors of education, culture and social history, art, literature, inter-communal relationship, global

citizenship, environment, media and respective governance

2) Community Cohesion

3) Health and Social well being, focusing on drug/HIV/AIDS/Sexual Health awareness, prevention, education and care

4) Self Reliance, empowering people to learn and develop skills

5) Capacity building, developing community oriented resources and opportunities

6) Resources generation and conservation

7) Ongoing Steps Forward to bridge the gap

What makes Steps Forward unique?

What makes Steps Forward unique, apart from other non-profit making organisations in the UK?

We are independent and impartial. Our agenda and work programme is governed by needs, priorities and based on our clearly defined aims and objectives and the Charter for which we are committed
Our activities are not determined by any political will or faith or donor ideology. Human touch and non judgemental approach
We will implement a high standard of accountability and transparency and we will develop a highly effective planning, monitoring and evaluation system for maximum outcome of our projects

Our Projects – Steps Forward Nursery and Pre-School Education Project – Gujarat – India and Pakistan

Quality Education for ALL children

At Steps Forward, we believe that children grow and develop more rapidly in their first five years than at any other time in their lives. Good quality early education and appropriate training is a foundation for the whole of their future development.

Soon, we are launching an education project in the city called Vadodara, Gujarat – State, India.

Our guiding principles for early quality education for children are:

We will provide a safe, secure and stimulating environment with happy confident children
We will work closely with parents/guardians to ensure the fullest understanding of your child
Specialist staff in attendance at all times
Dedicated and very committed professionals for the best care of the children

Children who benefit from early quality education are more likely to:

Make good progress at school
Stay in education longer and gain good qualifications
Be successful in their personal and working life

Benefits and Features of early quality education:

At Steps Forward, we believe, that through a combination of play and learning, high quality early education provides children with a strong and promising foundation for their bright and secure academic future:

Good quality education encourages children’s all-round development – physical, intellectual, creative, social, moral, emotional and spiritual
Children make more rapid and sustainable progress
Children learn to focus and concentrate
Children can recognise their own racial background, culture, faith, social and family life in their surroundings and activities. And at the same time, their learning environment encourages them to learn to understand, appreciate and respect people who are different from them
Children are encouraged to develop their own initiative and self confidence grow through solving problems, making right choices and taking responsibility for themselves and also for others
Children have a chance to see, observe and discover new and innovative ways of learning and practice newly acquired skills
The Early Years setting often take their children on local outings and have interesting visitors come and see them

Our features of a high quality early education:

Each child is valued
Care and education always go together
A positive attitude and leadership training
Parents and our team working together
Child’s personal, social and emotional development
Communication, language and literacy
Mathematical development
Knowledge and understanding of the world within the Global citizenship context
Physical development
Artistic and creative development
Values and perceptions
Community cohesion and multicultural/multifaith values

Project Helping Friend: (Steps Forward for HIV/AIDS education, prevention, care and support)

Mission Statement

Working in an ethical and empowering manner, Project Helping Friends will provide effective, culturally and faith based sensitive and appropriate care to communities and individuals who are affected or infected by HIV living in Gujarat-India and Pakistan. Our aims are to positively promote HIV/AIDS-sexual health education and initiatives to reduce the incidence and secondary and tertiary consequences of HIV/AIDS and other related health issues.

Our Vision

The vision of Project Helping Friends is of a world in which people do not suffer and die of HIV/AIDS. People who are already infected or affected with HIV/AIDS should live with dignity and honour and should not suffer from any stigma and discrimination.

Our programmes are to support individuals or families with:

a) Home-based care for people living with HIV/AIDS

b) We will provide support to people living with HIV to visit hospitals and clinics for HIV/AIDS testing and treatment

c) HIV/AIDS awareness campaign and training

You can sponsor a family or a child. Currently we are helping 11 families living with HIV/AIDS with our Home-based Care Programme, providing them with food, medicine, and school fees for their children’s education.

Your contribution will help us to run education and health projects in respective countries. If you would like to make a difference and to contribute please make your contribution to:

Steps Forward, C/O: 22 Harwood Gate, Blackburn, BB1 5HP, UK. Tel: 00 44 1254 693664, email: stepsforwarduk@hotmail.co.uk