Child Protection & Youth Empowerment
Child Protection & Youth Empowerment
Bunyad Foundation is deeply committed to the protection, empowerment, and participation of children and youth—particularly those living in poverty, working in hazardous environments, or at risk of abuse and neglect. We strive to build a protective ecosystem that not only rescues children from harm but also equips them with skills, voice, and opportunities to thrive as active citizens of Pakistan.
Free guide · Urdu · 26 pages
Children’s Safety: a guide for parents and teachers
بچوں کی حفاظت — ہماری مشترکہ ذمہ داری
A practical, illustrated handbook on keeping children safe: children’s rights, good and bad touch, saying “no”, safety at home, school, online and on the road, what to do in an emergency, and the helplines every family should know. Published by Bunyad Literacy Community Council with UNESCO and the Korean National Commission for UNESCO, July 2026.
Child Protection Initiatives
Eliminating Child Labor Through Education
Bunyad works to eradicate child labor by offering non-formal education, vocational training, and family counseling in communities where children are forced to work in brick kilns, agriculture, domestic work, and cotton picking.
- Rehabilitated thousands of child laborers in 14 districts
- Operated 200+ learning centers for working children
- Advocated for birth registration and child rights at local level
Empowering Cotton-Picking Children
Through education, life skills, and family sensitization, Bunyad protects girls and boys working in cotton fields—often exposed to pesticides, heat, and harassment.
- Literacy and protection centers in 4 cotton-rich districts
- Life skills education and protection awareness
- School reintegration and child club formation View Project
Child Rights & Participation (CRC Implementation)
Bunyad promotes children’s voices by forming child rights clubs , engaging them in school governance, and training teachers, parents, and local councils on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).
Protecting Our Future
- 100+ child clubs across Punjab
- Rights-based advocacy and peer education
- Regular dialogue with duty bearers (school heads, union councils)
NSP-PEF Education Program
As a partner of Punjab Education Foundation (PEF), Bunyad provides quality low-cost education to vulnerable children, including child laborers, street children, and dropouts.
- Enrolled 25,000+ students under the New School Program
- Academic and psychological support for first-generation learners Educational Gaps Bridging
Youth Empowerment Initiatives
Adolescent Girls’ Rights & Leadership
Through safe spaces, life skills, and sports, Bunyad empowers adolescent girls aged 10–18 with the tools to avoid early marriages, assert their rights, and lead change in their communities.
- 2,500+ girls trained in digital literacy, self-defense & health
- 180+ safe spaces and community centers
- 300+ child marriages prevented through family counselling Empowering Girls Through Education
Child Participation & School Governance
Children are encouraged to take part in school improvement planning , community dialogues, and local decision-making processes to build their civic awareness and leadership skills .
- 500+ children trained in community engagement
- Formed child parliaments and youth-led advocacy groups Child Participation & Governance
Youth Livelihood & Skills Development
Bunyad supports out-of-school youth and school graduates with vocational skills training to reduce unemployment, prevent migration, and break cycles of poverty.
- 5,000+ youth trained in tailoring, IT, masonry, and micro-enterprise
- Business incubation and career counseling included Youth Skills Programs
Impact Highlights
Bunyad’s Child-Centric Model Includes
Holistic Education (Literacy, Life Skills, Legal Awareness) Family & Community Engagement Rights-Based Approach (UNCRC-aligned) Protection Referrals & Counseling Empowerment Through Expression (debates, arts, sports)
With the Government of the UAE and UNICEF
Rehabilitating former child camel jockeys
After the UAE and UNICEF agreed in 2005 to return child camel jockeys to their homes, Bunyad was brought in as the umbrella NGO in Rahim Yar Khan, where most of the returned children lived. In partnership with the UAE Government, Bunyad helped 12,470 camel jockey children leave bonded labour.
- Formed community organisations and trained local focal persons as social monitors to prevent re-trafficking.
- Set up youth clubs for 800 children, half of them girls, to learn about their right to protection.
- Trained 2,000 young people in life skills and health, and 800 duty bearers on preventing trafficking, abuse and corporal punishment.
- Linked families to schools, health care, vocational training and micro-credit so children could stay home and in school.
