About Us – Dream Organisation

Dream Organisation

DREAM is a Non-profit non-government development organisation registered under the social welfare agencies act 1961. It is situated in Naushahro Feroze, a rural district of the Sindh province of Pakistan. Registration Number: SW/NF/2021/131

Where we work?

Naushahro Feroze

According to the most recent nutrition survey, health and Education indicators are poor in the Sindhi province Of Pakistan. The infant mortality rate is 39 per 1000. The prevalence of stunting, wasting, and underweight in Sindh are higher than the national average at 45.5%, 23.3%, and 41.3% respectively. Attendance in early childhood education (ECE) is very low, with only 10.3% of children aged 3-5 attending ECE. The ECCE participation in this region is low. A recent report indicated that 54% of children aged 3 to 5 years in rural Sindh were not enrolled in any ECCE program. The lack of school readiness is also reflected in child learning levels in Grade 1 with less than half of children surveyed able to identify Sindhi letters or English letters, or to recognize numbers one to 99. Low literacy rates among parents present additional challenges with three quarters of mothers and over half of fathers without primary school completion (Grades 1–5), which can limit parents’ support for their child’s at-home learning. Trends in Pakistan more broadly indicate that female youth are also at a significant disadvantage in employment. which can limit parents’ support for their child’s at-home learning. Trends in Pakistan more broadly indicate that female youth are also at a significant disadvantage in employment. The average monthly household income is PKR 9000 (approximately US$100). The overall literacy rate is 39%.

Average of years of education is 2 for women and 7 for men. The majority of women in this district are housewives responsible for household chores such as child rearing, cooking, and preparing for the cattle. Hand weaving and handicrafts are also common in this district and more generally in Sindhi culture. The situation of early education and development is similar which is reported at provincial levels.

Our Team

Saima Siyal has a Masters degree in education and sociology. She has 13 years of experience in managing community-based parenting and education programs and field research to promote early child development and youth opportunities working with the Aga Khan University. She has completed an online certificate course in the ‘Science of Early Childhood Development” offered by the Aga Khan Development Network and Red River College, Canada. She has significant experience in program management, training, and supervising intervention delivery teams (such as community health workers and early childhood care and education providers), and assessment of early child development. Saima has also trained assessment teams internationally including in Tanzania and Rwanda. Saima’s research experience includes community-based participatory research, qualitative research and implementing mixed methods evaluations. She is the Founder and Chairperson of DREAM.

SAIMA SIYAL

Chairperson

Shahnaz Hakro has a Masters degree in sociology. She has 15 years of experience in community-based early child development and early childhood education with the Aga Khan University. Her expertise includes quantitative and qualitative data collection, anthropometry assessments, child development assessments, training, coaching and supervision of field data collectors, and QA/QC of data collection.

SHAHNAZ HAKRO

General Secretory

Zarina Siyal has a Masters degree in sociology. She worked in community-based early child development and early childhood education with the Aga Khan University since 2009. Her 12 years of experience provided her with expertise in quantitative and qualitative data collection, child development assessments, training, coaching and supervision of frontline delivery agents (including community health workers and early childhood care and education providers).

ZARINA SIYAL

Coordinator

Tasleem Soomro is an educationalist. She has a Masters degree in English literature and a Bachelors in education. She has 17 years of experience in education management at the Bahria Foundation and Aga Khan University. She has expertise in program coordination, management, teacher training, supervision, and coaching.

TASLEEM SOOMRO

Public relations officer

Early Child Development Assessors and Experts. DREAM has a well-trained and experienced team of ECD assessors and experts. This team includes females from NF communities who have been trained in child development assessments, measurements, and implementation of different ECD and ECE programs. These women have been working with reputable organisations and government departments. They possessed accumulated 15 years of experience in community-based programs and research projects.