Get Involved - Give The Gift Of Life To Disadvantaged Young Women In Iran


 

This is an invitation for you to join us in helping disadvantaged young women in Iran. You can help by volunteering time, by fundraising for us, by engaging in academic research on topics that are of importance to us, or simply by making a donation.

Our mission

Our mission is to strengthen the social, emotional, and economic competencies of disadvantaged young women (aged from 15 to 25) in Iran, and to provide them with a sense of self-worth and with the opportunities to experience a full range of life options through self-empowerment, education and training. Starting with a small group of 15 clients in late 2004, we now cater to approximately 75 young women at any one time, more than a quarter of whom are Afghani immigrants. Our track record speaks for itself. Over 80% of our 'graduates' hold permanent secure jobs and are able to enjoy a fulfilling and enjoyable life.

Our clients

Our clients have typically either been put into care from an early age, or run away from abusive homes, or live in extreme poverty. They often suffer from severe mental health and emotional difficulties, mostly stemming from their experiences of neglect, physical and sexual abuse, and exposure to drugs and violence. We value and nurture the voices, hearts, and minds of these underprivileged and vulnerable young women and help them transform their lives. We believe that through love and care in the context of sustained relationships where practical and emotional needs are addressed, our young clients will be able to overcome the traumas of the past and will eventually be able to take responsibility for their emotions and behaviour.

Click here to read about the transformation of our 'graduates' Firouzeh, Mandana, Nina, Neda and Leila.

Our program

Despite their past difficulties, and the obstacles still facing them, our young clients have the same dreams as all of us. They yearn to participate in life, and to make meaningful contributions to the world around them. At Omid, we use a holistic approach to provide our young clients with the opportunities to realise such dreams. We offer them the tools, structure and support to help them succeed. And, above all, we offer them the chance to be heard. The cornerstones of our approach are self-empowerment, education and training, supplemented by effective work placement, counselling and assistance. Professional and vocational (workforce skills) training is one of our major priorities. There are three distinct phases in our involvement with our clients:
- Phase 1: In-house (15-18 months)
Creating a welcoming environment, core education, vocational training, recreational activities, therapeutic interventions and workshops, psychiatric counselling.
- Phase 2: Professional training (6-48 months)
Advanced training for white collar professions, preparations for trade careers, enrolling in a university degree program.
- Phase 3: Job placement and monitoring (6-18 months)
Job placement of our graduates and monitoring their performance at work.

Click here for a detailed description for the above described three phase program.

YOUR INVOLVEMENT

We will only be able to thrive and to continue with our work through the generosity of other people and their belief in our capacity to change lives. You can help make a difference by volunteering time, by fundraising for us, by engaging in academic research on topics that are of importance to us, or simply by making a donation. We value each and every form of contribution, all of which help us directly to improve the lives of our clients in some vital way.

Volunteering
Click here for a list of free services needed in Iran, the UK and the USA.

Fundraising
Organise a fundraising drive in your own community or circle of friends using supporting materials provided by us.

Academic Research
Work with us and engage in the analysis and study of the social issues that are central to our work. Contact us to discuss specific needs.

Donation
We aim to raise 160,500 GBP / 214,000 EUROS / 321,000 USD in 2008.

Click here for a description of each of the projects/programs that need to be funded in 2008. When making a donation please specify if you want your sponsorship funds to be allocated to
(i) a specific project,
(ii) disbursements inside Iran,
(iii) disbursements outside Iran.

Click here to make an online donation using your credit/debit card.

Click here to make a donation by cheque, wire transfer, standing order and payroll giving.

Our legal status

We are a privately funded, non-political organisation, operating through two registered charities (one in Iran, and one in the UK):
- Omid-e-Mehr (a charitable foundation registered in Iran, registration number 18047), which is responsible for the day-to-day care of our clients in Tehran and local fundraising.
- Friends of Omid (a charity registered in the United Kingdom, registration number 1115318), which is responsible for strategic planning, fundraising and activities outside Iran.

Our management and organisation

As charitable foundations, both Friends of Omid and the Omid-e-Mehr are supervised by a board of trustees (both chaired by Marjaneh Halati) which formulates and approves long-term goals and objectives, formulates and adopts policies, develops financial resources for achieving goals, adopts and monitors annual budgets and financial development plans, and monitors the achievement of goals and objectives. In the operations in Iran, the policies set by the board of trustees are implemented by an executive committee consisting of a number of key members of the operational management team. Eshrat Gholipour is chief operating officer of the operations in Iran with responsibility for day-to-day management. She works closely with two assistants (Ladan Kani and Farnaz Gordan), and is supported by a team of 18 full ! and part-time (paid and volunteer) employees and external specialists, most of whom are teachers, social workers, and clinical psychologists who provide counselling services.

Our sources of funding

We are privately funded. Our sources of funds are donations received from charitable trusts, agencies, companies, organisations and individuals.

Enquiries and additional information

Request a printed copy of the 2006/7 issue of our annual report HOPE, or click here to download a pdf version. The HOPE report includes detailed descriptions of examples of our core education program (English language training, etc.), vocational training courses (computer skills training, etc.) as well as the new programs and initiatives we have planned for 2008 (workshops, residential shelter, etc.).

Request a copy of our audited accounts.

Visit our website for additional information.

Contact us at info@omid-e-mehr.org, or:
- Friends of Omid: Flat 21, 39/40 Queen's Gate, London SW7 5HR, United Kingdom, Tel +44 (20) 75846949, Fax +44 (20) 75262051
- Omid-e-Mehr: Vahid Dastgerdi Avenue (Zafar), 15 Shahid Omrani Avenue, Tehran, Iran, Tel +98 (21) 22256420, Fax +98 (21) 22226919

... Payvand News - 09/18/08 ...

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