OUR STORY

Friends of Khwendo Kor US - FOKUS

What is FOKUS?

Friends of Khwendo Kor US (FOKUS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization registered in the United States of America. The goal of FOKUS is to support the efforts of Khwendo Kor (KK). As a note, FOKUS is a separate entity from KK.

What is Khwendo Kor?

Khwendo Kor (KK) means “Sisters’ Home” in Pashto. It is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization registered in 1993 in Pakistan. KK is a participatory development initiative in Pakistan, focusing on the active involvement of the communities, especially women and children. KK works in villages of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).  

• Vision – A compassionate society where women live with dignity and self-reliance.

• Mission – A learning and value-based organization striving for resilient communities and empowered women.

• Program activities – focus on Civil Rights, Economic Empowerment, Education, and Health.

• Website – www.khwendokor.org 

What are examples of the impact of Khwendo Kor?

• In 2017, a total of 54,566 benefited from KK’s awareness and capacity building programs in the human rights sector, education, gender-based survivor programs, and health. 

• KK is a staunch advocate against the use of corporal punishment in schools. 

• KK is administering 47 primary schools and 11 middle schools, and 14 adult literacy centers.

• KK has set up over 300 village women’s, men’s, and mixed gender organizations and encouraged them in their own development initiatives.

• KK has facilitated hundreds of village women to acquire identity card who are now eligible for casting votes.

• KK has facilitated hundreds of women to assume leadership role in the underprivileged and extremely conservative area.

• KK has trained hundreds of women in poor communities enhancing life skills, hygiene, livelihood opportunities personal 

• KK has directly helped people including women and children sufferreing from HIV.

• KK has helped hundreds of women faced with domestic violence by engaging all relevant stakeholders including imams (clergy leaders) in resolving the conflicts.

• Kk has helped several women to get their rights to inheritance and consent in marriage

How is your agency funded?

Selected examples of donors based in Germany, Norway, Pakistan, the UK, and the USA are: 

• Heinrich Böll Foundation 

• International Rescue Committee 

• J. A. Clark Charitable Trust 

• Malala Fund

• National Endowment for Democracy

• Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation

• Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund 

• UN Office for the Coord. of Humanitarian Affairs 

• US Agency for International Development

• World Vision Pakistan

FOKUS is a volunteer agency. How can I help?

• Donate to support our work!

• Volunteer – assist with a variety of tasks that support the work of Khwendo Kor – event planning, foundation research, marketing, proposal writing, social media, website design, and more.

• Host a tea or discussion circle with your church members, book club, or other contacts within your social network to inform them of the work of Khwendo Kor and assist in generating support.

• Promote handicrafts made by women to help in livelihood 

• Help in establishing linkages between US based institutions such as schools, with Pakistani counterparts for better understanding and mutual learning.

​

Here is some more information from a 2018 presentation from Khwendo Kor about their initiatives: Click Here