DOST Welfare Foundation

DOST Welfare Foundation (DOST) is a not-for-profit NGO established in July 1992 for providing services to the most marginalized and vulnerable groups in society, including drug users, persons at-risk of or infected and affected by HIV/AIDS, prison inmates, juvenile prisoners, children with female prisoners, street children, women and children in crisis, refugees, victims of war and disasters. All these groups are mostly poor and lack the resources to live normal lives. Poverty is not only a matter of less income but a state of marginalization and deprivation in all those conditions which contribute to the quality of human life e.g. health, education, justice, safety, security, housing, employment and credit.

DOST reaches out to these unfortunate, miserable and stigmatized individuals living in difficult and inhuman conditions through a process of awareness, rehabilitation and social development and ensures their wellbeing and recovery. DOST services are Rights & Needs based and include a comprehensive range of activities which cater for the physical, psychological, social, spiritual and financial needs of clients and their families.

DOST provides quality services through its large service delivery network and comprehensive awareness programs extending all over Khyber Pukhtunkhwa and the FATA/ PATA regions. DOST's programs are intended to stimulate and facilitate positive change, with a significant impact and long-lasting effect. DOST strategies are aimed at individuals, families and communities in a spirit of self-help, community support and participation.

The scope of our services comprise of primary prevention, early intervention, treatment, rehabilitation, reintegration, aftercare and follow-up. These services are provided in different settings such as streets, prisons, homes, refugee camps, mobile camps, drop-in centres, out-patient and residential facilities.

Our approach is to develop an enhanced social and physical environment for clients to become part of the mainstream society. We believe that community support, participation and ownership are crucial for social sustainability and long-term impact of services. Moreover, an enabling environment can only be created if the felt needs of the community are identified and met with. These basic needs include the supply of safe drinking water, sanitation, garbage disposal, health, nutrition and income generation.