High-quality healthcare, comprehensive education systems, resilient infrastructure, safe water and sanitation solutions remain a dream for most communities in Pakistan.

In a bid to turn this dream into reality, a group of visionary individuals got together in 1979 and embarked on a journey to develop and facilitate the most vulnerable segment of society in Pakistan.

Health And Nutrition Development Society, HANDS, was founded by Prof. A. G. Billoo (Sitara-e-Imtiaz) with a few students in a remote village in Malir, Karachi. From a one-room organisation, HANDS has now evolved in 42 years as one of the largest non-profit organisations in the country with an integrated development model and disaster management expertise.

In the last ten years (2011 – 2021), HANDS has continued to serve the people of Sindh with immense care and dedication.

An average of 1.8 million people benefit yearly through HANDS community and facility-based services in the health sector.

In education, HANDS supported over 6000 schools and enrolled nearly 500,000 students to date.

Similarly, as part of their 'community physical structure' portfolio, over 90,000 schemes have been developed; link roads, bridges to curb transportation and communication issues in communities included.

To address the many challenges of shelter for the poor, the organisation has built over 64,000 houses for the people who do not have the means to construct a home for themselves. Through different loan schemes, HANDS has supported over 23,000 people to run small enterprises.

Almost 40,000 farmers have been supported in financial and non-financial ways, in collaboration with various partners.

In the last decade, the organisation responded to 28 major disasters in Pakistan, providing relief and rehabilitation services. Through these services, HANDS has extended support to over 5 million people directly.

As a part of its strategy for 2030, HANDS is developing 25,000 model villages and settlements that will have all the basic facilities for a healthy, educated, prosperous and equitable society.

HANDS has set targets and benchmarks for the year 2030 based on the current status of national health, education, and poverty indicators (as stated in nationwide surveys).

HANDS intends to support the country in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) well before 2030. It aims to strengthen and continue extending support and empowering efforts against the national targets under Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDGs) in areas of livelihood, health, water and sanitation, education, infrastructure and disaster management.

For HANDS, this journey of serving the vulnerable communities in Sindh wouldn’t have been possible without the resounding support of Chief Minister Sindh and all the elected representatives.

HANDS also received vital support of the Social Welfare Department, Planning and Development Department, Health and Population Welfare Department, Education and Literacy Department, Local Government Department, Relief and Rehabilitation Department/PDMA, and the finance department of Government Sindh.

HANDS has gained and nurtured a strong network of development partners, philanthropists, and corporations; their generosity is the reason the organisation has been able to expand services to 59 districts; some key partners include US Aid, PSI, UK Aid (FCDO), Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, UNICEF and corporate partners include KE, PSO, PARCO, Shell and PAPCO.

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