Year of Establishment
2000
Focus Areas
Healthcare, Community Development,Livelihoods / Skills
Geographical Areas of Operations
Gilgit-Baltistan, Punjab, Sindh
About – Brief Overview
AAS Foundation is a Pakistan basednon profit organisation that provides trauma informed protection,rehabilitation, and psychosocial support to vulnerable children, women, and menexperiencing abuse, exploitation, neglect, and Substance Use Disorder. Establishedin 2000, the organisation works at the intersection of public health, socialprotection, and community reintegration, operating nine centres across Karachi,Lahore, and Gilgit.
Its core workincludes safe shelter, clinical and psychological care, structured addictiontreatment, and long term individual and family counselling. AAS Foundation alsodelivers life skills education, vocational training, and case managementsupport to help individuals rebuild stability and reduce the risk of revictimisation. The organisation’s approach is multidisciplinary, combiningmedical, psychological, and social interventions to address the complex needsof people affected by trauma and chronic marginalisation.
AAS Foundationdelivers measurable improvements in safety, wellbeing, and long term recoveryoutcomes. By strengthening protective environments, restoring functionalcapacity, and supporting reintegration into families and communities, theorganisation reduces cycles of harm and expands access to dignified, evidencebased care for populations who are often excluded from formal health and socialsystems.
Core Programs and Services
AAS Foundation deliverscomprehensive, evidence based treatment for adults and provides free of cost,evidence based care for children, supporting individuals and families affectedby substance use and related vulnerabilities. The core programme areas are:
• ResidentialTreatment & Rehabilitation Structured inpatient care for men, women, andchildren across multiple facilities, including Primary Units and Halfway Housesproviding detoxification support, counselling, relapse preventioninterventions, and life skills development within a therapeutic environment.
• Outpatient &Aftercare Services Ongoing counselling, case management, and recoverymonitoring designed to sustain reintegration, strengthen protective factors,and reduce the risk of relapse.
• Child Protection& Development Programmes Safe, nurturing residential spaces for children,including dedicated Children’s Primary Units and School Houses, complemented byeducation support, psychosocial care, and trauma informed interventions that promotehealthy development.
• Women’s ServicesA specialised Female Unit offering gender sensitive treatment, mental healthsupport, and vocational training in a secure and empowering setting.
• VocationalTraining & Education Skill building initiatives such as computer literacy,sewing and embroidery, and technical trades that enhance self reliance andimprove long term economic stability.
• Outreach &Community Engagement Active field teams identify and support vulnerableindividuals, deliver awareness and harm reduction sessions, and facilitateaccess to treatment, protection, and social services.
Across allfacilities, AAS Foundation provides a safe, structured, and therapeuticenvironment that integrates medical care, psychological support, education, andrehabilitation within one coordinated system ensuring continuity, dignity, andmeaningful recovery outcomes.
Beneficiaries
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15,000 individualswere 15,000 individuals were treated andrehabilitated enabling their recovery and reintegration into society.
Hundreds ofthousands of individuals and families through extensive community basedoutreach, raising awareness on mental health and substance use disorders andencouraging early help seeking behaviours.
250 structuredawareness sessions in the last 3 years across diverse settings includingschools, colleges, universities, madrasas, churches, and community centres.
What Makes Our Approach Distinct
AAS Foundation operates acomprehensive, community-centred model that delivers free-of-cost or low cost,integrated care across the entire recovery continuum. Its approach combinesevidence-based treatment, education, vocational training, and long-term reintegrationwithin a single, coordinated system, ensuring continuity and sustainedoutcomes. A proactive outreach mechanism identifies and engages vulnerablepopulations, reducing barriers to access. Dedicated, gender- and age-responsivefacilities for women and children reflect a strong commitment to inclusive,family-centred care. By aligning community trust, donor support, andskills-based empowerment, AAS Foundation promotes long-term sustainability,restoring dignity, independence, and meaningful social reintegration.
Impact Stories
Sheraz (name changed) arrived at AASFoundation at 14, already burdened by experiences no child should face. Growingup in a neighbourhood where drug use was common, he began experimenting at 12.By the time he reached our centre, he struggled with addiction, low selfesteem, school disengagement, frequent behavioural issues, and a painful herniathat left him isolated.
Raised by hisuncle and aunt, whom he considers his real parents, Sheraz felt loved butrestricted. Conflicts at home pushed him toward the streets, negative peers,and eventually alcohol and charas as a way to cope with anxiety and loneliness.
When he enteredour programme, he was withdrawn, defensive, and emotionally overwhelmed.Through Art Therapy, Play Therapy, and CBT, he gradually felt safe enough toexpress himself and rebuild confidence.
Nine months later,Sheraz is substance free, emotionally stable, engaged in learning, and eager toreturn to school standing on a renewed foundation of hope and resilience.
