Project SHIELD

Project Overview

The SHIELD Project (Sanitation, Hygiene, Immunization, Education, Leadership for Infectious Disease Prevention) is a community-based initiative addressing health and hygiene challenges at Mashal Model School in Nurpur Shahan, a peri-urban settlement in Islamabad. Aligned with SDGs 3, 6, and 10, the project promotes awareness, preventive practices, and access to essential healthcare among underserved populations. It conducts targeted sessions for teachers, parents, children, and women on hygiene, nutrition, mental health, and menstrual health. The initiative also delivers deworming interventions and medical camps, combining education and healthcare services to improve overall community well-being.

Project Impact

During the Millennium Fellowship, Project SHIELD improved health, hygiene, and well-being within a marginalized community through interactive sessions on personal hygiene, menstrual health management, nutrition, and mental well-being for children, parents, and teachers. The project also distributed WASH kits and conducted deworming interventions, improving the health and cognitive engagement of over 500 children. To ensure sustainability, teachers received capacity-building training, and Mashal Model School incorporated these concepts into its curriculum to reinforce long-term health education.

Millennium Fellows Involved

Aimen Minnal, Dua Zaidi, Aimen Ghauri, Maniha Zaidi, Izza Shuaib, Yoza Ilyas, Maham Farooq