Sayara International is a global development firm that specializes in the design and implementation of rigorous research, social and behavior change communications, and governance strategies in conflict-affected and transitioning societies.

Our 120 employees operate from field offices in Beirut, Kabul, Khartoum, Kyiv, Medellin, and Nairobi, with support from our offices in London, Warsaw, and Paris, and our headquarters in Washington, D.C.

In an increasingly constrained humanitarian and development environment, where most influential decision-makers lack physical access to their project sites and beneficiaries in conflict and unstable environments, reliable sources of information are critical.

SAYARA enhances our clients’ abilities to carry out their missions and access information on the ground. We reveal the facts by putting people on the frontlines who can decipher the causes and consequences of ever-shifting events and address them through tested, customized project designs.

OUR APPROACH

Our researchers, social and behavior change communicators, and governance specialists work directly with local subject matter experts, civil society organizations, and academia to design and implement interventions on behalf of international and host nation donors. Unlike traditional development firms, SAYARA maintains permanent offices in the countries where we operate. This approach reflects our commitment to the local economies and communities we serve. It also enables us to provide rapid in-country support, reduce startup times, and benefit from the experience of our local staff.

SAYARA is committed to ethical development and humanitarian practices. Our “do-no-harm” dictum prioritizes the rights, dignity, and interests of the communities in and for which we work.

Our Approach to Stabilization and P/CVE
SAYARA is guided by a core understanding that extremism, violence, civil unrest, and the erosion of democratic institutions are symptoms of poor governance and a lack of social cohesion. Rather than treating symptoms, SAYARA focuses on their underlying causes. Employing longitudinal and real-time research, we identify obstacles to stability and tailor our interventions to address them.

SAYARA has a proven track record of implementing programs that increase sub-national government responsiveness and social cohesion by providing real-time research, communications services, and support to civil society.

Our Approach to Gender Equality

Promoting equal opportunities for women, men, and LGBTI+ minorities is central to SAYARA‘s values, mission, and projects. Beyond our gender equality policy, SAYARA is committed to creating a culture and enforcing practices that prevent discrimination against women and sexual minorities. Over half our personnel are women, who participate at all levels of executive decision-making, business development, research, and project implementation. All our staff have completed gender sensitivity training, either internally or through a third-party system.

SAYARA specializes in countries and communities where gender programming is both crucial and sensitive to implement. For example, in Afghanistan, we’ve assessed services provided to females subject to violence, including particularly vulnerable groups such as internally displaced people and victims of trafficking. Additionally, we conducted research on protection mechanisms and the fair and just treatment of women and minorities in the judiciary and customary courts, to inform legal reforms and monitoring of the enforcement of fundamental rights. We have also collected robust data on girls’ education in Afghanistan and Somalia, and ensured women’s participation in political processes.