Sayara International is a social enterprise combining rigorous research and communication to create positive change in fragile and conflict-affected societies.
Sayara provides complex monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning (MERL) and social and behavior change communication (SBCC) in the most challenging environments. We work on countering disinformation, measuring social cohesion, and assessing education, migration, inclusive governance, climate change, and health.
Diverse perspectives and an emphasis on equity bring strength to Sayara. Gender, inclusion, and intersectional identities are cross-cutting themes across all our internal practices and our programs for governments, civil society organizations, and international institutions.
Sayara has evolved across unstable contexts. Our decentralized structure – with a global leadership network and investment in local talent – enables agility and rapid start-up, while equipping us with unique values and competencies.
Founded in 2003, Sayara operates in 39 countries across Eastern Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, South and Central Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Our teams of professionals are based in field offices in Khartoum, Kyiv, and Nairobi, with support from our offices in London, Madrid, Marseille, and Warsaw.
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 LGBTQIA+ 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.
We work with the most reputable organizations in the world. Some of our clients and partners include:
