WASSA

What WASSA does

WASSA (Women Activities and Social Services Association) is an Afghan non-governmental, non-profit humanitarian organization founded in 2002 and headquartered in Herat, with a second regional office opened in Kabul in January 2025. The organization has operated continuously for 23+ years and currently employs approximately 56 staff. WASSA delivers humanitarian assistance, women's empowerment, child protection, livelihood support, and emergency response programming through a network of more than 28 community-based centers across Herat, Badghis, Farah, Ghor, and Kabul provinces, reaching documented beneficiary populations in the high five-to-six figures in 2024 across individual programs.

WASSA's portfolio is organized as interconnected programs rather than discrete products: the Multi-Purpose Women's Centers (MPWC) provide cash assistance, vocational training, business development, and psychosocial support; Women-Owned Businesses (WOBs), Women's Economic Empowerment (WEE), and AVAAZ projects deliver financial literacy, micro-grants, and digital marketing training to women-led micro-enterprises; CO-PROSPER (with UNHCR) provides job placement, SME grants, beekeeping, and MHPSS services to refugees and returnees; AHF-funded Child Protection provides case management, psychosocial support, and Child-Friendly Spaces; UNICEF's Women and Girls' Empowerment (WGE) project runs awareness, training, and protection services; and DRC/BHA delivers integrated lifesaving support. Beneficiary selection and field data collection are managed through the Kobo System (a standard humanitarian data platform) combined with face-to-face interviews. The Made51 artisan initiative extends the program into market-linked handicraft production.

WASSA is funded entirely through grants and donations from international institutional donors — primarily UN Women, UNHCR, WFP, UNICEF, the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund, CARE International, DRC, the European Union, AVAAZ, and the Islamic Development Bank — with no commercial revenue, no products sold, and all services delivered free of charge to beneficiaries. The organization does not disclose annual financials. Its go-to-market is community-led (referrals, local leaders, direct outreach) supplemented by event-driven engagement (e.g., the Herai Bazaar handicrafts exhibition, graduation ceremonies, awareness campaigns), with no consumer-facing brand or pricing model.

Name

WASSA

Legal name

Women Activities and Social Services Association

Website

https://wassa.org.af

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

WASSA (Women Activities and Social Services Association) is an Afghan non-profit founded in 2002 and headquartered in Herat, delivering women's empowerment, child protection, livelihood, and humanitarian assistance programs through community-based centers across multiple provinces for vulnerable women, children, families, and refugees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian and Social Services

NAICS

Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Community Food Services (624210), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPADAHAH

Cash Assistance & Social Safety Net Delivery for Displaced Populations

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Refugee, Migration & Displacement Services

SECONDARYEDADALAC

NGO/Nonprofit Education Programs & Service Delivery

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Education Partnerships, Intergovernmental & NGO Programs

SECONDARYEDADALAG

Refugee, Crisis & Humanitarian Education Partnerships (EiE)

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Education Partnerships, Intergovernmental & NGO Programs

SECONDARYBPAGALAM

Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Enterprises & Impact Organizations

Keywords

• Humanitarian assistance services
• Women empowerment programs
• Vocational skills training
• Child protection services
• Livelihood support programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Herat

HQ country

Afghanistan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding from International Donors: WASSA operates as a non-profit humanitarian organization funded primarily through grants and donations from international organizations, UN agencies, and development partners.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

WASSA (Women Activities and Social Services Association) is an Afghanistan-based non-profit humanitarian organization that delivers free programs supporting women, children, families, and persons with disabilities. Its core offerings include vocational skills training (tailoring, carpet weaving, handicrafts, beekeeping), business development training, cash and food assistance, psychosocial support, child protection case management, and women's economic empowerment programs funded through partnerships with UN agencies and international donors.

Product overview

WASSA (Women Activities and Social Services Association) is a humanitarian non-profit organization that operates as a portfolio of interconnected programs and projects rather than a unified technology product. The organization offers multiple initiative types including: Women-Owned Businesses (WOBs) providing financial services and business training; Multi-Purpose Women's Centers (MPWC) delivering vocational training and cash assistance; Child Protection services; Emergency Response and MHPSS programs; Women's Economic Empowerment (WEE) projects; and refugee artisan support through Made51. These programs work together to provide holistic support to vulnerable women, children, and families in Afghanistan, combining cash assistance, vocational training, psychosocial support, and market linkage services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Women-Owned Businesses (WOBs)
• Multi-Purpose Women's Centers (MPWC)
• AHF Child Protection Services
• DRC/BHA Integrated Lifesaving Support
• Women and Girls' Empowerment (WGE)
• CO-PROSPER Community-Based Protection Programme
• AVAAZ Project
• Made51 Artisan Empowerment
• Women's Economic Empowerment (WEE) / MSMEs Support

Quantifiable outcome

• Reached 24,548 persons with disabilities in 2024
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UN WomencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor implementing partner for women's empowerment programs including WOBs (Women-Owned Businesses), MPWC (Multi-Purpose Women's Centers), and EVAW (Elimination of Violence Against Women) projects. Jointly distributes first aid kits to community health workers and implements Women's Economic Empowerment (WEE) projects.
• UNHCRcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner for refugee and returnee support, MHPSS (Mental Health Psychosocial Support), CO-PROSPER project, Made51 artisan empowerment initiative, and emergency response programs. Supports beekeeping training, small business grants, and refugee artisan economic resilience programs.
• WFP (World Food Programme)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary food security partner providing cash and food assistance to vulnerable families. Joint programs include distributions at Islam Qala border for returnees, monthly food supplies to families in Herat and Ghor provinces.
• UNICEFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports Women and Girls' Empowerment (WGE) project, vocational training for girls and women, child protection programs, and kitchen kit distributions. Programs focus on protection, health awareness, and skills development.
• CARE InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports Multi-Purpose Women's Center Project providing cash assistance to vulnerable families. Joint funding for women's economic empowerment and livelihood programs.
• DRC (Danish Refugee Council)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplements Integrated Lifesaving Support project under Protection & Cash & Voucher Cluster, providing psychosocial counseling, MPCA distributions, and awareness raising activities for at-risk populations.
• World VisionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for ACJR (Afghan Child Justice and Rights) project addressing child protection and community-based programs.
• TDH (Terre des Hommes)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBMZ/TDH project partner for humanitarian assistance and child-focused programs in Afghanistan.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• International Rescue Committee (IRC) Afghanistan: IRC delivers humanitarian and development programming across Afghanistan including protection, health, and economic recovery — comparable in program mix but operating at significantly larger scale and global brand.
• CARE International in Afghanistan: CARE is a major INGO with a long-standing Afghanistan presence running women's economic empowerment, food security, and emergency response programs — overlapping with WASSA's portfolio but operating at significantly larger scale and global footprint.
• Mercy Corps Afghanistan: Mercy Corps is a major INGO operating livelihoods, governance, and emergency programs in Afghanistan — overlapping with WASSA's economic empowerment and humanitarian assistance work.
• Save the Children Afghanistan: Save the Children operates a large-scale child protection, education, and health portfolio in Afghanistan — comparable to WASSA's child protection and education programming but with broader global backing.
• Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) Afghanistan: NRC delivers large-scale humanitarian programming for displaced populations in Afghanistan including shelter, education, and livelihoods — comparable to WASSA's refugee/IDP and cash assistance work but with broader institutional scale.

Direct peers

• Afghan Women Education Center (AWEC): AWEC is an Afghan NGO focused on women's literacy, vocational training, and rights advocacy — comparable to WASSA's skills-training and women's economic empowerment programming.
• Women for Afghan Women (WAW): WAW is an Afghan women's rights and social services NGO operating shelters, legal aid, and economic programs across Afghanistan — closely aligned with WASSA's focus on women and girls' empowerment, protection, and community-based service delivery.
• ARROW (Afghan Relief & Rehabilitation Organization): ARROW is an Afghan NGO delivering community-based health, education, and livelihoods programming in rural provinces — a close comparable in operating model and geographic focus to WASSA.
• Afghan Aid (ActionAid Afghanistan): ActionAid Afghanistan is a women's-rights-focused NGO delivering humanitarian and development programming across Afghanistan — directly comparable to WASSA in mission, beneficiary focus, and donor base.
• BRAC Afghanistan: BRAC Afghanistan is a large multi-sector development NGO operating across Afghanistan with similar community-based programming in livelihoods, women's empowerment, and education — directly comparable to WASSA's integrated service-delivery model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wassaafghanistan

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about WASSA