KARACHI, Pakistan – Thirty years ago, founded by 6 friends, five schools opened in the Kaachi abadis of Karachi with a simple idea: that education could change a child’s life and, in time, a nation’s.
Today, the Citizens Foundation (TCF) stands at the heart of a national education movement that reaches places across Pakistan’s four provinces — communities that many Pakistanis have never even heard of.
With 2,261 purpose-built schools and 320,000 students across the country, TCF has become one of the world’s largest networks of community-based schools, guided by a singular belief: that no child should be denied a classroom.
Mushtaq K. Chhapra, Co-Founder and Director, reflected, “What started as a small idea has now become a nationwide movement. TCF is a story of what can happen when people come together for a cause larger than themselves.” Since 1995, TCF has supported 71,000 graduates and nearly 293,000 adult literacy learners through its Aagahi programme, extending education’s reach to entire communities.
“Every milestone we achieve reflects the resilience of the children, teachers, our community, and supporters who believe in the power of education,” said Zia Akhter Abbas, President and CEO of TCF. “Behind each number is a story of courage.”
Beyond Pakistan’s borders, TCF’s journey has been strengthened by a global community of supporters, many from the Pakistani diaspora, who have kept the dream alive across North America, the Middle East, Europe, and beyond.
Thousands of volunteers, donors, and advocates have helped sustain this movement through local chapters and partnerships.
Their collective belief that education can rewrite a nation’s future has turned TCF into a truly international story of conviction and shared responsibility.Those stories begin in classrooms like that of Muskan Kessrani, a teacher who joined TCF 25 years ago and now leads the Jiwandas Campus. “When you educate a child, you strengthen a community,” she said.
TCF’s alumni now study at top universities such as Harvard University and Institute of Business Administration, Karachi. “When you empower an individual with education, you transform a generation,” said Kainat Ansari, a TCF alumna at Harvard.“TCF doesn’t belong to one person,” said Co-Founder Ateed Riaz.
“It belongs to the people of Pakistan.”Governance and transparency remain central to TCF’s success. “Thirty years ago, we decided to hire the best management in Pakistan while we focused on oversight,” said Ahsan M. Saleem, Co-Founder.
“That’s why the promise we make to donors holds strong.”Marking its 30th year, TCF aims to nurture two million agents of positive change by 2030 through expanded access, teacher training, and public-sector partnerships. Its anniversary theme, “Karwaan Bunta Gaya, “the caravan grew as it moved”, captures a journey that began with five schools and now spans every province of Pakistan.