Thirty Years, 2,261 Schools, One Education Movement: The Citizens Foundation’s Journey of Change

What began three decades ago as a modest effort by six friends to open five schools in Karachi’s katchi abadis has become one of Pakistan’s greatest education success stories. Today, The Citizens Foundation (TCF) operates 2,261 purpose-built schools, educating 320,000 students across the country a movement rooted in the belief that no child should be denied a classroom.
“TCF is a story of what can happen when people come together for a cause larger than themselves,” said Co-Founder and Director Mushtaq K. Chhapra. Since its founding in 1995, TCF has supported 71,000 graduates and nearly 293,000 adult learners through its Aagahi literacy programme, transforming not just children’s futures but entire communities.
Backed by a global network of donors and volunteers from the Pakistani diaspora, TCF’s reach now extends far beyond Pakistan. Its alumni study at leading universities including Harvard and IBA Karachi. “When you empower an individual with education, you transform a generation,” said Kainat Ansari, a TCF alumna at Harvard.
As it celebrates 30 years, TCF plans 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” captures the essence of a movement that began with five schools and now spans every province of Pakistan.