The Human Development Foundation (HDF) is a non-profit dedicated to empowering communities in Pakistan. Since 1997, we’ve tackled poverty through programs in education, health, economic growth, environment, and social development, helping people build lives of dignity, opportunity, and hope.
At HDF, we go beyond aid to create lasting change. Through programs in education, health, economic growth, environment and social development, we empower communities to rise above poverty, ensuring that children learn, families thrive and generations flourish. We believe lasting transformation begins when people are empowered from within.
Founded by Pakistani expatriates in 1997, HDF set out to empower rural communities in Pakistan. With a vision of every child in school, healthcare for all, clean water and self-sustaining communities, HDF works to break the cycle of poverty and restore dignity.
At HDF, every act of kindness creates a ripple of hope. Your support brings education, healthcare, clean water and opportunities for communities to thrive. By donating, sponsoring, volunteering or partnering, you join a movement transforming lives across Pakistan, turning compassion into action and hope into reality.
HDF’s Education & Literacy Program ensures that every child especially girls have access to quality learning. By building schools, training teachers, and engaging communities, we break cycles of poverty and open doors to brighter futures.
Education is not just a right, it’s a powerful tool for breaking the cycle of poverty. At the Human Development Foundation (HDF), we believe every child, regardless of gender or geography, deserves access to quality education.
Yet, in Pakistan today:
These numbers represent lost potential and generational cycles of poverty.
These key stats reflect our commitment to empowering communities across Pakistan. Each number tells a story of hope, growth, and lasting impact created through your support
Schools opened so far
Children Enrolled
Participants Completed Adult Literacy Course
Teachers Trained
Schools are currently running across Pakistan
Students Enrollment
Girl's Enrollment Ensured
Digitally Connected Schools
This program has touched lives and created real impact. Explore these success stories to see the difference it made.
In many areas where we work, girls are the first to be left behind. Poverty, cultural barriers, and gender bias often prevent them from staying in school. That’s why girls’ education is central to our mission.
Challenging harmful norms and raising awareness about girls’ rights to education
Re-enrolling girls who dropped out due to early marriage, household labor, or lack of resources
Promoting leadership and empowerment among young girls through education and life skills
Working through Village Development Organizations (VDOs) to help parents see education as a pathway and not a burden
With your support, HDF is transforming underserved communities across Pakistan.
Building and operating schools in areas where access is limited or non-existent
Training local educators to deliver quality instruction in nurturing, inclusive classrooms
Engaging parents and communities to become advocates for education
Fostering a culture of curiosity and learning among children of all ages
Explore the projects under this program that showcase our commitment to creating lasting impact.
Learn how our efforts are improving school facilities to create spaces where students can thriv
In partnership with DMAID, the Human Development Foundation is proud to implement the Orphan Sponsor Program (OSP), a dedicated initiative providing critical support to vulnerable children across its operational regions since 2020. This program offers a structured quarterly stipend to 150 carefully selected orphans from HDF schools and surrounding communities in Islamabad-AJK, Mardan, Lahore, Tando Muhammad Khan, and Karachi. Each orphan receives DKK 3,000 annually (DKK 750 quarterly), funds that are strategically directed toward essential needs such as education, nutritious food, clothing, and medicine. To ensure integrity and impact, HDF employs a rigorous verification process for selection and conducts a minimum of one annual home visit for every child, allowing for personalized monitoring and continued assistance, thereby upholding our commitment to both immediate relief and sustainable well-being.
MFF – a US based family fund – started the beacon of light with formal schools in deprived and underserved communities of Pakistan. MFF is contributing to the education and health sector of Pakistan through HDF since 2007. Their work is not limited to education and health but they served the community through their efforts in water, sanitation, infrastructure, provision of health supplies like ambulance, medicines. Currently MFF projects on education and health are active in five (05) regions (Islamabad, Tando Muhammad Khan, Rahim Yar Khan, Mardan, and Karachi) positively impacting the communities and bringing changes in the lives of people. 35 water related projects including filtration plants, water purification plants and water schemes in all four (04) provinces of Pakistan providing clean drinking water to millions of populations.
The Adolescent and Adult Learning and Training Program (AALTP) addresses a critical gap in educational access by providing a second chance for vulnerable adolescents and adults who have missed formal schooling. This integrated initiative offers a dual-pathway to empowerment: an accelerated primary education curriculum for adolescents, preparing them for entry into secondary school, and basic functional literacy for adults. Currently, with the support of the Sindh Education Foundation (SEF), HDF is operating three AALTP centers in Karachi, actively reducing the number of Out-of-School children and youth while creating pathways to a more secure and prosperous future.