Pakistan is gifted with beautiful landscapes, great amounts of arable land and a young and growing labor force (World Bank, 2018). It is also home to a profitable cotton industry, one of the largest in the world. However, the country’s undeniable potential for growth and sustainable development is currently impaired by social factors such as poverty and low levels of education. 

According to a recent analysis by The Economist, these are some of the factors slowing down the progress of education in Pakistan:

• Extremist government ruling in vulnerable areas;
• Poverty;
• Low quality of schools and
• Lack of financial investment by politicians.

Another factor that impacts literacy levels in Pakistan is foreign aid, whose on-and-off cycles have boosted and decreased the educational development. Even when the outside help was abundant, it was never sustainable; as soon as foreign assistance was withdrawn, the achieved progress was reversed in a matter of years. 

For this reason, TRY Foundation wants to have real local impact in communities that will self-sustain once we leave. By helping local foundations, we want to give voice to those who truly need it, so they can continue the work we started.

“A sustainable development path involves creating an inclusive society, not only in terms of economic welfare but also in terms of the voice and empowerment of all groups.” – World Bank

When children get a chance to enjoy higher levels of education and employment than their parents, the levels of inequality in a country are reduced. This cycle further allows for an autonomous society, where the children who receive an education became active changemakers within their communities.