Story of Maula Bakhsh Brohi: Building Futures Through Collective Resolve In the quiet, resilient village of Khair Muhammad Village in Sindh, where generations have lived without electricity, clean water, or basic infrastructure, a remarkable journey of transformation began in 2022. Maula Bukhsh Brohi, a long-time resident and community leader, recalls the turning point vividly. “Our village had been settled for over a century, but we had no school, no healthcare, and no facilities. When the HDF team arrived and proposed setting up a school, we saw a glimmer of hope—and we chose to stand together.” — Maula Bukhsh Brohi With a deep understanding of development work, gained through his experience working with a local NGO, Maula Bukhsh recognized the opportunity and stepped forward. Offering two rooms from his own property—modest spaces shaded by trees—he became one of the first to actively support HDF’s mission in Khair Muhammad Village. But his contribution went far beyond offering space. He played a pivotal role in mobilizing the community, building trust, and ensuring everyone understood the value of education and healthcare. He facilitated meetings between HDF and the villagers, helping bridge cultural gaps, address concerns, and inspire ownership. Maula Bukhsh also collaborated with HDF to engage government stakeholders; advocating for public-sector support and connecting the organization with local authorities to strengthen the village’s access to long-term services. “I used to send my four children 5 kilometers away by motorcycle each day just so they could attend school. Not everyone in the village could afford the journey or transport. But every child deserves a chance to learn.” — Maula Bukhsh Brohi Thanks to this collective effort, 170 children in Khair Muhammad Village now receive education right within their community. But the impact didn’t stop there. Recognizing the urgent need for healthcare, a community health center was also established with HDF’s support. Previously, even minor health concerns required costly travel to distant hospitals. “For a simple stomach ache, people would spend Rs. 1,500–2,000 on transport just to reach a hospital 5–6 kilometers away. Now, those services are available right here, and lives are being safeguarded every day.” — Maula Bukhsh Brohi What began as a shared vision for education has blossomed into a broader movement of social capital development—where local leadership, trust, and collaboration have empowered a once-isolated village to take control of its future.
Village Development Organizations Location: All Regions, All Regions, Pakistan More than 1600 of these groups have been formed in HDF villages and are led by both men and women to identify and address the needs of the community. VDOs have become institutions in the community, and are the first stop for many who need help.
The Dedicated Women of Basti Rahim Di Wahi Location: Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab, Pakistan “Kehkashan” is run by women and has been the driving force behind many improvement projects in their village. The VDO has opened an adult literacy center and a center for basic garment training. Many women have taken advantage of these centers and are now able to better provide for their families. The women’s group also created a start-up for women’s clothing in 2017 and are now looking to expand their operations to make it more profitable. The VDO has been committed to the importance of education and all the children in the village are enrolled in school and are making great progress. One of the major issues the village faced, was a lack of proper sewage system and safe drinking water. With HDF’s guidance, this resourceful team mobilized to raise funds and built a well-managed sewage system and a water filtration plant. The ladies have not stopped there! Their current projects are to raise funds to pave all roads around the village, increase their adult literacy rate and provide training sessions on health and hygiene and the importance of safe drinking water. The lives of many have been improved thanks to the determined and dedicated women of Basti Rahim Di Wahi.
Education is a Powerful Tool for Women Location: Tando Muhammad Khan, Sindh, Pakistan Iqra Anum was one of the children enrolled in HDF Mustaqeem’s school. She received her primary education there in 2006 and continued her education. After graduation, she was selected at the University of Sindh for a Master’s program in Mathematics. Upon completing her Masters, she applied for the vacant post of Mathematics teacher at HDF’s Secondary School Kapoor Moree. She was selected and joined as a teacher in January 2018. Ms. Iqra has expressed her gratitude to HDF for opening Secondary Schools in their village. “Through the social mobilization efforts of HDF, awareness about education was created in my community. The formation of HDF Secondary School in the village has resulted in high enrollment of children because the school was near. VDOs play a vital role in creating awareness among people.”   Iqra Anum She mentioned that due to the efforts of HDF, not only her family, but all the villagers have started enrolling their children in schools. Her two brothers have studied at HDF schools and are now graduating from universities in Jamshoro and Nawabshah. VDO Mustaqeem now has a 100% enrollment rate.