NABILA WALJI FOUNDATION X AGA KHAN EDUCATION SERVICE, PAKISTAN
Where mountains meet possibility
In the valleys of Gilgit-Baltistan, a school is rising — one that will shape the lives of thousands of children for generations to come. We invite you to witness what is being built here.
PARTNERSHIP
Partnering with one of Pakistan's most trusted educational institutions
The Nabila Walji Foundation is proud to support the Aga Khan Education Service, Pakistan in the construction of the Aga Khan Higher Secondary School, Alyabad — a school designed to offer a full, nurturing journey of education from pre-primary through higher secondary level in one of the country's most breathtaking regions.
Through a formal Gift Agreement signed in April 2025, the Foundation has committed USD 3 million toward this project — not an investment in buildings alone, but in the futures of generations to come.
61,000
Students served by AKES, Pakistan across four provinces
#1
Among the largest private not-for-profit school networks in Pakistan
4
Regions: Gilgit-Baltistan, Chitral, Punjab & Sindh
DECADES
Of educational leadership across Pakistan's most remote communities
WHY THIS SCHOOL
More than a building — a commitment to human potential
The Aga Khan Education Service, Pakistan has spent decades proving that geography need not determine destiny — that a child in Gilgit-Baltistan deserves the same quality of learning as one in any major city in the world.
The Aga Khan Higher Secondary School, Alyabad will carry that legacy forward. From its earliest classrooms at pre-primary level through to higher secondary, it is designed to be a complete, rigorous, and deeply human environment — one that challenges young minds, celebrates curiosity, and prepares students not merely for examinations, but for life.
For the Nabila Walji Foundation, this partnership reflects a conviction held close to our heart: that the most enduring gift one can offer a community is the quality of its schools.
"The school really made us believe in ourselves — and these opportunities gave us real-life experience which I value to this day."
AFSHEEN JIWANI
Alumna, Aga Khan Higher Secondary School · Named among Canada's 100 Most Powerful Women
IN THE FIELD
Seeing it with one's own eyes — and believing in what can be
The landscapes of Gilgit-Baltistan are among the most extraordinary on earth. Towering peaks, ancient valleys, turquoise rivers threading through communities that have long been underserved by formal education infrastructure.
The Foundation visited the region to understand not just the project, but the place — its people, its resilience, and its hunger for the kind of education that changes the course of a family's story across generations.
What we found was a community ready. What we are helping to build is a school worthy of them.
A LIFE SHAPED BY THE SCHOOL
From a humble beginning in Karachi — to Canada's most powerful women
Afsheen Jiwani arrived at the Aga Khan Higher Secondary School as a quiet commerce student from a modest home. Her father was a salesman; her mother, a schoolteacher. They sacrificed so she could attend. When she was admitted, her father wept with pride.
What the school gave her was not only knowledge — it gave her a voice. Teachers who saw her potential placed her in debate competitions. The girl who once dreaded public speaking can today address a room of hundreds without hesitation.
After graduating, she earned an Aga Khan scholarship, built a career in international fundraising, moved her family to Toronto — and rose to become Campaigns Director, Major Gifts at one of Canada's foremost hospital foundations. In 2023, she was named among Canada's 100 Most Powerful Women.
She credits it all to resilience, courage and confidence — qualities, she says, her school gave her first.]
Afsheen Jiwani
Alumna, Aga Khan Higher Secondary School, Karachi
Story source: Aga Khan Development Network
JOIN THE JOURNEY
Every great school begins
with someone who believed
We are inviting you to walk alongside us — to witness what becomes possible when institutions, communities, and generous hearts unite around a shared belief that education changes everything.
How to complete your gift?
Option 1: Aga Khan Foundation (All Countries)
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- Select your country
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Please don't skip this step — it ensures your gift reaches the right place and is honoured in Nabila's name.