KARACHI: Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Thursday said that underprivileged students from The Citizens Foundation (TCF) had successfully qualified for admissions to prestigious universities and many of them had also passed the CSS exams and were currently working in national and multinational companies.

“The motto of the TCF ‘Quality education for the less privileged’ has had and is having an immense impact on our society,” the CM said while speaking at a programme titled “Greatness of Spirit in Karachi: Book Launch & Magsaysay Laureate Reunion,” which was organised by the TCF in collaboration with the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF) at a local hotel.

Mr Shah appreciated the TCF’s journey from five schools to nearly 2,000 schools across the country in the urban slums and rural communities.

“The Sindh government has given its 500 schools to TCF for their outstanding results,” he said and added that he was very pleased to know that the TCF students were qualifying for admission in prestigious universities and some of them had completed MBA from IBA and LUMS and qualified for CSS exams and Fulbright scholarships and were now serving both in national and multinational companies (MNCs).

Says alumni from foundation’s schools now serving in prestigious institutions, MNCs

The CM expressed his admiration for the RMAF for initiating that prestigious award which was now considered an `Asian Noble Prize’ in the field of public service. He also said that it was heartening to know that the RMAF award was given regardless of nationality, religion and ethnicity.

The Ramon Magsaysay Award, Asia’s premier prize and highest honour, recognizes the greatness of spirit shown in selfless service to the people of Asia regardless of race, gender or religion.

There have been 13 laureates from Pakistan of the award until now which are Henry Holland and Ronald Holland, Akhter Hameed Khan, Abdul Sattar Edhi and Bilqis Bano Edhi, Shoaib Sultan Khan, Asma Jahangir, Syed Adibul Hasan Rizvi, Tasneem Ahmed Siddiqui, Ruth Pfau, Ibn Abdur Rehman, The Citizens Foundation (TCF) and Muhammad Amjad Saqib.

The Chairperson of the RMAF Cecilia Lazaro hailed the Ramon Magsaysay Awardees from Pakistan as true heroes, acknowledging their unwavering dedication to fighting injustice and serving humanity with hope and optimism.

RMAF President Susanna B. Afan, through an online message emphasised the collective spirit of the awardees. “Their greatness of spirit is evident to address problems of human development, to forge partnerships, foster collaboration, and amplify their impact on a scale previously unimaginable,” she said.

Ahsan Saleem, chairman of the TCF, shared that it was a non-profit organisation set up in 1995 by a group of citizens.

“TCF is now one of Pakistan’s leading organisations in the field of education for the less privileged. The TCF model focuses on providing quality education through purpose-built schools. The organisation strives to ensure gender balance in its classrooms. To magnify its impact, and improve enrolment and quality of education, TCF is now adopting government schools across Pakistan,” he said.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2024