This is part of a limited series, “14 Days, 14 Stories”, about ordinary Pakistanis who are doing extraordinary things in order to give back to Pakistan.

These students, based in Peshawar, are tackling one of Pakistan’s biggest problems. Currently, we are confronted with problems of gigantic magnitude. The greatest problem is, however, the lack of opportunities. Hence, at this point in time, we need leaders who are zealous workers, not pretenders or imposters – the leaders who come out with example not precept.

Peshawar based, THE Society, founded by Sajid Ullah and Qaiser Nawab Khatak, embodies all the characteristics that a true leadership entity requires.

Two years ago, somewhere in 2014, the board results for Matric and Fsc turned out to be really horrendous with a large number of students from Peshawar and adjoining areas scoring F in English. This alarmed Qaiser Nawab and he vowed to himself that he would do something to counter the problem. Soon after, Mr. Qaiser discussed a raw idea with his friend Sajid Ullah (Sajid Ullah is currently a last year student at LUMS) as to how English has become a luxury that a majority of our population cannot afford and how they needed to combat it.

Back in 2011, Sajid Ullah and Qaiser Nawab used to volunteer at private and Fauji Foundation schools. They would teach children without any monetary incentive. It was during one of their classes that a kid asked them to speak “some English” for them so they could see how it sounds. The innocent remark was enough to break their hearts. They also observed that the pathetic academic conditions were further aggravated by low self-confidence and lack of extra curricular opportunities. In order to provide the underprivileged kids of their area a better future by giving them a platform where they could learn to be the responsible citizens of the society, Qaiser and Sajid laid the foundations of their organization – THE Society.

Today, THE Society seeks to make every common man of the country a responsible citizen, by providing them opportunities to hone their leadership, public speaking and soft skills.

Their efforts did not stop at providing education. In the recent past, they signed and MoU with a Catholic church in Tenesse, USA for the renovation of churches in Pakistan. When the practical work began, the founders began receiving phone calls from certain conservatively aligned people, asking them to immediately stop working on their plans, but they kept striving on.

Similarly, THE Society has launched campaigns in order to put an end to discrimination faced by the transgenders. Yet again, this initiative has not been receiving positive feedback from certain parts of their community and even from some of the members of THE Society itself. The organization, however, continues working on making Pakistan a better country, relentlessly.

Quality education, health, mutual harmony and peaceful co-existence of all forms of human races have always been the ultimate goal of THE Society.

The organization has also been endorsed by Malala Yousafzai owing to their efforts regarding an equal access to education. 

Some of the projects that have been carried out by THE Society, so far include awareness campaigns for transgender rights, distribution of things of need and Eid gifts among the IDPs,  seminars on matters of public importance and awareness drives about hazards of ills like smoking, blood camps, flood relief camps, seminars on education and events like cricket matches to help bring the community together. They have even conducted seminars, campaigns and awareness vigils for the Army Public School attack and similar events in the United States, as well.

If you wish to donate for this noble cause, contact the founders here.

For more stories from our series about extraordinary Pakistanis check out ‘14 Days, 14 Stories‘.

Cover Image Via: Sajid Ullah