Our Story
Uraan Foundation was born from repeated visits to Pakistan by founder, Mohammad Imam, witnessing firsthand the stark inequalities that shape children’s futures. Growing up in Canada with access to universal education and healthcare made these contrasts impossible to ignore. For many children, especially girls, dreams are often limited not by talent or ambition, but by circumstance.
What began as reflection quickly became responsibility.
Alongside his mother, Saba, Uraan started humbly by donating school uniforms, books, and stationery to underfunded government schools. As trust grew within local communities, so did our scope, expanding from basic supplies to long-term educational infrastructure support.
Why Girls Education?
Educating girls transforms generations.
Pakistan has one of the largest populations of out-of-school children in the world. Behind this crisis are millions of girls whose education is interrupted or ended entirely not because of a lack of ability, but because of circumstance. For many girls, access to education is shaped by forces beyond their control: poverty, unsafe infrastructure, cultural expectations, and systemic gender inequality. These barriers do not exist in isolation they compound one another, making it increasingly difficult for girls to stay in school as they grow older.
The Reality Girls Face
Across Pakistan, approximately 25–26 million children aged 5–16 are out of school, with girls disproportionately affected particularly in low-income and underserved communities.
Girls are more likely to leave school due to:
Financial pressure on families, where boys’ education is prioritized
Unsafe or inadequate school facilities, including the absence of washrooms
Long or unsafe travel routes to school
Early domestic responsibilities and social expectations
For many girls, leaving school between the ages of 10 and 14 becomes permanent. Once education is disrupted, the opportunity to return is rare.
The Cost of Exclusion
When girls are denied an education, the impact extends far beyond the classroom.
Communities experience:
Higher rates of poverty and economic dependence
Poorer health outcomes for families
Increased vulnerability to early marriage and child labor
Lost potential for social and economic progress
Education is not only a personal right it is a foundation for public health, economic stability, and long-term development.
The Ripple Effect of Educating Girls
When girls are educated, the benefits multiply across generations.
Educated girls are more likely to:
Become economically independent
Raise healthier, better-educated families
Invest back into their communities
Advocate for education and opportunity for others
A single girl completing her education has the power to shift the trajectory of an entire family and, over time, entire communities.
Why Uraan Focuses on Girls
Uraan Foundation’s focus on girls is intentional.
By prioritizing those who face the greatest barriers, we work to create the greatest long-term impact. Our programs address not only access to education, but the conditions that make education possible safe infrastructure, nutrition, learning resources, and sustained support. From helping students get scholarships to school upgrades to our future model school, every initiative is designed to keep girls learning, growing, and thriving.
A Future That Begins With Education
When a girl stays in school, her future expands along with her
Community
Family
Country
URAAN
Where Dreams Learn to Fly
Empowering Children Through Education
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