Seema Aziz
Lighting a Path in Pakistan
Innovations Case Narrative:
Bareeze and CARE Foundation Pakistan
Hold high the torch!
You did not light its glow—
’Twas given you by other hands, 你知道.
’Tis yours to keep it burning bright,
Yours to pass on.
For there are other feet we must guide,
And other forms go marching by our side;
Their eyes are watching every smile and tear
And efforts which we think are not worthwhile,
Are sometimes just the very helps they need,
Actions to which their souls would give most heed;
So that in turn they’ll hold it high and say
“I watched someone else carry it this way.”
Hold high the torch!
You did not light its glow—
’Twas given you by other hands, 你知道.
I think it started down its pathway bright,
The day the Maker said: “Let there be light.”
Being an entrepreneur and an educator for the last 27 年, every time I have faced
any obstacles in my path, these words have given me the motivation to continue.
In both roles, I have sought to influence change through example, learning every-
thing myself before teaching it to others, inculcating a constant drive to innovate,
and a firm commitment to quality in every endeavor that I undertook. This has
helped me establish a discipline that has allowed me to give adequate time to
Bareeze and CARE, enabling both ventures to grow simultaneously.
Bareeze began as a personal challenge, even a dare, to make an absolutely
Pakistani product that could meet the world’s highest standards of quality. 在 1985,
Seema Aziz is the Founder and CEO of Bareeze and the Founder and Chairwoman
of the CARE Foundation.
© 2012 Seema Aziz
创新 / 体积 7, 数字 1
19
从http下载的://direct.mit.edu/itgg/article-pdf/7/1/19/704881/inov_a_00112.pdf by guest on 08 九月 2023
Seema Aziz
my brother and I, using modest resources, started Bareeze in a basement in a mar-
ket area in Lahore. 现在, 27 years on, the retail network of Bareeze has expanded
into one of Pakistan’s largest retail chains, with a presence throughout Pakistan and
in several other countries through over 400 points of sale and a team of over 5,000
雇员. Almost simultaneously with my efforts to help build the family of gar-
ment and textile brands, I have sought to provide quality marketable education to
the young people of Pakistan through the welfare foundation I established in 1988:
CARE Foundation. CARE started with one school and now operates 225 自由的
学校, educating 160,000 of the nation’s children. We train all of our schools’
教师, and ensure that the highest standards of education are met in each one of
our schools. The joy of creation and a strong impulse to serve those in need drives
me today, as it did when we began.
“MADE IN PAKISTAN”: THE BUSINESS FROM 1985 TO THE PRESENT
When I decided to start Bareeze with my brother, everyone laughed at the idea.
People thought we were crazy to believe that we could produce a high-quality
product in Pakistan. 然而, we were young enough and crazy enough to think
that we could do it. The first woman in my family to go into business, I did not
even have a business background or an education in textiles and design; 然而,
the motivation to make world-class embroidered fabrics drove me to start Bareeze
27 years ago with my brother.
At the time, expensive textiles in Pakistan were mostly foreign products, 自从
the fabrics produced in the country were not comparable in terms of quality and
设计. My father had set up an embroidery unit with two Swiss embroidery
machines, like those used around the world to produce Swiss and Austrian embroi-
dery of the highest quality. Over a hundred such machines were in use in Pakistan,
but still the product they were sending to the market was low quality and did not
compare to those produced elsewhere in the world. It hit me that the same
machines could be used to produce high-quality fabric in Pakistan. 毕竟, 这
Swiss and the Austrians were using them to produce amazing products. Quality is
not entirely determined by the machines; the people standing behind them matter
更多的. We tweaked the machines and ensured that the people operating them were
trained to be efficient and to do quality work, spent about eight months on prod-
uct design, and spent our own money for it to be manufactured.
The idea immediately encountered critics. People said a high-quality product
could not be produced in Pakistan, and we were sure to fail. The fabric of Bareeze
proved the critics wrong. We ensured that each stage of production would be car-
ried out immaculately. From choosing and creating the right quality of pure cotton
cloth to quality thread and the detail of embroidery, each process was monitored
and evaluated. For quality dyeing, we had to find a vendor and train him so that he
would conform to our standards. None of the small dyeing units that we could
afford at the time could fathom the idea that we actually wanted colors that would
not bleed or fade on the first wash. That created an additional problem: – our prod-
20
创新 / Unleashing Ideas
从http下载的://direct.mit.edu/itgg/article-pdf/7/1/19/704881/inov_a_00112.pdf by guest on 08 九月 2023
Lighting a Path in Pakistan
uct was too expensive. Quality, 然而, is expensive; we paid more per yard just
for dyeing than it would cost to buy dyed cloth.
We had overcome one obstacle but still had to find a way to sell our fabric to
the Pakistani customer. We got offers for our entire stock, which the buyers would
then have stamped with “Made in France” or “Made in England” and sell locally as
imported goods. 反而, we stamped “Made in Pakistan” on each yard of our fab-
ric. We preferred to have our fabric sit in stores than to sell it under another name.
We quickly developed a
reputation as the shop that
sold fabric that we imported
but called Pakistani.
Everyone who walked in
would not believe that we
had made it ourselves, 在
巴基斯坦.
Taking a leap of faith, 我们
bought a shop in the basement of
the Shadman Market, a foreign
fabric market where all the smug-
gled products turn up. 女性
went there to buy fabrics, 无论
smuggled, imported, or local, so it
was the best place for a new brand
to be introduced. We designed the
store to fit our product line: ele-
gant and functional, with straight
clean lines and nothing over the
顶部. This design stood out in the
crowded market and attracted cus-
tomers to the “unique” store. 我们
quickly developed a reputation as
the shop that sold fabric that we
imported but called Pakistani. Everyone who walked in would not believe that we
had made it ourselves, in Pakistan. I had to show them the designs and carefully
explain the process before they would believe it was Pakistani. Then they would
exclaim, “哦! Then it’s too expensive!” They were willing to pay any price for for-
eign manufactured fabric but were reluctant to pay for Pakistani products of the
same quality. People do not understand that it is expensive to produce quality.
Using the right dyes, the right fabric, and the right embroidery makes a product
昂贵的. Not to mention the added cost of 100 percent quality checking at every
stage of production.
The business grew quickly. At the end of 1985, after only six months, 我们
opened the second Bareeze shop in Karachi. It followed our visit to a trade exhibi-
tion in Karachi where Bareeze met with a great response and we sold out our entire
stock on the first day. Everyone who walked in appreciated our fabrics and many
women thanked us for giving them pure cotton to wear. The climate in Pakistan
makes synthetic fiber unbearable. But in the 1980s, cotton was not considered
fancy enough for party or evening wear. Women preferred “American Georgettes”
and Chiffons, which were all polyester mixes. Since imported goods dominated the
市场, no one had tailored their product to fit the climate and needs of the
Pakistani consumer. Bareeze started as a pure cotton enterprise to do just that. 我们
创新 / 体积 7, 数字 1
21
从http下载的://direct.mit.edu/itgg/article-pdf/7/1/19/704881/inov_a_00112.pdf by guest on 08 九月 2023
Seema Aziz
developed beautifully embroidered cotton fabric that took the market by storm,
and today we are credited with establishing cotton as suitable for chic party wear.
After our shop in Karachi, we had to maintain our momentum. At the time,
the concept of a chain or brand did not exist in Pakistan. Business owners would
sit in their own shops and sell the products themselves. We had always employed
and trained staff to run our stores, and with our third and fourth stores, we had
completely broken away from the traditional business model; we started the con-
cept of franchising with our store in Rawalpindi. We quickly created another store
in Lahore and then Islamabad, and by then we were on our way to becoming the
first textile chain in the country.
To manage our brand in part-
nership operations, all our
stores, whether company owned
or franchised, look exactly the
相同的. 此外, we created
standard rules of operation for
how the franchisees should
工作, 操作, and sell the prod-
uct, including the look of the
store and how they would hire
and pay the employees. 起初,
people did not always want to go
by these rules, and we had to
manage many franchises our-
自己. We found it much easier
to allow franchisees to simply
invest in a shop while we man-
aged the systems and ran the
stores. And with the popularity
of the product, as we opened one store after another, a very strong and positive
brand awareness was created within Pakistan, with Bareeze becoming a household
姓名.
We were the first company in
Pakistan to stand behind our
brand completely. Being a
pioneer in many ways, Bareeze
has influenced change through
例子; succeeding as a
brand by empowering the
顾客, and providing them
with the best quality and
awareness of their rights.
We were the first company in Pakistan to stand behind our brand completely.
Being a pioneer in many ways, Bareeze has influenced change through example;
succeeding as a brand by empowering the customer, and providing them with the
best quality and awareness of their rights. Customers have always received the
utmost respect and care from us and we listen to their complaints until they feel
completely satisfied, taking back any defective fabric immediately and ensuring
that the defects are analyzed and do not occur again. The first fabric brand in the
country and now the largest retail chain, standing behind our product was
absolutely a pioneering concept that has enabled us to come this far.
As our popularity grew, it felt natural to expand our chain internationally. 我们
opened a store in Dubai, the first Pakistani brand to do so, and received an over-
whelmingly positive response from the market. We went on to open stores in Abu
22
创新 / Unleashing Ideas
从http下载的://direct.mit.edu/itgg/article-pdf/7/1/19/704881/inov_a_00112.pdf by guest on 08 九月 2023
Lighting a Path in Pakistan
Dhabi and Sharjah, and we now have six stores in the Middle East. Eventually we
opened a store in Malaysia and three in the United Kingdom. We were conserva-
tive with our growth in the early years. We believed in buying every store instead
of renting them, and expanded our business entirely by reinvesting profits.
然而, as the business has grown, we have become more confident and liberal
in our approach.
In a further quest for quality, ten years ago we set up a dyeing and finishing
unit to ensure the quality and finish of our product. Since we no longer outsource
these processes, we can directly monitor them, and this has made a huge difference
to the quality that we can produce. The unit has made a name for itself in the mar-
ket, doing work for local and international buyers apart from our own product
线.
We evolved from a pure fabric brand to a ready-to-wear brand in 1994 与
introduction of Leisure Club, a casual ready-to-wear line for children from ages 4
到 15. The brand was an immediate success with both boys and girls. Over the
年, the garment industry and consumer market in Pakistan have evolved, 创造-
ing demand for other kinds of apparel and textiles. Bareeze has led these changes,
raising people’s desires through constant innovation and introducing exciting new
concepts in Pakistan’s market through several other brands, all made in Pakistan
and all of unmatched quality. Soon after Leisure Club, we started Minnie Minors,
a line of clothing for children from infants to age five; it has allowed us to expand
into manufacturing a line of soft toys. Our Mom 2 Be brand is the first in Pakistan
to market and produce maternity clothes for the expectant mother. We also
expanded our apparel line to include Chinyere, the largest chain of designer wear
in Pakistan, which provides prêt-a-porter, casual, formal couture, and bridal wear
collections. Urban Culture offers casual western wear for youth, while Working
Woman caters to women looking for professional apparel, and Kayseria provides
designer printed fabrics. Bareeze has also diversified into home furnishings
through Home Expressions. Bareeze Man was recently added to cater to the needs
of young men. This past summer, we added Rang Ja to the family of apparel
brands, showcasing clothes inspired by rich colors and youthful cuts, combining
traditional Pakistani craft with Western cuts.
These new brands, as well as our new dyeing unit and our expanded manufac-
turing capabilities within our embroidery mills, have helped us to stay competitive
and to grow in the Pakistani and international market. At present, we have 400
points of sale around the world. Market needs are always evolving, and we like to
be one step ahead of the trends so that we don’t just follow but create them. 我们的
growth continues through innovation and an absolute commitment to quality—to
always provide the best to our customer.
BAREEZE MODEL: MICROENTREPRENEURSHIP
Sefam, Bareeze’s parent company, has always pursued socially conscious brands
that produce high-quality goods and use local resources. 所以, we have tried
创新 / 体积 7, 数字 1
23
从http下载的://direct.mit.edu/itgg/article-pdf/7/1/19/704881/inov_a_00112.pdf by guest on 08 九月 2023
Seema Aziz
Rukhsana Rasheed
Rukhsana Rasheed is one such woman. When she was only 16, her father died
and she took on responsibility for her entire household, postponing her educa-
tion to earn money for her family. She spent a year looking for work, to no avail,
because she had no education or skills. Then a woman from her neighborhood
brought her to the office and we entered her in a program that would teach her
to embroider. At her age, suddenly thrown into a factory environment, she found
the experience daunting and nearly gave up. But her supervisor encouraged and
mentored her through her training period. She started work as a helper, com-
pleted her studies on the side, and then joined the smocking department. 那里
she learned how to smock dresses and started to take work home with her. 现在
she manages the department. The team that she leads goes into neighborhoods
and finds women who want to do this work; they then train them and give them
work to take home. This approach works because many women cannot leave
their homes to look for work; even if they can, they don’t know where to look.
与我们一起, they receive training and can earn a living. The women start with a cou-
ple of dresses each week; as they develop their skill, they take on more work and
find more women who can share it with them. Rukhsana’s sister is in school and
takes on weekly work to support her education. Her brother finished college and
works in the IT department at Sefam.
Through the program, 50 other women have started their own small busi-
内塞斯. They take work from the company each week and distribute it among
women in their neighborhoods.
Bushra Ashraf is another such woman. Divorced from her husband, she lives
with her parents, 孩子们, and two younger sisters. She took on embroidery
work from her neighbors and sewed their clothes to make a living, but still did
not have enough money to run her household. Then she found out about Sefam,
came to the company, and learned the trade. She taught her sisters and three
other girls from her neighborhood how to smock, and they started to take on
bigger and bigger orders from Sefam. Currently she finishes 20 sets per week, 或者
关于 180 dresses.
our best to support and develop the skills of people working with us every step of
the way. Our promotion of entrepreneurship among our vendors best expresses
this intention, as we help our partners create more jobs in their field. We also
actively seek other vendors who can grow their ventures, and provide them with
the technical and financial help they need to do so.
A core philosophy behind the company is to produce locally and develop and
train local talent. Frameworks that support entrepreneurs, like microenterprise
and social enterprise models, help to build capacity and generate job growth. 和
our brands, we have always tried to stimulate the local market. Despite the fact that
it is cheaper to outsource some of our production to neighboring countries, 我们
24
创新 / Unleashing Ideas
从http下载的://direct.mit.edu/itgg/article-pdf/7/1/19/704881/inov_a_00112.pdf by guest on 08 九月 2023
Lighting a Path in Pakistan
keep production local. At first we provided work to women in underdeveloped
地区. We would advertise and train women and then give them work to take
home. As they became skilled, we would give more work so that they could train
more women, and thus the work expanded. When we first started making dresses
for little girls, 例如, I wanted to make smocked frocks, but to my horror I
found out that there was no trained workforce to do this on a large scale. So we
trained women to meet our production needs. 随着时间的推移, we developed a whole
team and established a separate department for them.
Sefam has maintained its commitment to community growth and develop-
ment since its inception. We actively go into communities to look for workers;
word of mouth brings many people seeking help in developing their businesses.
Through the ups and downs of the world economy, Sefam has done very well. 我们
never compromise on quality and all our production is done by local workers.
When I started the first brand under Sefam, no one believed that a local Pakistani
company could produce such quality. 但, by encouraging and developing
microenterprise ventures, we have created more jobs.
然而, I still believe that only education can solve all the problems of unem-
ployment. Every person who has worked with us indicates that his or her child’s
education is their number one priority. They know that only through education
can their child become a productive member of the global community.
PROVIDING QUALITY EDUCATION:
CARE FOUNDATION, 1988 TO PRESENT
In a country with illiteracy rates as high as 69.4 percent for women and 40.2 每-
cent for men, people have few opportunities to escape the spiral of poverty and
失业. The picture grows darker when one learns that “literacy” is
defined as a person’s ability to sign his or her name. This means that even many in
the “literate” population do not actually have an education that will enable them to
get a job or be productive members of society. I first realized that only education
can empower the underprivileged and marginalized segments of society, 和亲-
vide a solution to most problems facing Pakistan today, when I entered the
Sheikhupura district of Pakistan to help the victims of the terrible flood of the Ravi
and Chenab rivers. Some friends and I borrowed a jeep and went through the
water to deliver food, 水, and medicine to those most affected by the catastro-
phe. In one area where hundreds had lost their homes, we committed to an effort
to rebuild and collected money to assist in reconstructing 75 homes.
On my visits to Sheikhupura to oversee the construction work, I felt like the
Pied Piper; a trail of half-naked children, with runny noses and matted hair, 遵循-
lowed me everywhere. The children were always covered in dirt since the entire
区域, 只是 15 miles outside of the cultural capital of Pakistan, Lahore, had no run-
ning water or electricity. I asked the women, “Why do they follow me around?”
“What should they do?” “Why don’t they go to school?” Their reply shocked me.
“There is no school” they told me. I asked them whether they would want a school
创新 / 体积 7, 数字 1
25
从http下载的://direct.mit.edu/itgg/article-pdf/7/1/19/704881/inov_a_00112.pdf by guest on 08 九月 2023
Seema Aziz
to be constructed there. They all replied in the affirmative, going as far as to tell me
to stop construction on the homes if need be and construct the school. It made me
realize how desperately keen everyone was to somehow create a better life for their
孩子们. I realized that the floods could come again and could knock down the
houses we built. Each time that happened, these affected communities would have
to rely on someone like me to help them rebuild. But besides the resources, 什么
made us different from one another? My education had empowered me, 然后
made all the difference. If the people from these communities were educated, 他们
would not need me to champion their cause, they could themselves work for their
权利. The realization hit
that these people would be
helpless once again unless
they possessed what no flood
could take away from them:
教育. The people could
help themselves and improve
their lives if only they had the
education to do so.
I knew I had to build a school
那里. When I floated the idea, 我
met with opposition. 统计数据
on the hundreds of government
school buildings standing
empty were shown to me to
prove the point that the poor
did not want an education.
I knew I had to build a
school there. When I floated
the idea, I met with opposi-
的. Statistics on the hun-
dreds of government school
buildings standing empty
were shown to me to prove
the point that the poor did
not want an education. At that time—and I am sure this attitude persists today—
many had bought into the belief that the poor do not want to study or achieve. 但
I knew they wanted an education. To deprive them of an education meant failing
to provide them with a basic right. I have never met anyone who does not love their
children as we all do, or does not share the same dreams for their success and wel-
fare. But differences in opportunity lead to the differences in outcomes and liveli-
头罩.
I asked family and friends for contributions. 幸运的是, I managed to get the
money together, convinced a donor to donate land, and we built a school. 在
一月 1991, when CARE 1 opened its doors, 250 students were standing outside
and they enrolled eagerly on the very first day. The same children with the runny
noses and matted hair were lined up for a chance to a better life. The concept of
equality of opportunity drove us from the beginning. After working in the com-
munity for months, I had realized with absolute clarity that education was the only
equalizer that would provide them with the ability to stand on their own feet.
然而, for it to be a true equalizer, it has to be an equal education. Pakistan has
a two-language system, and access to English creates divisions between economic
类, with the less privileged not having access to an English medium education.
26
创新 / Unleashing Ideas
从http下载的://direct.mit.edu/itgg/article-pdf/7/1/19/704881/inov_a_00112.pdf by guest on 08 九月 2023
Lighting a Path in Pakistan
I was determined to give these children an equal education, just like I had when I
grew up. To make things more difficult, 95 percent of the population was com-
pletely illiterate. Another obstacle was finding qualified teachers to teach in the
区域. Getting teachers from Lahore was not an economically viable option. 我们
advertised, set minimum criteria, and started accepting applications from the area.
After recruiting, we trained the teachers ourselves, a practice that we follow to this
天. The children came in all sizes and ages, so we had to make special arrange-
ments for the older children, who moved through the material much more quick-
ly and learned much faster. After six months of hard work from everyone at the
学校, the children began to do really well. When we first started the school, 我们
had to provide the students
with clean uniforms, and every
morning we did a basic lesson
on teaching hygiene and clean-
liness rules to get the students
washed, combed, and ready for
学校. Within six months, 这
children had picked up the rou-
tine and become neat and
干净的. They were completely
changed students, enthusiasti-
cally participating in all school
活动.
Word spread that there was a
school where education was
正在发生, real education,
and the next year, 我们
enrolled 450 孩子们. 这
year after that, 850.
Word spread that there was
a school where education was happening, real education, and the next year, 我们
enrolled 450 孩子们. The year after that, 850. We were falling over ourselves to
add to the infrastructure to accommodate the huge flow of students to build more
房间. By the fourth year, we had to start a second shift to accommodate the flood
of children. Things went very well; within five years, the first group of students
took the graduation exam and got a 100 percent result. By then we had another
piece of donated land, ten miles on, and built our second school. The process was
much easier, thanks to our experience with the first school. We picked the best
three of the best teachers and administrators from the first school and sent them
to work on the second one to hire and train the new staff. The most talented peo-
ple from the first school were picked and sent to work on the second one. 很快
后, we did much the same thing to create a third school, 50 miles away in
Muridke Narowal, a very underserved rural area.
在 1995, the parents of some of the girls who had graduated from CARE 1 苏格-
gested we build a college. I resisted, thinking that the school was what I had set out
to do. I asked the parents to send their children to another college nearby. 他们,
然而, insisted that CARE provide college education, as there were no other col-
leges in the area and the girls could not go to the city. We were already successful-
ly running the three CARE schools at the time, 然而, and the students needed
to study more. Having started a process, we had to let the students continue to suc-
创新 / 体积 7, 数字 1
27
从http下载的://direct.mit.edu/itgg/article-pdf/7/1/19/704881/inov_a_00112.pdf by guest on 08 九月 2023
Seema Aziz
ceed, so we built a college. With that, we offered 12 full years of school for students
who previously had no access to any educational opportunities. By then we knew
that this experiment had become hugely successful. 迄今为止, CARE has opened 16
purpose-built schools with excellent educational facilities in the rural areas around
Lahore, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Kasur, Dera Ismail Khan, and Sheikhupura.
Resistance came from the
teachers’ unions, 哪个
were surprised to see the
motivation of CARE
teachers and the quality of
education we imparted.
In Pakistan, 然而, you cannot educate a few thousand children and think
you have accomplished anything. At present, seven million children of primary
school age are not in school. With every passing year, we are losing more children
to the darkness of illiteracy. 因此, with the vision of reaching every child in
巴基斯坦, we pioneered a model of public-private partnership in the education sec-
托尔. Through this model, we adopt
government schools and run them. 在
the first step, we provide all the infra-
structural support that the school
需要, ensuring that the building is
up to our standards and that there are
toilets, clean drinking water, labs, 和
a library available for the students.
Most importantly, 然而, we put in
our management system and teachers
to supplement the existing teachers in
学校. Our management
这
ensures proper monitoring and evalu-
ation of the school to ensure that a
standard of education is maintained. 因此, dropout rates fall and children
receive the education they deserve. The project is scalable, replicable and cost
effective. Our graduates are doing really well. Nearly every year, our students get
positions in the school leaving exams, and also get admissions into the best col-
leges in the country, and graduating from there with honors too.
The school adoption project started in 1998 when the government invited
CARE to adopt some of the government-run schools in Lahore. The government
of the time recognized that the government-run schools needed intervention.
They had visited the CARE schools and knew the work that we were doing, edu-
cating between 3,500 和 4,000 children through our schools. The invitation
involved bringing some of the government’s schools under the foundation’s man-
agement and control, so I went to visit the schools in question. What I saw horri-
fied me. The schools were a mess: no drinking water, no lights or fans, no floors or
ceilings, and heaps of garbage strewn about instead of furniture. Nearly all the chil-
dren sat on the floor on little bags they had brought from home, dressed in their
neat little uniforms as they waited for an education that would never happen. 我
agreed to take on ten of the 25 schools they had offered me, but under the condi-
tion that I could monitor the education and train the teachers myself. After months
of negotiations, they complied, and on September 1, 1998, we entered, 完全地
ready and with everyone trained.
28
创新 / Unleashing Ideas
从http下载的://direct.mit.edu/itgg/article-pdf/7/1/19/704881/inov_a_00112.pdf by guest on 08 九月 2023
Lighting a Path in Pakistan
桌子 1. Comparison of CARE and government figures in education
Resistance came from the teachers’ unions, which were surprised to see the
motivation of CARE teachers and the quality of education we imparted. In a meet-
ing called at the town hall, the union representatives claimed my young team had
too little experience to tackle the longstanding issues of poor quality education and
high dropout rates at the government schools. One union representative said that
in his school of 300 孩子们, 23 percent had passed the qualification exam—and
he seemed quite proud of that figure. This appalled me: we had always shot for 100
percent graduation rates at our schools. Any objections that they raised, we han-
dled professionally, never compromising on our standards and rules. They allowed
us to continue, based on the results of CARE’s own schools. The government
schools that we adopted showed marked improvement. Teachers started comply-
ing to our rules gradually and we continued with regular training to introduce new
and improved teaching methodologies. 不久, the government called me into
the town hall again and acknowledged the great job we had done with the govern-
ment schools we had adopted. Enrollment in some of the schools had gone up by
超过 100 百分. They offered me the chance to take over all the schools in Lahore.
I had to refuse the offer because we lacked the money to support all the schools.
然而, I have gradually taken on more schools as the money has become avail-
有能力的. Other than our own custom-built campuses, we have now adopted over 210
schools and have 146,000 children enrolled in them across Pakistan. Four govern-
ment schools from Karachi became part of CARE earlier this year, and we are cur-
rently adopting more government schools from Faisalabad. The results from our
创新 / 体积 7, 数字 1
29
从http下载的://direct.mit.edu/itgg/article-pdf/7/1/19/704881/inov_a_00112.pdf by guest on 08 九月 2023
Seema Aziz
schools have been phenomenal and very encouraging. We have adopted ten
schools that were closed down and nonfunctional. Today there are 700-800 stu-
dents in each one of these schools. Our students consistently secure top places in
the board examinations, with matriculation pass rates of 87 percent in science and
80 percent in arts, 一般. One hundred of our schools run on double shifts to
be able to accommodate twice the number of children. We realize that we still have
a long way to go, but our work has made us realize that it really is doable.
CARE’s public-private partnership can help us achieve our target of enrolling
one million students within the next five years and can help solve the problems of
the education system in Pakistan, being an easily replicable model proven to pro-
vide quality education to the masses at minimum cost.
We consider CARE teachers to be our biggest asset and the reason behind the
tremendous success of CARE schools. Fifty percent of children who enroll in pri-
mary school in Pakistan drop out before class 5, mainly because schools lack qual-
ified teachers who can keep children interested in their classes. At CARE Teacher
Training Centre (TTC), 建立在 2001 at Shadman, Lahore, CARE trains its
own teachers as well as government teachers in innovative and creative teaching
methodologies, curriculum development, new class management techniques, 和
the introduction of supplementary lessons on health, hygiene, and the environ-
蒙特. In this country, rote learning has dominated the education system. CARE
has changed that by training our teachers to encourage the students to think,
speak, and question. The process of changing the mindsets of teachers takes time
and consistent training. 然而, once the teachers see the response from the stu-
凹痕, they themselves want to learn more. By training teachers, CARE has sub-
stantially reduced absenteeism and dropout rates. 现在, CARE employs 2,200
教师, 和 1,750 of them placed in CARE’s adopted government schools.
We want to provide every child with an honest and complete opportunity for
gainful employment and a better living. Once our schools grew, we realized that
many of our students couldn’t continue because of lack of money. 所以, 我们
started the CARE Scholarship Program, providing financial support to academi-
cally brilliant students through their higher education in the leading universities of
巴基斯坦, including University of Engineering and Technology, King Edward
Medical University, Allama Iqbal Medical College, Government College
大学, and Kinnaird College. 超过 800 students have benefited from the
scholarship scheme so far. Our first student from a village school graduated from
King Edward Medical College ten years ago, a school that is ranked the number
two medical school in the country. He was soon followed by our first girls from the
village schools.
As a further commitment to equality of opportunity and to be equal candidates
in the marketplace, 在 2004 CARE initiated a special English language develop-
ment program called ACCESS. This two-year program prepares students to
become fluent speakers of English, which significantly enhances their confidence
and outlook and gives them much better mastery of the language. Morever, it helps
remove all linguistic barriers for students who could benefit from opportunities in
30
创新 / Unleashing Ideas
从http下载的://direct.mit.edu/itgg/article-pdf/7/1/19/704881/inov_a_00112.pdf by guest on 08 九月 2023
Lighting a Path in Pakistan
CARE Achievements
225 学校
160,000 Students
60,000 Graduates
2,200 教师
30 ACCESS to English Language Centers
800 Scholarship Students
Enterprise Development Centre
Teacher Training Centre
higher education and jobs. Today ACCESS is a beacon of hope for many children
and their parents. ACCESS students have acquired jobs in several multinational
companies at very high salaries, thanks to their ability to communicate effectively.
现在, 30 ACCESS centers are operating successfully in CARE schools. It is a
program that truly changes lives.
CARE has made a move toward self-sustainability through its CARE Crafts
程序. This is a small initiative, 然而, and we hope that it will grow in the
未来, providing more jobs to women from rural areas and supporting more
学校. Once we started helping in the flood, affected regions in 1988, the area
was faced with three major problems. 第一的, there were no schools, 第二, 女性
needed jobs, 第三个, dispensaries were required. We started a small industrial
home in the school building that operated after school hours. We trained the
women in stitching and embroidery. These women then made handicrafts with
immaculate finesse for CARE Crafts, and we reinvested the revenue generated
from the sale of each item into CARE. Uniquely, the CARE Crafts concept utilizes
leftover materials from Bareeze that would otherwise go to waste, finding yet more
value for its investment in materials. Over the years we have trained many women,
despite the fact that industrial homes are no longer functioning.
Given the huge scope of CARE’s operations, everyone asks me where I get the
money to keep growing the foundation. Quite simply, people have realized the
importance of quality education for all. Our project needed, and still needs, 到
grow bigger, and financial resources are the only obstacle to further growth. 我们
would love to take on 100 more schools right now. We have the ability to do that,
but it costs us roughly 450 rupees (US$5) to educate one child each month. That equals over 9,000,000 rupees ($100,000) a month for our entire operation. 我们可以
change the entire country with education, but we need more money to do that.
Despite our efforts, literacy rates in Pakistan have declined, not because schools
have collapsed but because the population has grown faster than anybody’s ability
to provide education. Only education can cure that population bomb. Even if we
do nothing else but get every child into school, we could change everything.
After all these years, I am humbled to see the passion and drive of Pakistani
people who want to succeed despite all the hardships and disasters Pakistan has
创新 / 体积 7, 数字 1
31
从http下载的://direct.mit.edu/itgg/article-pdf/7/1/19/704881/inov_a_00112.pdf by guest on 08 九月 2023
Seema Aziz
faced over the years. Their passion and resilience provides me with the motivation
to continue my work, a work that I will continue until every last child is in school.
Business and entrepreneurship are critically important for the growth of Pakistan.
My experience in business has helped me provide avenues of growth to people.
然而, for the people of Pakistan to become entrepreneurs and start businesses,
they need a solid education, and that is what we aim to do with CARE. 我们会
like to empower people to become entrepreneurs, as entrepreneurs are the local
agents of change who will bring sustainable change in Pakistan.
Acknowledgements: The author thanks Adam Hasler, who contributed to writing this
案件, and Philip Auerswald, Sara Shroff, and Elmira Bayrasli, who conducted the
interview from which parts of this case were derived.
ANNEX. CARE GRADUATE STUDENTS’ STORIES
Muhammad Ali
Ali completed his matriculation from CARE-
Adopted Government Islamia Boys High School,
Misri Shah, Lahore, 在 2009. He went on to do his
FSc, and is now pursuing his BS in mass communi-
cation from the Virtual University. It was in his
final year of matric that Ali joined CARE’s
ACCESS-to-English program at Sheranwala
Centre. ACCESS is a two-year program that focus-
es on English language development in a holistic
环境: children learn English, computer skills, 科学-
恩塞斯, 历史, 地理; participate in debates,
drama, and much more. After graduating from this
程序, Ali had the confidence and skills to pur-
sue higher studies and a career. After completing
his studies, Ali joined CARE’s ACCESS program as
a teaching assistant, where he worked for a year. He also earned a little income
through home tutoring. Things looked up when Ali landed a job as a telesales rep-
resentative at Ovex Technologies, where he has now been working for the last ten
月.
Ali is the eldest of five siblings. Three of them have joined CARE’s ACCESS
program and all are studying. Their father died two years ago. Ali admits that fend-
ing for his family has been a financial strain on him. It was his experience in
ACCESS that opened doors for him. He says he is a different person now. Apart
from linguistics, he has acquired manners and the confidence to move about in
society and survive in this challenging environment. His job pays very well. 他是
satisfied that he is now in a position to take care of his family.
32
创新 / Unleashing Ideas
从http下载的://direct.mit.edu/itgg/article-pdf/7/1/19/704881/inov_a_00112.pdf by guest on 08 九月 2023
Lighting a Path in Pakistan
Lubna Amjad
在
Lubna graduated from Government
College University (GCU) with the
class of 2010 in BSc (Hons) 马泰-
matics and currently is applying for
admission to a PhD program in
mathematics. She secured 1st posi-
的
the GCU mathematics
department and received a gold
medal in the graduation ceremony.
Lubna shared her delight in the fol-
lowing words: “It was the best feeling
I have ever had in my entire life, all due to CARE Foundation. I can say from my
personal experience that CARE makes an extremely good professional from a
struggler in life.”
After Lubna completed her intermediate, it was not possible for her to contin-
ue her education due to a lack of resources. 然而, she secured a scholarship for
BSc (Hons) through the CARE Scholarship Program. Stepping in to support Lubna
at that crucial time, CARE allowed her to realize her dreams of higher education
and achieve her potential. Lubna has become a role model for the youth of Pakistan
and urges them to work hard and achieve their destiny, 说, “We are the future
of our country, so be passionate, faithful, hardworking, honest and sincere in what-
ever you do, as these are the key ingredients of success.”
博士. Shumaila Khalil
博士. Shumaila was able to achieve her lifelong dream
of becoming a doctor through the support of CARE
基础. She beams with joy as she relates, “这
happiest moment of my life was when I officially
graduated and was able to put the prefix of Dr.
before my name. It would not have been possible
for me to successfully complete my MBBS from
Allama Iqbal Medical College without the support
of CARE Scholarship Scheme.”
At present Dr. Shumaila is doing House Job at
Jinnah Hospital, which is due to end this year. 她
acknowledges the efforts of CARE Foundation to uplift the society in the follow-
ing words: “One of the best things about CARE is that it honors the self respect of
the students that they are giving scholarship to by never imposing this fact on
他们. It is just like a family support system.”
创新 / 体积 7, 数字 1
33
从http下载的://direct.mit.edu/itgg/article-pdf/7/1/19/704881/inov_a_00112.pdf by guest on 08 九月 2023
