Kiran Kahani

Fate pulled Sabina Khatri to Lyari in 2004, when she came across a little baby who was abused by her father, and her distressed mother came to Sabina looking for help and support. While helping the child recover, Sabina started visiting Lyari frequently. As she observed the surroundings, it struck her how unsafe this place was for children, and how most parents were unaware of the deep damage they were doing to their children through pervasive neglect and abuse, resulting in a society that lacks compassion.

While this grim reality stirred up a storm inside her, it was as if the universe was directing her towards a greater cause. She found out about a small two-room basic-literacy initiative taken by two local residents, Haji Nazeer Baloch and Sohrab Baloch, which her family had been supporting for several years. After a lot of thought, planning and support from family and friends, she first relocated and sponsored them into registered schools in the area. Next she revamped this tiny place into a safe space for preschool-aged children and their families, and started the Kiran Ibtedai School in 2006, with 20 toddlers and their mothers going through a rigorous training side by side.

This unique preschool model made it mandatory for the mothers to get education because she believed that they were the real key to their children’s success and transformation. With an aim to bridge the gap, Sabina was determined to give these children the same opportunities as her own children. Within a few months, she got these children into mainstream schools, and continued working closely with the mothers to empower them, so that they could support their children through this life-changing journey.

Soon, Sabina’s silent revolution started making waves as the Kiran students surprised everyone they met with their confidence and charisma. Inspired by her efforts, many people encouraged her to take this mission of transforming lives to the next level.

In 2014, after eight years of phenomenal success of the Kiran Ibtedai School, Sabina Khatri took the huge leap of expanding her vision and establishing the Kiran Foundation with a passionate group of founding directors. Always having a strong belief on the healing power of love and personalized connection, expanding this program to adopt the DCTO Government School, taking hundreds of children and families into its compassionate folds, The adoption was initially done through partnership with Akhuwat Foundation. Akhuwat stayed partner-in-adoption for the initial two years. Kiran Foundation became the sole adopter of DCTO Campus in 2016.