University of California, Berkeley has conferred our Founder and CEO, Khadija Shahper Bakhtiar, with the Elise and Walter A. Haas International Award 2024.
In 1973, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was the first Pakistani to receive this annual award bestowed upon one alumnus from outside the US for distinguished service to humanity. Khadija has made us proud by bringing this honor to Pakistan after a 50-year hiatus.
In her acceptance speech, Khadija reflected on the challenges and joys of building this movement.
“For a long time most people thought this won’t work.. because talented young people would never waste their time teaching.. or because children from low-income backgrounds can’t make such rapid progress.. or because public schools and school systems are too far gone to change.”
Chancellor Rich K. Lyons highlighted Khadija’s contributions, noting how Teach For Pakistan has sparked a national conversation about education reform in Pakistan.
Reflecting on this milestone, Khadija reminded us of the power of persistence, “Building a movement is generational work. Many people will make important contributions to the mission before they move on. But at least some of those people must stay the course over the long haul. They must anchor the movement until the next generation of anchors is ready.”