The Organization

Diya is a lamp (in Urdu), a symbol of light and thereby Hope.

In Pakistan, a large portion of the population does not have access to proper education. Diya Pakistan is a professionally managed charitable organization that is committed to eradicating poverty by promoting literacy.

Since 1988, Diya has reached out to talented, financially distressed students with more than 500,000 merit scholarships valued at more than US$ 10 million, enabling them to continue their education. The impact is eye-opening.

Brief Profile of Diya Pakistan

• Its vision is to defeat poverty by building an Educated Pakistan
• Its mission is to work towards employable education
• Professionally led by a team of prominent Pakistanis based in the Middle East and Pakistan, and supported by individual and corporate donors from the Middle East, Pakistan, Europe, Canada, and the USA
• Awarded more than 500,000 merit scholarships to financially deserving students since 1988
• Established 200 community home schools for out of school children enrolling more than 8,000 street kids
• Disbursed more than US$ 10 million in merit scholarships
• Linked with more than 2400+ schools, colleges, universities, and technical and vocational institutes across Pakistan.
• Committed to transparency and accountability at all levels;
• All operational expenses are borne by Trustees; Donations are used only towards providing free education

Shariah Approval and Certificate for Zakat Fund Disbursement

Click here to see the Sharia Certificate of Diya Pakistan

Click here to see Sharia Advisor Detail.

34+ Years Track Record

Since 1988, Diya has provided more than 500,000 scholarships worth more than US$ 10 million in financial assistance. Our primary focus is to reach out to financially distressed students across rural and urban Pakistan, enabling them to continue their education. Field visits and feedback from the annual survey program provide strong evidence that our donors’ money is making a positive impact on the lives of many of the otherwise forgotten students and their families.

In 2013, Diya expanded its scope of activities to address the chronic unemployment challenge in Pakistan. Diya has started a vocational training stipend program to assist students who are unable to pursue higher education to acquire employable skills.

Also starting in 2013, Diya has launched the Future Leaders Program (Rahnuma) to groom extraordinary talented students through coaching, education scholarships, and career advisory services.

Since 2006, Diya has grown exponentially driven by a significantly higher amount of donations received from our local and international supporters. This was a direct result of increased awareness about Diya’s activities, confidence in the integrity, commitment, and professionalism of our people, and the confidence that the donations are reaching the most deserving beneficiaries and making a significant contribution to their lives.

Financial Information

Diya maintains a complete record of its financial affairs since its inception, and these are available for review to all our supporters.

Since 2010, all operational expenses are funded directly by the trustees, hence ensuring that 100% of all contributions by our donors reach the deserving students