Profile
Fortify
Education Foundation
The Fortify Education Foundation (FEF) is a not-for-profit organization based in Karachi. We, at FEF, have set out to work for the economically disadvantaged Children in Pakistan. It is our goal to contribute towards ensuring mental and physical growth of our children in schools to enable them to protect their own and their family’s future. Through our School Meal Program (SMP), we have set out to provide nutrition sensitive meals for the children who are in school to learn and achieve.
Total meals served
as of 31st December 2025
Total meal served
to kids daily
Schools where we
are providing Meals
Bank Details
for Donation
Bank Details for Donation Fund
Habib Metropolitan Bank
AC #: 6-1-46-20301-714-128531
IBAN: PK19MPBL0146067140128531
Khayaban-e-Tanzeem Branch
C-2-C, Khayaban–e-Tanzeem, Phase 5, DHA, Karachi.
Bank Details for Zakat Fund
Habib Metropolitan Bank
AC #: 6-99-64-29301-714-383304
IBAN: PK68MPBL9964177140383304
Khayaban-e-Tanzeem Branch
C-2-C, Khayaban–e-Tanzeem, Phase 5, DHA, Karachi.
Mobile Wallets Details
Donation with Easypaisa
AC # 03089602202
Donation with JazzCash
AC # 03089602202
Account Title: Naveed Gilani
Our Story
The Beginning of
Our Journey
It began with a case study on combatting hunger in classrooms in India that was published in the Harvard Business Review magazine. The combater: Akshay Patra Foundation. Their weapon: mid-day meals for children in schools. They were indeed doing a great job to have attracted the attention of Harvard Business. The plight of Pakistan’s children is no different, malnourishment, poverty, squalid living, little promise, and overall haplessness. Could the ‘haves’ of Pakistan do something about it? Yes, they could. Thus, the kernel sprouted, and Fortify Education Foundation (FEF) was formed.
With some seed money, the School Meal Program was started in February 2020 at Pasban-e-Millat school in Orangi town, Karachi. The school serves the truly disadvantaged children of the metropolis. The school had upwards of 260 children on their roll when the program first started. Once there was an actual meal program running, friends and families of the founding members of the foundation chipped in with funds. The caravan had started. Others joined in and more continue to join on this journey that will, in time, take FEF to all the disadvantaged school children in the country.
Message from Founder
Pakistan is considered to be the fifth largest young country in the world. Around 34% of Pakistanis are under the age of 15. It is they who have the power to transform the future of Pakistan. Correspondingly, it is us, the older ones, who have the responsibility to ensure that the youth can secure theirs, their families’, and their country’s future.
What ought to be done? Invest in the health education of our youth. It is not an either-or choice, has to be both, emphatically and in tandem.
What could we do to help? Well, we decided to invest our time, resources, and energies to try and eradicate the much-neglected hunger and malnutrition among children in schools.
Why this? Because Pakistan has been reported to have one of the highest levels of prevalence of child malnutrition compared to other developing counties. And because malnutrition, particularly during the formative years of the young ones, inhibits their potential to develop physically and cognitively.
Like they say, to go a thousand miles you have to take the first step. Our proverbial first step was taken with the formation of Fortify Education Foundation and under its umbrella starting of the School Meal Program (SMP). SMP sets out to provide nutrition sensitive meals in schools where disadvantaged children come to study.
It is a modest yet determined effort. We know that we can’t do it alone. Our friends and families and their friends and their families chipped in when we started SMP. Others continue to join in our effort, it would be extremely heartening if you would too.
Founding Members
MR. NAVEED GILANI
An engineer by education and training, he is presently the CEO of Enshaanlc Developments.
MR. SYED IFTIKHAR H. GILANI
A Senior Advocate of Supreme Court of Pakistan who served as one of the most respected federal Minister for Law.
MR. ASIF YASIN MALIK
A celebrated 3-star general of the Pakistan Army who commanded one of the largest corps,.
MR. RASHIDULLAH SHAIKH
Served in the Pakistan Navy for 38 years, retiring at the rank of Commodore.
MR. SHEHRYAR SAEED
An engineer by education and training, has expertise in the Electric and Power industry of Pakistan
DR. AFSHAN JAFRI
A dedicated and compassionate physician specializing in pediatrics with a special interest in working for the welfare of indigent patients
Board of Directors
MR. NAVEED GILANI
President
An engineer by education and training, he is currently the CEO of Enshaanlc Developments. Holding degrees in mechanical and industrial engineering from the USA, he has held leadership roles across Pakistan, UAE, China, and the United States
DR. AFSHAN JAFRI
Vice President
A dedicated and compassionate pediatrician, she has a special interest in advocating for the welfare of indigent patients. She has served as Chief Medical Officer and Medical Superintendent at Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK)
MR. ABBAS ALI ISMAIL
Chief Operating Officer /
General Secretary
An entrepreneur and owner of E2Z Solutions Pakistan, providing a range of ITC services. With over 15 years of experience, he is also a passionate trainer specializing in Training, Business Development, Sales, and Digital Marketing.
MR. SHEHRYAR SAEED
Treasurer
An engineer by education and training, he is an expert in Pakistan’s Electric and Power industry. As the Managing Director and CEO of Johnson & Phillips Pakistan Ltd., he has played a key role in the development and advancement of the country's electrical sector
MR. TAUSEEF GILANI
Board Member
An engineer by education and training, he has expertise in Pakistan’s petroleum and energy sector. With experience in multinational petroleum organizations, he is now the Chief Executive of Sarhad Gas, a liquefied petroleum gas company he founded
MR. SYED MASUD ARIF
Board Member
A seasoned business management professional with 40 years of experience in accountancy, specializing in corporate affairs and income tax law. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Idrees Textile Mills Limited
MR. RASHIDULLAH SHAIKH
Board Member
He served in the Pakistan Navy for 38 years, retiring as a Commodore. Following his naval career, he spent 15 years in merchant shipping as an Executive Director of a shipping company and a maritime consultant for a Middle Eastern steel industry. He has been associated with the Orangi School for over 20 years
MR. MEHMOOD NANJI
Board Member
With over 40 years of experience in Marketing, Sales, and General Management, Mr. Mahmood Nanji has led transformational growth in top multinational and national food companies. A dynamic leader and change agent, he has held senior roles at Lever Brothers, EBM, Tapal Tea, and Millac Foods, among others.
Our Committees
Operations Committee
- Mr. Rashidullah Shaikh – Chairman
- Mr. Naveed Gilani – Member
- Dr. Afshan Jafri – Member
Governance and Internal Controls Committee
- Mr. Syed Masud Arif – Chairman
- Mr. Naveed Gilani – Member
- Mr. Shehryar Saeed – Member
Marketing & Fundraising Committee
- Mr. Mahmood Nanji – Chairman
- Dr. Afshan Jafri – Member
- Mr. Abbas Ali Ismail – Member
Publicity & Media Committee
- Mr. Abbas Ali Ismail – Chairman
- Mr. Mahmood Nanji – Member
- Mr. Naveed Gilani – Member
Our Raison D’être
According to the National Human Development Report for Pakistan published in 2017 by the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme), Pakistan has the largest population of young people ever recorded in its history. A whopping 64% are under the age of 29, with some 30% between the ages of 15 and 29. For at least the next three decades, Pakistan will continue to be a younger country. This youth bulge, while fraught with challenges, also presents us with a unique opportunity to bring about phenomenal progress in the country. Their ideas and energy can lead the way for social, economic and political progress. However, this opportunity comes with a heightened responsibility of developing this youth to become that powerful force which can bring transformational development to the country. The challenges in capitalizing this opportunity are, conservatively speaking, more than a few, with education and training of the youth sitting at the top.