Married at an early age, Dilshad Murtaza, a native of Hunza in Pakistan’s northern areas, only managed to study until class VII. But the break in her schooling left her with a yearning for a proper education. Some years later, she returned to her books and managed to complete class VIII. She tried to go further but the challenges of family life blocked her rite of passage.

When she had the opportunity, however, Dilshad redirected her energies to the cause of education in a different way: she decided to run a vocational and literacy center in Gilgit, the administrative centre of Pakistan’s mountainous and poverty-stricken northern areas, for very poor children. Apart from free schooling, she also provides them books and other materials. Thanks to her efforts, 108 children have been educated up until class V. These are children who would otherwise have had no chance of securing even a basic education for themselves. Her five-year-old K2 Development Organization is named after the famous peak that towers over this region.

Dilshad has been involved in voluntary work in this region, among the poorest in Pakistan, for over two decades. She launched K2 after the death of her husband, and after all her children had grown up, when she could give the organization enough time. She is, however, far from financially secure, struggling with impending penury both in her personal life and in her efforts to keep her organization going. Furthermore, her family has not been supportive of her voluntary work.

Dilshad also focuses on the plight of poor widows, most of whom cannot support their families after the death of their husbands, lacking simple education or vocational training. Dilshad’s free training has so far helped 22 such women. Inspired by her pioneering role, other women have taken the initiative, setting up small local-level organizations such as the Sahara Development Organization, and the Mountage Development and Welfare Organization in other parts of Gilgit.

Married early, Dilshad Murtaza, a native of Hunza in Pakistan's northern areas, only managed to study until class seven. But the break in her schooling left her with a yearning for a proper education. Some years later, she managed to complete class eight, stopped from going further by the incessant challenges of family life. But Dilshad redirected her energies to the cause of education in a different way: she decided to run a vocational and literacy center in Gilgit–the administrative center of Pakistan's mountainous and poverty-stricken northern areas–for very poor children. Apart from free schooling, she also provides books and other materials. So far, she has educated 108 children up to class five. Her five-year-old organization, the K2 Development Organization, is named after the famous peak that towers over this arid expanse.
Dilshad has been involved in voluntary work in this region, one of the poorest in Pakistan, for over two decades. She launched K2 after the death of her husband, and after all her children had grown up, when she could give the organization enough time. She is, however, far from financially secure, struggling with impending penury both in her personal life and in her efforts to keep her organization going. Furthermore, her family have not been supportive of her voluntary work.
Dilshad also focuses on the plight of poor widows, most of whom cannot support their families after the death of their husbands, lacking simple education or vocational training. Dilshad's free training has so far helped 22 such women. Inspired by her pioneering role, other women have taken the initiative, setting up small local-level organizations such as the Sahara Development Organization, and the Mountage Development and Welfare Organization in other parts of Gilgit.

Gilgit is the administrative center of Pakistan's mountainous and poverty-stricken northern areas, its only claim to fame being the world's toughest mountain, K2, which towers over the expanse. But its poverty is endemic, and the position of its women dismal.

K2 Development Organization