The Nurture & Rise (NURSE) Foundation was founded on December 24, 2025, in response to a story that left an enduring moral imprint.

More than a decade ago, an international news report described the death of a 13-year-old boy in a small town Pakistan whose family could not afford a school uniform. His loss was not merely the result of material deprivation, but a devastating illustration of how structural poverty, educational barriers, and social invisibility may extinguish potential long before it has a chance to unfold (Nawaz & Recknagel, 2012). Encountering this tragic story for the first time was profoundly unsettling. It prompted days of grief, reflection, and an awakening with the extent of educational privilege that many, including myself, had quietly benefited from—the ability to study freely, to pursue higher education without fear of exclusion, and to imagine a future shaped by opportunity rather than survival.

From that moment onward, a conviction took root—if education has the power to transform lives, then access to education must be treated not as a reward for circumstance, but as a social accountability shared by those who are able to give.

For many years, this vision was deferred under the assumption that meaningful philanthropy required vast wealth. However, more recently, a simple but transformative realization emerged—that impact does not begin at the moment one becomes a millionaire. It begins at the moment one chooses to act. Even modest, consistent support can create tangible change when directed with intention and care.

The NURSE Foundation was therefore established with a deliberately humble beginning. Each year, NURSE Foundation supports one student in Canada with a small annual scholarship, alongside mentorship and encouragement. While modest in scale, this commitment is rooted in the belief that early, timely support can affirm dignity, sustain educational momentum, and signal to young adults seeking higher education that their aspirations are seen and valued.

At its core, NURSE foundation is guided by a simple philosophy: to nurture potential and help students rise—one life, one opportunity, at a time. As the foundation grows, so too does its vision. With expanded partnerships and donor support, NURSE aspires to broaden its reach beyond national borders, extending educational support to students globally who demonstrate resilience, motivation, and a deep commitment to learning despite financial hardship.

The foundation’s work is not driven by charity alone, but by solidarity—by the belief that education is among the most powerful tools for social transformation, and that NO student should be denied a future simply because the cost of learning was placed beyond their reach.

Nawaz, S., & Recknagel, C. (2012, April 3). Boy’s suicide over school uniform shocks Pakistan. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. https://www.rferl.org/a/pakistan_suicide_over_school_uniform/24536478.html