We have built 12 libraries across rural and urban areas of Pakistan.

mobile library buses, 2019

In association with the Pakistani Air Force Women’s Association, HER created four library buses that will travel to different Air Force bases throughout Pakistan each year. While PAFWA constructed the inside of the buses, HER provided the books, which are of various reading levels and genres.

Islamabad, 2018

In collaboration with leadership in the Pakistani Air Force Women’s Association, HER opened a library in a government school that serves several hundred students of all ages. HER donated new furniture as well as gently used books in English and Urdu to this library.

Swat, December 2017

With the help of our donors, volunteers, and team members in both the United States and Pakistan, this library is fully equipped with bookshelves, desks, and chairs as well as over 1,000 books for all reading ages in both English and Urdu. We are grateful to the staff of the Sarosh Academy for welcoming us to their school.

Swabi, March 2017

The Swabi library before HER began construction.

Newly built bookshelves for the Swabi library!

The books arrive from Washington, D.C.

Some students prepared a dance for the library opening!

Zoha with students after the opening ceremony. The documents they are holding are their exam results—all students passed!

We built a library from scratch for the Khyber Muslim School for girls in Swabi. This effort was only possible with the support of the school’s principal, Sir Satar Khan.

Lahore, march 2017

This school is co-ed until middle school, when only girls are admitted. We built the library from scratch in association with the Maternal and Child Welfare Association of Pakistan.

Entering the Lahore library.

Newly built bookshelves.

Zoha and her grandmother speaking to students in the Lahore school.

A kindergarten class in session.

Zoha with more kindergarteners, after their class.

Books arrive.

Zoha and the school’s librarians organizing the books.

Cataloging books.

Book catalog.

Librarians organizing books by genre and reading level.

Labeling the bookshelves by genre and reading level.

Students gather for the library opening ceremony.

Zoha accepts a sweet card made by students for her and Hannah!

Zoha introduced the library to members of the Pakistani Chamber of Commerce, who attended the library opening ceremony.

Opening the library!

The finished library.

Zoha with Miss Iram Aamir of PAFWA in the first library, for students of all ages.

The second library, for younger students.

These books were handpicked for younger children.

The third library, also for younger students.

Sargodha, March 2017

We opened three libraries for different co-ed schools on the Sargodha Pakistan Air Force Base. These three schools had independently begun constructing the libraries, but did not have enough resources to finish them. We stepped in to complete the libraries by donating thousands of books and ensuring that the teachers maintained them. One of the libraries serves students of all ages, while the others serve kindergarten-aged students. The Pakistani Air Force Women’s Association (PAFWA) was instrumental in this process.

hair, march 2016

We built our first library in a village called Hair in Pakistan in March of 2016.

Students using the first HER library.

The state of the library before the project.

There was no furniture and no books.

Building bookshelves.

Student volunteers in Virginia collect books.

Zoha with boxes of books before the Pakistani Embassy shipped them to Lahore.

Books arrive!

Organizing books with students.

Organizing+Books+and+talking+with+students.jpg

Bookshelves organized by genre and grouped by reading level.

Opening the library! We were excited to be joined by some of the school's faculty and students, and by Mr. Talha Barqi, who is the Parliamentary representative for the area the school is located in.

The library on opening day!