In the bustling streets of Karachi, where poverty challenges every second breath, a movement began that would soon stretch its helping hands across Pakistan and beyond. The movement is known as Saylani Welfare International Trust, one of Pakistan’s largest and most impactful nonprofit organizations.
Founded in May 1999 by Maulana Bashir Farooqui, Saylani’s mission was never limited to distributing charity. Instead, it evolved into a multi-dimensional welfare system, feeding the hungry, treating the sick, educating the underserved, and empowering youth with modern skills.
A Vision Bigger Than Relief
Saylani’s core belief is simple but revolutionary: “Don't give charity that ends; empower someone so they never need it again.”
It’s this mindset that has made Saylani stand out among thousands of charitable organizations. While millions receive food and medical aid every month, thousands of others graduate from Saylani’s training centers, equipped with real-world skills that transform their lives and their families.
Saylani Mass IT Training (SMIT): Building the Tech Army of Pakistan
When most people think of a welfare organization, they imagine free meals and rations. But Saylani Welfare Trust saw beyond hunger.
They saw a hunger for opportunity. For dignity. For skills that last a lifetime. That vision gave birth to one of Pakistan’s largest free tech training programs:
- Saylani Mass IT Training (SMIT)
- Why SMIT Was Created
- In a country where 60% of the population is under 30
Millions of graduates remain unemployed every year
Tech freelancing is a thriving global market valued at over $1.5 trillion.
Saylani realized that the key to breaking the poverty cycle isn’t just charity; it’s digital empowerment.
Maulana Bashir Farooqui, founder of Saylani, often says:
- “We don’t want to feed them forever. We want them to stand, earn, and feed others tomorrow.”
- That’s what SMIT is doing. It's not just training students to get jobs; it's turning them into job creators.
What SMIT Offers
Saylani’s tech initiative trains students in high-demand IT skills, including:
- Web & Mobile App Development
- Graphic Designing & UI/UX
- Cloud Computing
Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Learning:
- Cyber Security
- CCNA & Networking
- Python, JavaScript, and C++ Programming
- Freelancing & Digital Marketing
- Amazon FBA and E-commerce Skills
Each course is designed to align with global tech trends, ensuring students are industry-ready from the start.
How Many Students Graduate?
- More than 35,000 students are trained annually through SMIT, a number that continues to increase each year.
- In 2023, SMIT trained over 100,000 youth across Pakistan.
- In 2024, they aim to achieve 200,000 enrollments across both physical and online campuses.
- Centers are now open in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Hyderabad, Faisalabad, Peshawar, and Quetta, and are expanding globally.
- Saylani’s vision is to train 1 million youth by 2025 to make Pakistan a global IT workforce hub.
From Zero to Earning: Real Impact
Thousands of students have gone from having no income to earning PKR 50,000 to 300,000+ per month after graduating from SMIT, many by freelancing and others by launching startups or securing remote jobs.
Real Stories:
- Fatima (Lahore): A housewife who learned graphic design and now runs a digital marketing service from home, employing 3 other women.
- Ahmed (Karachi): Dropped out of college due to fees. Enrolled in Saylani’s web development course and now works for a Canadian software house remotely.
- Irfan (Peshawar): Was selling vegetables; now a virtual assistant for Amazon, earning in dollars and training others.
What's the Bigger Picture
- SMIT is not just about jobs; it's about economic revival.
- Each graduate becomes a freelancer, entrepreneur, or skilled professional who can earn in foreign currency.
- This boosts Pakistan’s digital exports and brings money into the economy.
- It reduces unemployment, crime, and dependency on others.
- It increases the self-esteem and social status of youth from underprivileged backgrounds.
- “This isn’t just a welfare program. It’s a national service to build a tech-savvy, self-reliant Pakistan.”
SMIT Program Head
What makes SMIT different from private institutes?
- It’s 100% free
- Taught by industry professionals
- Offers certifications, career counseling, and startup mentoring
- Has a massive digital learning platform for remote students
- Focused on freelancing as a career path, with dedicated Fiverr/Upwork training modules
- And above all, it operates with heart, driven by the mission to uplift youth, not to profit from them.
Empowering Youth, Empowering Pakistan
Saylani’s SMIT program is more than education; it’s a transformation. It takes a young person who once couldn’t afford a bus fare and turns them into a digital professional earning in USD.
- It’s turning underprivileged boys and girls into freelancers, founders, and future leaders.
- If there’s one initiative that could change Pakistan’s fate through skill-building, SMIT stands at the top of that list.
Use What You Know to Make a Difference
Just as Saylani is creating waves through its SMIT programs, WeVersity.org also aims to empower youth by offering modern, in-demand courses such as web development, e-commerce, social media marketing, graphic design, and more. We're not just providing education; we're building a movement to uplift communities through practical skills and self-reliance.
If you have expertise in any field, whether gained through formal education or self-learning, this is your opportunity to make a real difference. At WeVersity, we believe that knowledge becomes powerful when it’s shared, and we’re inviting passionate, skilled individuals like you to join our growing coaching team.
As a coach, you'll receive your personalized coaching dashboard, where you can easily create and manage courses, upload content, and communicate with students, all in one place and without any hassle. You can teach online from anywhere in the world or choose on-site coaching if you're available locally.
Whether you're a professional, freelancer, or subject matter expert, your knowledge has the power to inspire, guide, and transform lives.
So don’t wait; start your coaching journey by signing up at https://weversity.org/instructor-registration and joining a purpose-driven platform committed to changing futures.