A community-led organization with enduring roots in Chitral.

Al-Karim Welfare Society (AKWS) is a civil society organization focusing on youth development and engagement, aiming to empower young boys and girls of Chitral to reach their full potential, live a healthy and meaningful life, and contribute to the sustainable development of the societies they live in.

The idea of AKWS was conceived by Ehsan Ul Haq Jan in 1988 when he was 18 years old. As a passionate and inspiring young social activist in his village Booni, Ehsan realized the importance of engaging the youth of the area in healthy activities to enable them to be responsible citizens of society. Along with his close friends, he founded AKWS as a platform for young people of the area to get together, discuss their critical social issues, arrange recreational events, have positive interaction with each other, and build their leadership skills so that they could effectively contribute to the socio-economic development of the area. The organization was formally registered with the government of Pakistan in 1993.

The establishment of Al-Karim Welfare Society was a pioneering initiative of the youth of the area and a matter of courage in a conservative society such as Chitral, where the youth were largely ignored and any kind of association or organization of the youth was socially unacceptable. The establishment of AKWS served as a turning point in how the elders of the area looked at young people, offering a new model of social development where the voices of the young generation matter and young people work together with elders to solve local problems.

In the early years since its inception, AKWS focused on organizing recreational (sports and cultural) events, providing free tuition and mentoring services to school-going children during winter and summer vacations, and providing voluntary services to development organizations and government departments. Over time, AKWS increased its membership base, expanded its scope of work, and developed partnerships with development organizations and the government. An important milestone was achieved in 2003 when AKWS began offering membership to young women of the area as well, bringing a marginalized section of society to the forefront of local development.

Under the guidance of Ehsan Ul Haq Jan and the leadership of committed young leaders of the area, AKWS has continued to evolve as a pioneering youth development organization, effectively responding to the emerging issues of society and the critical needs of the younger generation.