Founder and Chairperson of The Razia Mahsood Development Foundation (RMDF), a women-led, non-profit organization established in 2020 to support underserved and marginalized communities, particularly in South Waziristan, North Waziristan, Lakki Marwat, and Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. RMDF works to promote education, women’s empowerment, digital inclusion, youth development, healthcare, and humanitarian assistance.
Serving the Girls and Women of Waziristan
I founded the Razia Mahsood Development Foundation (RMDF) in 2020 after witnessing first-hand the struggles of women, children, and marginalized communities in South Waziristan and neighboring districts like North Waziristan, Lakki Marwat, and Dera Ismail Khan. Growing up in this region as a woman, I saw how poverty, conflict, low literacy, and social barriers especially affected women and girls, limiting their access to education, healthcare, and livelihoods. What inspired me most was the resilience of Waziristani women and the Islamic values of compassion, justice, and service, which shaped my commitment to welfare.
Through RMDF, my aim has been to create not just immediate relief but long-term pathways for empowerment and dignity. Today, our work focuses on women’s digital and vocational skills training, girls’ education advocacy, youth leadership programs, freelancing and entrepreneurship training, humanitarian aid, and support for landmine victims and their families. We also organize food distributions during Ramadan and emergency relief during disasters. One initiative close to my heart is RM Organic Bazaar, which promotes local products and community livelihoods.
Challenges Impacting Welfare Efforts
As founder and chairperson, my role includes providing strategic direction, mobilizing resources, building partnerships with government departments, NGOs, and donors, and directly engaging with communities to understand their needs. I believe welfare leadership requires empathy, integrity, and resilience. One of the most powerful moments in my journey was meeting a child in a former conflict-affected area whose education had been disrupted after a landmine incident. Despite everything, that child still wanted to study. That encounter reminded me that education remains the strongest tool for transformation.
The welfare sector in our region faces many serious challenges. Poverty, unemployment, inflation, weak healthcare systems, and poor infrastructure continue to increase the burden on vulnerable families. Girls still face major barriers to education, and women often remain excluded from economic opportunities. Digital exclusion is another growing issue, especially in rural communities where internet access and devices are limited. At the same time, conflict has left behind trauma, displacement, and landmines, while climate change has made communities
more vulnerable to floods, droughts, and heatwaves.
Building Sectoral Partnerships for Inclusive Development
Partnerships are essential in this work. RMDF collaborates with the Social Welfare Department, District Youth Offices in South Waziristan Upper and Lower, and the Directorate of Youth Affairs KP, along with NGOs, educational institutions, volunteers, and media. But we need stronger support from the government, especially in simplifying registration processes, increasing community-based funding, and improving infrastructure and access in remote areas.
One of the biggest barriers to equity and inclusion is geography. Many communities are isolated, with poor roads and weak communication systems. Women and girls face mobility restrictions and cultural barriers, while children, persons with disabilities, minorities, and transgender individuals often face exclusion and stigma. At RMDF, we try to address these gaps by prioritizing inclusive outreach, girls’ education, women’s empowerment, and digital literacy.
The Future of Welfare in Waziristan & Similar Regions
Financial sustainability remains one of our toughest challenges. Like many grassroots organizations, we rely on short-term funding while facing rising costs and growing needs. Maintaining transparency, strong financial systems, fair beneficiary selection, and accountability is critical to sustaining trust. Internally, our effectiveness depends on skilled staff, committed volunteers, strong leadership, good planning, and community trust.
Despite these challenges, I see many opportunities ahead. Digital technologies, public-private partnerships, social enterprises, and data-driven planning can transform welfare work. Our planned IT and Digital Skills Center is one such step toward connecting rural women and youthto freelancing and online opportunities. I also believe artificial intelligence and digital systems can improve outreach, grant writing, monitoring, and service delivery, opening more avenues for women- especially through home-based and online options.
My biggest lesson from this journey of serving my community so far, is that real development only happens when communities become active partners, not passive beneficiaries. In Waziristan and other similar regions of Pakistan and other developing, conservative, and Muslim nations, women’s empowerment must remain central, youth must be engaged as leaders, and welfare must move beyond short-term aid toward long-term empowerment. The people of Waziristan are resilient and full of potential. With trust, investment, and collaboration, they can lead their own development and build stronger, self-reliant communities for the future. However, their empowerment requires central funding and sincere policy attention.