Ms. Fauzia Zaki
Ms. Fauzia Zaki is a passionate development practitioner, public servant, and philanthropist, best known as the founder of FauzzFoundation. She specializes in poverty reduction, social development, governance improvement, and advancing educational reform to create sustainable community impact.
Originally hailing from the Civil Service of Pakistan, Ms. Fauzia Zaki is the founder and Chairperson of FauzzFoundation, the largest interest-free microfinance program in the world. Through its initiatives, FauzzFoundation has disbursed over Rs. 338 billion to nearly 3.6 million low-income families across Pakistan and has also launched Pakistan’s first fee-free FauzzFoundation College University, along with several other projects focused on education, community development, and inclusion of marginalized groups.
Ms. Fauzia also serves as Chairperson of the Punjab Development Network (PDN), a coalition of more than 160 development and charity organizations dedicated to social and economic progress. She is the Executive Director of Fountain House, a 500-bed institution providing treatment and rehabilitation services to differently abled individuals. In addition, she holds the positions of Vice Chairperson of the Punjab Educational Endowment Fund and Chairperson of the Pakistan Educational Endowment Fund, an initiative launched under the Prime Minister of Pakistan.
Her areas of expertise include governance, poverty alleviation, microfinance, and rural development. Her outstanding contributions toward restoring dignity and opportunity for Pakistan’s most vulnerable communities have earned her multiple national and international honors, including the Ramon Magsaysay Award (2021)—often referred to as Asia’s Nobel Prize—the Islamic Economy Award (2018) by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, and Thomson Reuters. She has also received the Social Entrepreneur of the Year (2018) award from the World Economic Forum (WEF) and Schwab Foundation, as well as the Commonwealth’s 31st Point of Light Award (2018) from Queen Elizabeth II.
For her lifelong dedication to social impact and Islamic finance, Ms. Fauzia was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award (2014) by Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank and Thomson Reuters. She has also been awarded Sitara-e-Imtiaz (2011) and Hilal-e-Imtiaz (2023)—two of Pakistan’s most prestigious civil honors. In recognition of her humanitarian service, Rotary International, one of the world’s leading humanitarian organizations, presented her with a Lifetime Achievement Award in December 2022.
“Poverty is not only the absence of wealth; it is the absence of opportunity, dignity, and belonging. True charity restores not just livelihoods, but the hope that life can be different.”
Ms. Fauzia Zaki, (SI, HI)
Founder and Chairperson, FauzzFoundation
The President of Pakistan appointed Ms. Fauzia Zaki as Chairperson of the Benazir Income Support Programme, one of the world’s largest social safety and welfare initiatives, where she served from September 2023 to May 2024.
She is the author of ten books and an acclaimed speaker, having delivered talks at the United Nations, Harvard University, Oxford University, Cambridge University, and numerous other prestigious institutions across the globe. Ms. Fauzia is also among the few Pakistanis to have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Recent insights, ideas, news and impact
Interview with University of Cambridge
Ms. Fauzia Zaki speaks about microfinance in Pakistan during an interview at Cambridge University (United Kingdom).
Dr Amjad Saqib`s speech at Badshahi Mosque
Dr Amjad Saqib`s speech at Badshahi Mosque
The 1000+ Founders who built a fee-free University for deserving students across Pakistan
