Female leadership in Pakistan has faces that challenge expectations, and one of them is Muskan, a young woman who decided to change her fate. In a corner of Pakistan, where the future of many girls seems marked by poverty and exclusion, she dared to rewrite the script.

Daughter of a gardener and a member of a religious minority, her path seemed destined for invisibility. However, through education and the cultivation of personal virtues, Muskan became a shining example of youth leadership and transformation.

Her story is not directly connected to Fundación Parentes, but it strongly embodies what gives meaning to our mission: shaping character, awakening the awareness of one’s own dignity, and accompanying processes that enable each young person to discover and exercise leadership from who they are, not from what they have.

The seed of character

Muskan began her education at the Jesús-María school, where her father had diligently worked in the gardens since 2007. Attending that school was both an opportunity and a challenge: being “the gardener’s daughter” in an environment of privileged pupils tested her self-esteem every day. Yet, thanks to the close support from the nuns and an environment that valued each person for their inner qualities rather than their status, Muskan discovered more than knowledge: she realised she had dignity, worth, and a future yet to be written.

This educational experience not only strengthened her academic abilities but also shaped her character. She learned to persevere, to serve, to believe in herself — virtues that led her to be chosen as school captain: the first daughter of a worker to reach that position. When she stepped onto the stage alongside her father to receive the award, what was celebrated was not only a personal achievement but a declaration that leadership does not come from privilege, but from character.

Transformative education and female leadership

Muskan’s story does not end there. Thanks to her hard work and the ongoing support of the nuns and Fundación Parentes, she completed her secondary education, entered university, and graduated in Psychology, becoming the first university graduate in her family. Along the way, she continued developing as a person, collaborating in activities to support other young women and discovering education as a vehicle for service and social transformation.

Although her story is unique, it is not an isolated case. Young people like Muskan remind us why Fundación Parentes exists: to accompany thousands of children and adolescents — in very different contexts — to grow from within, developing their character, strengthening their self-esteem, cultivating human virtues, and awakening the desire to contribute to their communities.

The mission of Fundación Parentes: shaping leaders with purpose

Our work is not about quick fixes but about long-term formation of those who, like Muskan, choose to overcome the determinism of their circumstances and become leaders with purpose.

Stories like Muskan’s inspire and commit us. Her experience embodies the fruits of education centred on the person.

And thanks to everyone who makes Parentes’ work possible — donors, volunteers, schools, families — many other young people around the world can today receive the same kind of life-transforming education.

In Pakistan, as in so many other places, we support young people to discover that their dignity does not depend on their circumstances, and that leadership begins in the smallest things: perseverance, faith, and the desire to serve.

Today, Muskan is preparing to pursue a Master’s degree, and we continue to support her journey. Because shaping leaders with purpose is not a slogan: it is a life-changing mission, a real story like Muskan’s.

Thank you for making it possible

Behind every story like Muskan’s there are many helping hands. Thanks to the entire Parentes community, this different future becomes possible. We are all part of this network that shapes leaders capable of changing their world, even when that world tells them they cannot.

Because when character is educated, paths open up. And when we believe in the dignity of every young person, anything is possible.

Story told by Sister María, nun at Jesús-María school