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A Tribute to our FounderHonouring the Exemplary Life of Madam Nuzhat Yazdani (1953-2019)Throughout her life, Madam Nuzhat Yazdani did justice to several roles all at once – those of a devoted mother and wife, an inspirational mentor, a lifelong teacher and exceptional leader of White House Grammar School (WHGS) that she founded in 1981, rooted in a cause close to her heart of providing quality and accessible education to children from all walks of life. One of the most remarkable educationists of her generation, she was a woman who made pioneering contributions to the private education sector as well as to the fields of philanthropy, business and social enterprise.
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Whether one knew her in a professional or personal capacity, Madam Nuzhat Yazdani was recognized as a truly remarkable human being—humble, kind and full of life. Her generosity of spirit and cheerful disposition endeared her to scores of people from all walks of life. She helped anyone who came in contact with her and was in need of it, lifting numerous people out of adversity and afflictions. Despite encountering her own set of difficulties in life, she faced them head-on with courage and patience, underpinned by her steadfast gratitude to God. Her unwavering smile and zest for life, even in the most painful of circumstances - such as her year-long arduous battle with cancer before she passed – was remarkable. She remained extremely valiant in her actions to the last of her days, always looking forward to organizational milestones and joyous life events without ever complaining about her severe illness.
Madam Yazdani was born in 1953 to Mr. Mahmood-ul-Haq Usmani, a renowned political leader of his time and Mrs. Rabia Usmani, an eloquent poetess fluent in Urdu, English, Arabic and Persian. She graduated with a B. Pharm. degree in 1976 from University of Karachi. Inheriting the leadership qualities of her father, she founded White House Grammar School soon after in 1981. To satisfy her urge to learn and continue the process of self-development, she balanced motherhood along with her educational endeavours, completing her B.Ed. degree while raising her infant children.
During the early years of White House Grammar School, Madam Yazdani was guided by renowned patrons who were successful in their respective fields, such as the first mayor of Karachi - Mr. Hakeem Mohammed Ahsan, as well as Mr. Mir Khalil-ur-Rehman, Mr. Mahmood-ul-Haq Usmani, Mr. Haroon Saad, Dr. Ismail Saad, Dr. Zia-ul-Haq Usmani, Dr. Atta-ur-Rehman and Dr. Salim-Uzzaman-Siddiqui. The latter was one of our country’s pioneer scientists and helped develop the science laboratory at White House Grammar School. Over 33,000 students have studied at WHGS (till January 2019).
She was one of the early adopters of the Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE), formerly known as the Cambridge International Examination (CIE) system, and her penchant for innovation at WHGS continued over the years in the form of initiation of the School Heath Education Programme, STEM interventions, Urban Farming and Personal Enrichment Curriculum, among others. Under her leadership, White House Grammar School consecutively won the ‘Best School of the Year Award’ awarded by the Board of Secondary Education, Karachi (BSEK) from 2001 till 2006. Her students went on to become world-record holders and lead global organizations, along with attaining remarkable achievements in the field of science, technology, social development and advocacy.
Even early on in her career, Mrs. Yazdani sought ways to encourage enrollment in schools and made efforts to make quality private education accessible for the masses. She created an institution where merit was the only criteria for admission, and kindness and respect were the only ways to treat individuals.
One of her life’s greatest contributions towards education came in the form of increasing accessibility to quality education through the building of schools in some of the under-developed areas of Karachi. Whilst continuing to personally oversee her flagship institution of WHGS Main Campus (Gulshan), along with providing guidance and support, she funded the development of 16 different campuses in her lifetime across the city of Karachi, giving over the management of those without any consideration for personal monetary gain – a great testament to her absolute generosity. In doing so, she set a precedent for all educators and others in the field of education to strive to achieve. Her contributions were aimed to create a ripple effect; during her lifetime, she might have been able to help 33000 students realize their dreams however, the effect will have already multiplied to the extent of impacting millions of lives.
White House Grammar School – Main Campus, established at ST-9, Block 4, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, remains her legacy, where those she mentored strive on a daily basis to carry on her vision and keep her legacy alive to the best of their ability.
Madam Yazdani was born in 1953 to Mr. Mahmood-ul-Haq Usmani, a renowned political leader of his time and Mrs. Rabia Usmani, an eloquent poetess fluent in Urdu, English, Arabic and Persian. She graduated with a B. Pharm. degree in 1976 from University of Karachi. Inheriting the leadership qualities of her father, she founded White House Grammar School soon after in 1981. To satisfy her urge to learn and continue the process of self-development, she balanced motherhood along with her educational endeavours, completing her B.Ed. degree while raising her infant children.
During the early years of White House Grammar School, Madam Yazdani was guided by renowned patrons who were successful in their respective fields, such as the first mayor of Karachi - Mr. Hakeem Mohammed Ahsan, as well as Mr. Mir Khalil-ur-Rehman, Mr. Mahmood-ul-Haq Usmani, Mr. Haroon Saad, Dr. Ismail Saad, Dr. Zia-ul-Haq Usmani, Dr. Atta-ur-Rehman and Dr. Salim-Uzzaman-Siddiqui. The latter was one of our country’s pioneer scientists and helped develop the science laboratory at White House Grammar School. Over 33,000 students have studied at WHGS (till January 2019).
She was one of the early adopters of the Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE), formerly known as the Cambridge International Examination (CIE) system, and her penchant for innovation at WHGS continued over the years in the form of initiation of the School Heath Education Programme, STEM interventions, Urban Farming and Personal Enrichment Curriculum, among others. Under her leadership, White House Grammar School consecutively won the ‘Best School of the Year Award’ awarded by the Board of Secondary Education, Karachi (BSEK) from 2001 till 2006. Her students went on to become world-record holders and lead global organizations, along with attaining remarkable achievements in the field of science, technology, social development and advocacy.
Even early on in her career, Mrs. Yazdani sought ways to encourage enrollment in schools and made efforts to make quality private education accessible for the masses. She created an institution where merit was the only criteria for admission, and kindness and respect were the only ways to treat individuals.
One of her life’s greatest contributions towards education came in the form of increasing accessibility to quality education through the building of schools in some of the under-developed areas of Karachi. Whilst continuing to personally oversee her flagship institution of WHGS Main Campus (Gulshan), along with providing guidance and support, she funded the development of 16 different campuses in her lifetime across the city of Karachi, giving over the management of those without any consideration for personal monetary gain – a great testament to her absolute generosity. In doing so, she set a precedent for all educators and others in the field of education to strive to achieve. Her contributions were aimed to create a ripple effect; during her lifetime, she might have been able to help 33000 students realize their dreams however, the effect will have already multiplied to the extent of impacting millions of lives.
White House Grammar School – Main Campus, established at ST-9, Block 4, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, remains her legacy, where those she mentored strive on a daily basis to carry on her vision and keep her legacy alive to the best of their ability.
