OUR
Dolly Hope Foundation was established in December 2024. We are a Canadian-registered non-profit operating in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. Our work is carried out with local partners, grounded in local realities, and built on a family legacy of grassroots service that spans decades.
STORY
THIS FOUNDATION
HAS ROOTS.
Long before Dolly Hope existed as a registered organization, the work had already started. Dolly Saju inspired the creation of this foundation through a lifetime of quietly transforming lives across Pakistan. She championed higher education for young women, supported women in caregiving and small enterprise, and stood beside families in moments of hardship and need. Her work was never motivated by recognition, but by a deep belief that every person deserves dignity, opportunity, and support.
Her husband Sherali brought strategic depth and integrity to everything they built together. His foresight helped ensure their efforts were sustainable and deeply embedded in the communities they served. Together, Dolly and Sherali built a legacy of trust that crossed regions, sectors, and generations.
CARRYING
IT FORWARD.
This legacy has been formalized through the leadership of their daughter, Yasmin, who founded the Dolly Hope Foundation to carry this work forward. With experience in international development and community engagement, Yasmin has supported initiatives across Central Asia and East Africa including education-focused programs in Gilgit-Balistan and projects in Tanzania.
While informed by global experience, the Foundation remains firmly grounded in local realities. Its focus is clear: to equip women, at-risk and underserved communities in Gilgit-Baltistan with the skills, resources, and support needed to build sustainable and independent livelihoods.
“THERE ARE THOSE WHO ENTER THE WORLD IN SUCH POVERTY THAT THEY ARE DEPRIVED OF BOTH THE MEANS AND THE MOTIVATION TO IMPROVE THEIR LOT. UNLESS THESE UNFORTUNATES CAN BE TOUCHED WITH THE SPARK WHICH IGNITES THE SPIRIT OF INDIVIDUAL ENTERPRISE AND DETERMINATION, THEY WIL ONLY SINK BACK INTO RENEWED APATHY, DEGRADATION AND DESPAIR. IT IS FOR US, WHO ARE MORE FORTUNATE, TO PROVIDE THAT SPARK”
AGA KHAN IV
