AA
Aila Ali Khan
Abbottabad
Join the next cohort of mentors
Almost every Daakhla mentor is a student at LUMS, one of Pakistan’s top universities. Many grew up in the same far-flung districts as the students they now guide. They volunteer their time, without pay, across five teams.
Applications for Cohort 1 are closed. 98 students applied, from 47 districts in six provinces and regions. Apply →
A student in Chaman or Larkana rarely knows anyone who has been through a competitive admissions process. Daakhla’s mentors have. Nearly all of them study at the Lahore University of Management Sciences, and many made the same journey out of an underserved district that our students are making now.
That is the whole point. The counsellor knows what a strong personal statement looks like because they wrote one. The SAT mentor scored well on the same test, recently. The advice is close, current, and lived, not theoretical.
Everything is organised around a single applicant. Some teams work directly with students; others build the ground the programs stand on.
Admissions and career counsellors guide each student through their university list, personal statement, scholarships, and the whole application.
The SAT team guides students through their own preparation — what to study, in what order, and which free official materials to use.
Community liaisons and school outreach leads find talented students in districts the big cities forget, and bring them in.
University and scholarship researchers keep the guidance accurate, current, and matched to what each student can afford.
Tech, admin, and communications keep the portal, the records, and the outreach running so mentors can focus on students.
Admissions and career counsellors. They build each student’s university shortlist, talk through what comes after the degree, work on the personal statement, find scholarships, and walk the whole application through document by document.
Mentors who sat the same test themselves. They help each student build a study plan, choose the right materials, and answer questions as they prepare.
School and NGO outreach leads and community liaisons. They find students in overlooked districts and earn the trust of families and schools.
University and scholarship researchers. They keep every recommendation accurate, current, and matched to what a student can actually afford.
Tech, admin, and communications. They keep the portal, the records, and the outreach running so every other mentor can focus on students.
A few mentors serve on two teams, so they appear in more than one section above. Counts are per team.
Join the next cohort of mentors