A 30 year HISTORY OF COMMITMENT, COMPASSION, AND CONTINUED EFFORTS TO EXCEL AT IMPROVING THE LIVES OF THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED
Mrs. Aziz Jehan Begum (Late)
AJBT was founded to honor a wish of the late Aziz Jehan Begum, who began losing her sight to retinitis pigmentosa in her youth. Her blindness created the vision for Aziz Jehan Begum Trust and Institute.
Saddened by the lack of opportunity for those without sight, she requested that something be done to alleviate their condition. This is what led to the formation of Aziz Jehan Begum Trust and Institute more than 30 years ago.
Ms. Salma Kishwar Jan (Late)
Ms. Salma Kishwar Jan was a distinguished Civil Servant and successful diplomat. She established AJBT with her personal savings, modeling it on similar programs for the blind and visually impaired in UK, USA, Canada, and Australia. After formation, AJBT became Ms. Jan’s life mission, and continued to the end. It is the greatest honor and best way in which a daughter can express gratitude and love for her mother.
In 1996, the AJBT established the Aziz Jehan Begum Institute (AJBI) to formally educate visually impaired children with academic and life skills. The AJBI started with 16 students and today has a 30-year history of excellent education, life skills training, innovation, and advocacy.
The AJBI High School is a Class 1 – Matric school teaching the curriculum of the Punjab Board of Secondary education. This is the only institution that emphasizes a holistic approach to learning and independence. We teach orientation, mobility, and life-skills training in addition to excellent education. This means that the High School must be open year-round as the life skills training is a full additional curriculum that must be accommodated.
The AJBI Kids Campus, a first of its kind facility, added in 2016 was created to meet the needs of mothers who have new-born infants and pre-school children with visual impairment.
AJBI Alumni are the pride of AJBT. We support our students not just throughout their university education, but also in ensuring economic success. Currently 49 students are at various levels of college and university pursuing PhD’s, M.Phil., and Law degrees and the rest of our graduates are successfully employed.
We are extremely proud of our graduates and all their accomplishments. They are in diverse fields such as Central Superior Service (CSS), Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC), University professors, the police service and IT, among others.
Advocacy and Innovation are at the core of everything that AJBT has done since its commencement in 1989.
It was through our efforts that the Board of Secondary education, Central Superior Service (CSS) and Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) Examinations made accommodations for students to take exams in Braille and sit for computer-based tests for the first time in Pakistan.
We empower our students and those living with visual impairment to fulfill their potential by making state-of-the-art programs and technology available.
In 2019 we brought IRIS Vision to Pakistan. This is an innovative visual aid that can enhance quality of life and vision for suitable individuals with visual impairment.
AJBT has been instrumental, through the generosity of our donors, to make this gift of sight possible for several of our students.
