Ra’ana Liaquat Craftsmen’s Colony (RLCC), founded in 1947 by Begum Ra’ana Liaquat Ali Khan and inaugurated in 1954, is a rights-based non-profit organization serving over 20,000 beneficiaries in Shah Faisal Colony, Karachi.
What began as a vision for a self-sufficient craft community has evolved into a dynamic institution driving education, health, vocational training, community outreach, and livelihoods in line with UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Registered with Voluntary Social Welfare, certified by PCP, and recognized as an NPO under the Income Tax Ordinance, RLCC continues to empower underprivileged communities through innovative women-centric programs.
To enhance the social and economic well-being of low-income communities by:
The Ra’ana Liaquat Craftsmen’s Colony (RLCC) was born amidst the chaos and upheaval of Partition. The First Lady of the newly formed country, Begum Ra’ana Liaquat Ali Khan, had the foresight to envisage a self-sufficient community craft colony with built-in support services, including health and education. Since its inception, RLCC has been at the forefront of the women’s movement in Pakistan and has operated as a not-for-profit, non-partisan organization focusing on addressing gender issues and driving women’s participation in decision making processes.
The need for a holistic community that supports the economic and social wellbeing of its beneficiaries remains as relevant today as it was in 1947. Pakistan is marred with deep inequality and swathes of the population lack access to the most basic amenities, including education, healthcare and economic opportunity. RLCC strives to address this inequality in its target community, Shah Faisal Colony, and other underprivileged areas of Pakistan, by fulfilling its mandate to improve women’s lives by alleviating poverty, building capacity, enabling women to exercise agency in decision making and furthering the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
In its 65 years of operation, RLCC has had a direct and tangible impact on its beneficiary community. We have empowered thousands of women who are now better able to make critical decisions regarding matters of health, education and their livelihoods. We have also developed a strong local presence, a sustainable development strategy and have furthered our outreach and capacity building strategy.
We have received invaluable support by a range of specialized strategic partners, which has enabled us to deliver targeted assistance to our beneficiary communities, and to scale our efforts. RLCC is above all about community and our work would not be possible without our unshakeable community of support.
We look forward to calling upon you, our community, for support as we plan ahead for the future. In order to expand and to meet the evolving needs of not only Shah Faisal Colony, but of the many underprivileged areas in Pakistan, we need to design more innovative programs and services, provide continued support and greater outreach. So together, we can realise RLCC’s vision and transform lives.
Behind every RLCC initiative is a team driven by purpose, community builders, educators, and changemakers, uplifting Shah Faisal Colony in Karachi, Pakistan.
With 82 dedicated members serving over 20,000 beneficiaries, we create opportunities through local hiring and skills development. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, our team stood strong and continued our mission with resilience, keeping the community safe.
Guided by an expert volunteer board, RLCC runs on a self-sustained model that keeps costs low and impact high, staying true to Begum Raana Liaquat’s vision of a stronger, self-reliant community.
