Bridging Global Expertise with Local Needs: Co-founders’ Approach to Teacher Development

Let’s talk honestly, when we think about the future of our country, it’s almost impossible not to picture a classroom. For many of us, those classrooms are crammed, buzzing with kids, and led by teachers doing their best, sometimes with next to nothing. Being a teacher in Pakistan isn’t easy. But it’s also one of the most important jobs out there.

It is something Rizma Butt knows all too well. She grew up here, saw firsthand the hurdles her own mother faced, and decided she’d do something about it. That’s how the 1 Million Teachers training program (1MT) began: with lived experience, bold ideas, and a simple belief that teachers can turn the tide, if we give them the right support.

The amazing thing? Even though Rizma is from Pakistan and her co-founder, Hakeem Subair, is from Nigeria, they realized their stories and the issues of teachers in their countries have a lot in common. Both saw classrooms suffering from deep shortages: not enough teachers, and the teachers there were often stretched too thin, lacking the latest tools or teacher training programs in Pakistan. Their approach isn’t just about “fixing” things from afar. It’s about combining lessons learned around the world with a real, day-to-day understanding of what teachers in places like Pakistan actually need.

Facing the Teacher Crisis - Up Close

Let’s just say it: numbers matter, but real lives matter even more. UNESCO warns that by 2030, the world will be short 44 million teachers. Pakistan is absolutely part of that story, especially in rural and hard-to-reach areas, where classrooms are routinely left without fully qualified teachers. Even in the cities, many teachers want to grow and learn, but there aren’t enough options for them.

We’re not just talking about headcounts. Imagine wanting to inspire a classroom full of kids, but never having the chance to learn about modern teaching strategies or new ways to support your students. Imagine feeling isolated or not sure where to turn for help, simply because ongoing professional development isn’t available or is too expensive. Sadly, this is the reality for thousands of committed teachers across Pakistan.

What 1MT aims to do is simple at heart, but powerful: bring quality teacher training and peer support to teachers who need it the most, wherever they are. The focus isn’t just on “delivering” content, but on making learning practical, engaging, and right for each community’s context.

Challenging Gender Bias - One Classroom at a Time

If you grew up in Pakistan, chances are you’ve heard someone say, “Why educate a girl? She’ll just get married.” It’s a stubborn myth that’s lingered for generations, and it keeps too many girls and women stuck in place. Rizma’s mother, who was educated but never felt “educated enough” to step out and work, lived through this. Rizma saw her struggle, and it left an impression that drove everything she’s done since.

Teachers carry incredible influence. They can be the ones who flip the script. But they need help doing it. Sometimes, insecure or untrained teachers, without realizing it, pass along those same old gender biases. That’s where 1MT’s partnership with groups like HP, UNESCO, TAG, Girl Rising, UNICEF, and national education authorities comes in. Together, they’re running teacher training courses specifically built to open teachers’ eyes: showing them how to make the classroom a place where girls feel welcome, included, and valued.

It isn’t pie-in-the-sky theory. It means giving teachers tips for creating lesson plans that represent both boys and girls, making sure girls’ voices are heard, and encouraging teachers to talk to parents and neighbors about why girls’ education matters. The ripple effect is real; a single teacher who champions girls can push an entire community to see things differently.

Battling the Odds with Limited Resources

Here’s some reality: classrooms in some areas in Pakistan often have little more than four walls. Not enough chairs, no books, unreliable electricity, and spotty bathrooms, especially for girls. In some undeserved areas, sometimes teachers have to go without even the basics, like chalk or clean drinking water. And when girls hit puberty, a lack of private washrooms makes missing school all too common.

1MT's training courses for teachers  can’t magically fix every broken school or stretch government budgets overnight. What they do, though, is help teachers become resourceful, creative problem-solvers. Training sessions might include sharing strategies for making the most of what’s at hand, or even helping teachers organize and advocate together for better conditions.

One of the most empowering ideas is this: when thousands of teachers feel more confident, knowledgeable, and connected, when they see themselves as part of a movement, they can successfully demand better resources and push for real change from the bottom up.

The Real Power - Working Together

Our platform, 1 Million Teachers, isn’t the story of just our co-founder Rizma or Hakeem; it’s about every teacher in the world who wakes up, shows up, and doesn’t give up. More than 100,000 teachers have joined the teacher training programs, taking steps to gain new skills and help their students dream bigger.

But this work needs more hands and hearts. If you care about the future of Pakistan, if you think every kid deserves a great teacher, and every teacher deserves a chance to keep learning, you’re already part of this movement. Whether you spread the word, advocate alongside us, or support teacher development programs in your community, you’re helping build something stronger.

Let’s keep going. Let’s keep listening, learning, and lifting up the teachers who shape tomorrow, one classroom at a time.