K2Step

Upon entering retirement, Iqbal Chaudhry—accompanied by his son Amjad—embarked on a 12-country journey between October 2017 and March 2018. What began as a personal adventure soon evolved into a mission. As they traveled across regions marked by both immense wealth and deep poverty—from affluent cities in Europe to underserved areas in Pakistan—they reflected on how they could give back in a meaningful way.

Iqbal’s journey began decades earlier. In 1981, he left Pakistan on an academic scholarship to pursue a PhD in the United States. A former university professor, he has long believed that education is the most powerful tool for lifting communities out of poverty. Amjad, inspired by innovative education models such as Salman Khan’s Khan Academy, shared his father’s passion for impactful, technology-driven learning.

Both were troubled by the state of education in Pakistan, where a shortage of qualified teachers continues to fail students. They saw an opportunity: to harness the power of education technology to support teachers and transform classrooms. By integrating Learning Management Systems (LMS) and interactive digital lessons, they envisioned a future where every child—regardless of background—could access high-quality education.

During the months following their journey, Iqbal and Amjad researched various LMS platforms and low-cost devices suitable for use in resource-constrained schools. They ultimately chose Kolibri, a free, open-source LMS developed by a U.S.-based nonprofit. Kolibri enables schools without internet access to deliver engaging educational content via local servers. STEP has since deployed these servers in schools across Pakistan.

In 2020, their vision took formal shape with the founding of STEP, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Iqbal brought in all four of his sons to help build the organization from the ground up. Ahmad led the registration and financial setup. Asad designed and maintains the website. Ali architected the backend infrastructure that powers Kolibri’s deployment. With their engineering backgrounds and a shared ethos of service, the Chaudhry family continues to run STEP entirely as volunteers—ensuring that every dollar goes directly toward the mission, with zero overhead.

To date, we have:

• Installed 5 Kolibri-based learning management systems in under-resourced schools.

• Delivered 150 tablets to classrooms, bringing interactive digital learning tools to students who had none.

• Trained 45 teachers across 5 charity schools to integrate technology into their teaching.

• Partnered with 5 schools in Lahore and 2 schools in Islamabad to scale our impact.

• Maintained a zero-overhead operational model, with all work done by volunteers.

• Built a growing network of educators, engineers, and supporters committed to education equity.

Our next chapter is the most ambitious yet: to build our own K–12 school from the ground up in Pattoki, Pakistan. This flagship campus will serve as a model for technology-enabled education, integrating best practices in teaching, training, and curriculum design to transform how students learn and how teachers teach.