The story of the Karachi Co-operative Housing Societies Union Limited begins with one man.

M. Sharif Baiji grew up in the lap of co-operation. His father devoted his life to helping poor and powerless people in the Sindh region of Pakistan, home to the nation’s capital, Karachi.

Since becoming a director of the Karachi Co-operative Housing Societies Union, Baiji has been behind the development of houses, flats and townships in rural and urban areas of Sindh. FairPrice shops (profiled elsewhere in this site) and other co-operative housing have since been opened.

The formation of the union has also led the way in the promotion of women’s rights in co-operatives, and it has taken an active role in the International Co-operative Alliance’s housing activities and committees.

Karachi also gave a lot of help to refugees from the devastating floods of 2010.

As the union’s mission statement says: All for each and each for all.

This story is an IYC Yearbook feature: https://ica.coop/en/iycbook