Cedar Gives Back is Cedar School & College’s student-driven social responsibility department. What began as informal charitable projects in 2020 has grown into a structured, year-round programme of fundraising, outreach, and hands-on partnership with underserved communities across Sindh.
CAMPUS BASED PROGRAMMES
Duke of Edinburgh's
International Award
Cedar Gives Back is introducing the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award for Cedar students. It is a globally recognised youth achievement programme built around four sections: Volunteering, Physical Recreation, Skills, and Adventurous Journey. It gives students a structured framework to develop new skills, contribute to their community, and build resilience and leadership through sustained, self-directed effort — complementing Cedar Gives Back's wider mission of service and purposeful action along with building strong student profiles for university admissions.
Recycling Drive
Encouraging responsible waste management through recycling and reuse practices across all Cedar campuses. The initiative aims to reduce campus waste and build lasting sustainability habits among students, embedding environmental responsibility into everyday campus life.
Sustainability
Internship
Programme
At Cedar, we believe learning goes beyond the classroom. Three of our students recently interned at Co-Design Studio, an architecture practice, under the mentorship of Ms. Moyena Ahmed, a Fulbright Scholar from Newcastle University. As part of the program, they visited Khuda Ki Basti to gain hands-on exposure to sustainability planning and urban development, proposing greywater solutions to reduce residents' dependence on water tankers and ideas for improved waste management.
Fundraising Events
The engine behind Cedar Gives Back's projects, run on campus by students for the community.
- Cedar Charity Carnival & Bazaar
- Cedar Evening Bazaar
- Mufti Day
- White Elephant Stall
Funds raised were directed toward Khuda ki Basti initiatives, widow ration support, the Early Years Centre and breakfast programme, vocational learning, income generation, support staff, and upcoming projects.
COMMUNITY BASED PROGRAMMES
Sustainable Street &
Urban Development
Community-grounded research guiding a design proposal to revitalise local streets, making them safer, greener, and easier to move through, while giving residents a direct voice in how their shared spaces are shaped.
Khuda ki Basti Community
Centre programmes
- Mehndi Classes — creative training in traditional mehndi design, giving participants seasonal employment opportunities
- Stitching Classes — practical sewing and tailoring skills promoting financial independence for women
- Early Years Education — quality early childhood education for underprivileged children
- Digital Literacy Classes — essential computer and internet skills
- Ration for Widows — monthly ration distributions supporting widowed women and their families
- Nutritional Breakfast Programme — healthy breakfast for early years students to prevent stunted growth and support energy, focus, and well-being
- Wellness Programme — includes caring for the community beyond monetary needs and working towards better mental and physical health
- Tree Plantation — fruit-bearing trees planted to help mitigate climate change impacts
- Plantation & Sanitation — ongoing tree plantation, cleanliness, and improved community spaces
- Income Generation Through Vocational Training — skill-based training to help women learn, create, and earn through practical work
PROJECT GULMIT, HUNZA
Climate Change Early Warning Systems — Gulmit sits in a region increasingly exposed to glacial melt, flash floods, and other climate-driven disasters. Cedar Gives Back is supporting the community in building early warning systems that give residents crucial time to prepare and respond before a disaster strikes.
- Partnering directly with the Gulmit community to understand local risk patterns and existing knowledge
- Supporting the design and installation of monitoring and alert systems suited to the terrain
- Training community members to read, maintain, and act on the warnings the systems provide
- Building a model that can extend to other climate-vulnerable communities over time
- This project is at an early, concept stage — details on technology and partners will be confirmed as planning progresses.
URBAN FOREST, CLIFTON
- Mangrove Conservation & Tree Plantation — Expanding plantation efforts to protect and restore Karachi's coastline, including a dedicated portion of the forest as an ongoing conservation site.
- Mangroves buffer the coastline against erosion, storm surges, and rising sea levels
- Restored tree cover improves air quality and helps cool the city as temperatures rise
- Builds on plantation work already underway in Khuda ki Basti
- Creates an ongoing, visible space for students and volunteers to take part in hands-on conservation
- Forest Clean-Up — Organising clean-up activities to protect green spaces and reduce environmental waste.
- Biodiversity Forest Plantation — Planting diverse native trees to restore green cover and support local biodiversity.
DADU VILLAGE
Dadu Village stands as one of Cedar Gives Back's largest undertakings to date. Funded through proceeds raised at the Cedar Carnival and built in 2024 in collaboration with the Karachi Relief Trust (KRT), the project delivered proper, durable housing for families displaced by the 2022 floods. It now provides a safe and stable environment for more than 80 individuals, giving displaced families a permanent foundation from which to rebuild their lives.
GET
INVOLVED
Whether through volunteering, sponsorship, or donations, there are many ways to be part of Cedar Gives Back. Reach out to the CSR department at csr@cedar.edu.pk to learn how you can contribute.