Our Team
Our dedicated staff work hard to ensure our mission of protecting childhood.
Madeeha has had experience across the development spectrum, from non-formal schools in urban slums to consultancies with Save the Children and the Malala Fund. She is currently leading on all aspects of organisational development and programme design at Cities for Children. Madeeha completed her Masters as a Fulbright scholar at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, and her undergraduate degree at the London School of Economics. Her writing on humanitarian and development issues has been published by leading newspapers in Pakistan, as well as international development and academic blogs.
Madeeha Ansari
Founder/CEO
Baneen helps shape CfC’s programmes so children can experience learning with joy, care, and dignity. She works with teams and partners to turn ideas into action, ensuring every effort reaches the children who need it most. A former teacher, she has spent over a decade creating meaningful learning spaces through roles at The Citizens Foundation, NOWPDP, and TAKMIL. She believes every child deserves care, joy, and the chance to dream and that those same things help all of us grow.
Umm-ul-Baneen
Pakistan Programmes Lead
Ansa helps children and teachers discover kinder, happier ways to learn together in classrooms full of curiosity and care. At CfC, she leads the Maar Nahi Pyaar programme, training teachers and ensuring small shifts in classrooms spark big changes for children. Her proudest moment was presenting CfC’s research at the UKFIET Conference at Oxford, carrying the voices of children and teachers from Pakistan to a global stage. A former Teach for Pakistan Fellow, Ansa, believes kindness and care can transform education more than fear ever could, creating classrooms where learning truly feels like joy.
Syeda Ansa
Pakistan Programmes Officer
Haroon helps create safe and joyful spaces where children can learn, play, and dream. At CfC, he works on the Hansti Basti (Happy Hoods) programme, designing classrooms and sessions filled with laughter, discovery, and happy memories. His favourite part of the work is seeing children smile as they learn through play. Once, a child created a superhero and said the superhero was Haroon, a moment that captured the trust and connection that make his work meaningful. He believes that every playful moment can shape a brighter, kinder future for children.
Haroon Azmat Tarar
Programme Support Officer
Sehrish helps children build confidence, kindness, and resilience so they can thrive. At CfC, she supports programmes that nurture socio-emotional skills and create joyful, caring spaces for learning. She treasures moments when children proudly share their voices—like at the Manzil Kashi event, where alumni spoke passionately about girls’ education. With experience spanning education, research, and climate learning, Sehrish brings curiosity and care to all she does. She believes that giving every child access to quality education can transform their life and their community.
Sehrish Muluk
Pakistan Programmes Officer
Arooba tells stories about the magic happening at CfC, turning everyday moments into words and visuals that make people smile, think, or join in. She loves peeking into children’s worlds, their laughter, drawings, and dreams and sharing those sparks of joy with others. Before joining CfC, she designed children’s books, created visuals, and wrote about storytelling and justice. Arooba believes that kindness, imagination, and justice are choices we can make every day, and that even the smallest story can help people see the world with more care.
Arooba Haq
Communications Officer
Alex Pagan joined Cities for Children in November 2025 as a Programme Officer. Alex works to create safe, joyful spaces where out-of-school children can learn, play, and lead with their own creativity. With a background in Sociology and a Master’s in International Development with Humanitarian Action and Conflict, Alex brings experience from SEN schools, residential childcare, and humanitarian research. A proud moment is arriving to find children waiting eagerly to begin. Guided by curiosity, Alex believes every child deserves space to grow, think freely, and thrive.
Alex Pagan
UK Programmes Officer
Maaha Suleiman is an experienced development professional with a background in Global Health and a strong commitment to child wellbeing and inclusivity. Beyond her work with Cities for Children, Maaha has engaged with local authorities and government bodies, including the Department for Education and the Department of Health and Social Care, to advocate for culturally appropriate care and inclusive policies. Her innovative projects include developing technology to deliver culturally sensitive care and designing training programs to equip caregivers with the skills needed to support diverse communities.
Maaha Suleiman
UK Development Officer
Our Board - Pakistan
The Pakistan board members help steer the organisation and its growth.
Usama Khilji
Chair
Maham Ali is a communications specialist based in Islamabad, Pakistan who has been working in the development/education sector for the past 9 years. She started her career as the coordinator of the largest learning festival in Pakistan for children, Children’s Literature Festival and then moved on to the public sector where she worked as a media and PR consultant at PEMRA. Maham is also a founding member of the first interactive and modern Science Centre in Karachi, The Dawood Foundation’s MagnifiScience Centre.
Maham Ali
Director
Rameez Mumtaz
Director
Sara Seerat is the Managing Partner of Mahmood Awan & Partners, Islamabad and a co-founding Senior Partner of Awan Seerat Tirmizi, Lahore. She qualified with an LLB (Hons.) from Queen Mary, University of London in 2009, and was called to the Bar of England and Wales by the Hon’ble Society of Lincoln’s Inn in 2010. She is a member of the Islamabad Bar Association, Islamabad High Court Bar Association, and Inter- Pacific Bar Association. She advises Cities for Children Pakistan on legal and regulatory matters.
Sara Seerat
Director
Our Board - UK
The UK Board of Trustees has helped set the vision and strategy for the organisation and continues to provide specialist support.
Jetske originally supported all aspects in the setting up of Cities for Children in a voluntary capacity, before joining the board in 2019. She is an experienced Programme Manager, having worked in the international development sector on children’s rights programmes at Child to Child, as well as mentoring for women economic empowerment at the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women. She currently works in the Diversity, Equality & Inclusion sector, delivering high quality programmes for and with global clients. She has a Master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Groningen, the Netherlands.
Jetske van Dijk
Chair
Usman is a qualified Chartered Accountant with over 20 years of experience across financial services. He has been at Santander Corporate and Investment Bank for the last 8 years. Prior to Santander, Usman spent 9 years at Royal Bank of Scotland and 3 years at PricewaterhouseCoopers.Usman has a BSc in Accounting and Finance from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Usman Qureshi
Treasurer
David is a Social Development specialist, with over 13 years’ research experience in aspects of gender equality, gender-based violence, child protection, and linking evidence to policy processes. He joined Itad in autumn 2017 as a Senior Consultant in the Gender theme. David has a background in Human Geography and Development Studies and has experience in a variety of NGOs and research institutions, including the Overseas Development Institute, Oxfam GB, the Green Economics Institute and others.
David Walker
Trustee
Nabeela is the impact investment lead at British International Investments (BII) with nearly two decades of experience in impact investing, development finance and public policy. She is an industry veteran having spent the last decade at BII (formerly CDC group) focussed on investments across Africa, South Asia and MENA. Previously, Nabeela has worked at the global health organisation Gavi Alliance and the UK Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit. She has studied at University of British Columbia (Canada) and the London School of Economics (UK). Her work has been published and cited in various journals. She is a regular media commentator and event speaker.
Nabeela Khan
Trustee
Ali Nur is an evaluator specialising in impact evaluations and action research. With an academic background in development anthropology, Ali has worked in different roles in the international development space. He began this journey working for grassroots organisations advocating for the Right to Education and child rights in Pakistan. Subsequent roles include four years as an evaluation consultant in London before moving into the funder space at Comic Relief and currently at The National Lottery Community Fund. Ali is driven by a mission to shift the power to those at the receiving end of development assistance.
Ali Nabi Nur
Trustee
Our Advisors
We are grateful for the periodic support and mentorship of the following advisors, who we have reached out to when needed.
Minha is a Sociologist of Education with a particular focus on opportunity, equity, and constraints in education systems. She works at the intersection of research, policy, and design to promote equitable access to education. She is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Cambridge where her research is on the risks and future life chances of out-of-school children in her home country, Pakistan.
Minha Khan
Research Advisor
Aneeq Cheema is an experienced public sector professional from Pakistan who has worked with all four provincial governments and the federal government of Pakistan across health, social services, and public financial management sectors. His most recent work took him to Seattle, serving as a Program Officer at the Gates Foundation, focusing on routine immunisation systems strengthening.He holds an MBA from Duke University and received a Master’s in Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University as a Fulbright scholar.
Aneeq Cheema
Strategic Advisor
Yang provides strategic support to the Board in the development of strategies, business plans, and grant proposals. She was previously the Child Protection in Emergencies Specialist for Plan International in the Central African Republic and has also worked for Save the Children in Myanmar supporting their Child Protection and Child Rights Governance programs. Yang holds a Master’s degree from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and an undergraduate degree from the University of Toronto. She is currently based in New York City.
Yang Fu
Strategic Advisor
Zohaib is a seasoned professional with extensive experience in operations, strategy, and team leadership. As Chief of Staff at Metric, he led manager training programs and built high-impact teams across customer success, business intelligence, and business development—driving a 200% revenue increase and securing key partnerships.
Zohaib Khan
Strategic Advisor
Mustafa is the Executive Director of the Pakistan-China Institute, a leading platform advancing Pakistan-China relations across diplomacy, energy, and sustainable development. He also serves as Executive Director of Action for Climate Change and is a co-founder of the Green Energy Network–Asia. Actively engaged in the Belt and Road Initiative, he has advised Chinese institutions on green and low-carbon development and co-founded the Green CPEC Alliance. Mr Sayed has spoken at global forums including COP28 and the Belt and Road Forums, and has published widely on CPEC and infrastructure policy. He received a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, New York.