Akhuwat: The Movement Built on Trust, Not Collateral | with Dr. Amjad Saqib

In 2001, Dr. Amjad Saqib gave one interest-free loan in Lahore. He had no way of knowing it would become the seed of a movement. Today, that single act has grown into Akhuwat, a foundation which has disbursed over $1.7 billion to more than 4 million families, with a 99.9% repayment rate, and not a single rupee of interest charged. In this episode, Dr. Saqib takes us back to the beginning: his years as a doctor and then a civil servant, two of the most secure paths a young Pakistani could choose, and why he walked away from both. We talk about the story of that first loan and the woman who repaid it in full, the idea of Mawakhat that still shapes how Akhuwat operates today, and why loans are given in mosques, mandirs, and churches instead of banks. We also get into how borrowers return as donors, what Akhuwat's growth into education, healthcare, and support for marginalized communities reveals about the limits of microfinance alone, and what he's learned after a lifetime spent betting on the dignity of the poor. 0:00 Introduction 2:00 Early Days 4:58 The Story of Akhuwat 11:19 Mawakhat and Social Responsibility 22:42 The Expansion of Akhuwat 24:56 Challenges 25:57 What Everyone in the Development Sector Should Know 28:40 Measuring Social Impact 31:30 Advice for Youth