In 1973, a disastrous flood in the Indus River caused enormous damages in District Rajanpur and massively affected the socioeconomic fabric of the local Riverine communities, villages on the river bank and vicinities of populous areas. The immediate catastrophe after the secession of East Pakistan caused an enormous challenge for flood-affected communities. A group of young people from Kot Mithan town organised themselves and started rescue and relief work with the help of local philanthropy and support. After the floods, the young people strengthened the platform and kept working for the welfare of the local communities. The volunteer group remained informal till 1976, when they registered as an organisation under the Voluntary Social Welfare Agencies (Registration & Control) Ordinance, 1961 (XLVI of 1961). They named the organisation as Anjuman-Al-Islah (organisation for social reform). The organisation primarily remained a self-help group for promoting education, social awareness, raising voices against injustice, and promoting volunteerism and charity among the local communities. In 2006 the senior organisation office holders decided to hand over the organisation to youth to continue the work. The young people held an assembly of the members in 2007 and decided to change the organisation from a welfare to a rights-based entity significantly. They also renamed the organisation in 2008 to mark a departure from charity and welfare orientation and named it “Human Empowerment to Lead & Progress Foundation.” The acronym “HELP Foundation” became widespread; the communities, Government, private businesses, philanthropists and donors know the organisation as HELP Foundation.

From the beginning in 1973 till to date, the organisation remained focused on working with the communities to reduce human losses, sufferings and livelihoods of the disaster-prone communities. The organisation is intrinsically committed to the vulnerable communities’ humanitarian, recovery, rehabilitation and development processes and has contributed significantly to positive changes in the lives of vulnerable people.

Today HELP Foundation is a credible name in serving vulnerable and marginalised communities through a rights-based approach. It has completed more than 60 projects (humanitarian and development) with the financial & technical support of more than ten international and national donors like (in alphabetic order) the Christian Study Center (CSC), Concern Worldwide, ESRA, European Commission (Local Delegation), Literacy Department of the Punjab Government, NCHD, Oxfam GB, Oxfam Germany, Oxfam Hongkong, Oxfam Novib, Plan Pakistan, RTI, Save the Children, START Network, CARE International, UK Aid, and USAID.