Alumna inspires sustainable living through children’s books
Posted: 5 June 2026
Ansa Riaz grew up in Punjab, an agriculturally rich province known as the land of five rivers and the most populous region in Pakistan. After completing her education, Ansa worked for nearly a decade in Pakistan’s development sector with national and international organisations.
While working in community development, Ansa wanted to deepen her impact through international study. An Australia Awards Scholarship, with its access to world-class educational institutions and subject-matter experts, stood out as the ideal opportunity.
Driven by her curiosity and commitment to improving development discourse and practices in Pakistan, Ansa began a Master of Development Studies at the University of Melbourne in January 2019 with the support of an Australia Awards Scholarship.
Ansa pictured at an Australia Awards event at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Ansa describes her time in Australia as transformational. “One of the most rewarding aspects of my time at the university was the abundance of opportunities and the unwavering support I received from both systems and individuals,” she says.
The Scholarship exposed Ansa to diverse perspectives, networks and communities. It connected her with professionals from a wide range of sectors, countries and cultures. Ansa says, “These interactions not only broadened my perspective but also allowed me to build meaningful networks.”
On her return to Pakistan in late 2020, Ansa worked with the National Disaster Management Authority and the United Nations Development Programme. She conducted research into the effectiveness of training programs in disaster-prone areas, including a groundbreaking assessment of livelihood training programs for women in fishing communities in Karachi’s Malir and Kemari districts.
Ansa’s childhood in Punjab, her community work and her time in Australia led her to write children’s storybooks on sustainable living. One of her books, ‘Aao Bachayen’ (Come, let’s save), teaches children about the importance of water conservation.
Ansa launching her children’s book ‘Aao Bachayen‘ at the 2025 Reading and Learning Festival in Islamabad.
Growing up surrounded by water in Punjab, Ansa was always fascinated by the abundance of water. However, after working with local communities early in her career, Ansa realised that water is often misused and rapidly being depleted. “Australian culture instilled in me the effectiveness of educating young minds about sustainable living. I came back with a mission to write storybooks for young children in Urdu with lots of artwork to make them interesting,” Ansa says.
Ansa also realised that most educational material on sustainability in Pakistan for children was only available in English, limiting their reach. With Urdu widely used in public schools and local communities across the country, she set out to create engaging, relatable storybooks to introduce concepts of sustainability, using language that young readers in Pakistan could understand, particularly in underserved areas.
Ansa attending the 2025 Reflection meeting, organised by Idara Taleemo Aagahi and the National Book Foundation in Islamabad.
After spending four years back in Pakistan, Ansa has returned to Australia to pursue her PhD at Western Sydney University. Her research focuses on child safeguarding culture in Pakistan, with the goal of strengthening protections for children in her home country.
Reflecting on this year’s World Environment Day, Ansa says, “Now that climate change has become a bitter reality, our only hope lies with the next generation. If we succeed in training them to live sustainably, humanity may withstand this looming existential threat.”