About

Chef Fatima Ali

“I’d like to help and inspire other young women, particularly Pakistani young women, to motivate them to believe that a life beyond the norm is possible.”
– Chef Fatima Ali

Fatima Ali did just that. From early on in her career Fatima, broke boundaries, established firsts, and constantly challenged herself to be a better chef and person. She dreamed, she worked tirelessly, she challenged herself, she made time for others.

Chef Fatima Foundation

The Chef Fatima Foundation is a non-profit organization based in Lahore, Pakistan. Our Foundation was the brain-child of our namesake, Chef Fatima Ali who lost her battle with Ewing’s Sarcoma on January 25, 2019. Fati’s hopes and dreams were larger than life. She was convinced that nothing could ever come in the way of the goals she set for herself. This is the philosophy that drives the Chef Fatima Foundation. We plan to achieve our goals through our four programs:

- - Fati’s Food – spread joy through food
  - Training – Provide training to those interested in the Culinary Arts
  - Chef Exchange – Global exchange of food and culture through mutual teaching and learning
  - Grants – fulfill dreams of those passionate about making food their livelihood

We want to spread joy and make change through food, to enable people to be seen through gestures of hospitality, and share delicious and comforting food experiences with people who may not have ready access to these. Our programs are designed to empower people and facilitate intergenerational change by providing sustainable employment opportunities to those who are passionate about the hospitality industry. Our efforts will place greater emphasis on using the power of food to address other issues in the economic, environmental, and cultural domains. While our work will touch on feeding the hungry, we intend on working in partnership with those for whom this is their core work and help combine efforts to ensure donation efficacy is maximized and there is no duplication of efforts to achieve the same outcomes. We will work with those who have a ready infrastructure and efficient systems in place to make sure those neediest are having the most basic requirement for survival met. We are a collection of people Fatima has inspired, who will work through this Foundation to achieve Fati’s dreams. We are happy to be supported by so many of Fati’s fans: those who got to know her through her career, some who learned of her through her honest depiction of her battle, and those who discovered her through their friends and family. We ask you to be our helping hands: volunteer your time, donate funds, and tell everyone you know about what we are doing and why they should support us. Through our collective efforts, we will make a meaningful difference in so many lives.

Purpose

Spread joy and make change through food.

Vision

Enable people to use the power of food to change their own lives and make a positive impact on their communities, their country, and their space on the world stage.

Values

Love, compassion, humility, and kindness.
Humanity and equality of opportunity.
Honesty, truth, and resilience in the face of challenge.
Power of food and hospitality to spread joy, give respite, and inspire.

Celebrating and preserving local resources.
Collaborating to help create better outcomes.
Supporting sustainable solutions for our people and environment.
Transparency and accountability to our supporters.

Our team

Our team is led by Fatima’s family, and supported by an executive committee who have been carefully chosen for their strengths and what they uniquely bring to the vision for our Foundation. We also have a group of dedicated volunteers behind the scenes who help with various operational activities.