Founded in 1996 as a government-registered youth orphanage for boys and girls, Apna Sahara is located in Talab Katta, a semi-slum area of Hyderabad, India. That same year, Shahzad Khan started a charitable initiative with the mission of making Apna Sahara a more sustainable and nourishing environment for its children. Recently, the charitable initiative started by Shahzad has expanded its focus to include providing the children of Apna Sahara with the quality education needed to break out of a cycle of poverty and become self-sufficient. In the spring of 2010, Apna Sahara was transformed into a full-time primary school and home for its 40 boys and girls.