Islamabad - 14 December 2020: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Pakistan and Jazz have signed a funding agreement worth USD 400,000 to promote youth-led social innovation in Pakistan through a series of SDG Bootcamps across the country.

The training bootcamps will engage 800 social entrepreneurs in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and ICT/GB/AJK. Given the current COVID-19 crisis, one of the key focus areas will be to find innovative solutions to address the challenges posed by the pandemic. The most promising social venture ideas will be provided seed money to start their initiatives.

During the event, Amir Goraya, Assistant Resident Representative of Crisis Prevention and Recovery Unit, UNDP Pakistan said, “There is a need to enhance the ecosystem of social entrepreneurship in Pakistan as it creates employment, addresses societal issues and contributes towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals. The partnership between UNDP and Jazz presents an exciting opportunity to promote economic empowerment of vulnerable youth. Together, we will facilitate young entrepreneurs to enter this space and launch their creative ideas.”

According to Syed Fakhar Ahmed, Chief Corporate & Regulatory Affairs Officer at Jazz, “Jazz supports various sustainable initiatives to strengthen the digital ecosystem and empower young people to make a positive difference through increased access to education, digital skills and social entrepreneurship. Through this initiative, we are aiming to further strengthen the startup ecosystem and provide young people with opportunities to lead societal change and increase employment avenues.”

This partnership is aligned with Pakistan’s 2025 Vision with Jazz continuing its commitment to developing digital skills and literacy among the youth.

UNDP, through its Kamyab Jawan – Youth Empowerment Programme, is supporting the Government in developing innovative and sustainable entry points for social engagement and economic empowerment of young Pakistanis. One of the key components of the Programme is to support youth entrepreneurship which not only empowers young people economically, but also spurs change and ensures inclusive development of the country.