ISLAMABAD ( Web News )
Philip Morris (Pakistan) Limited (PMPKL) provided financial support to Kashf Foundation, a non-profit micro-finance institution, in its project which aimed to empower women by providing them professional training in food catering (“Project”).
Through this Project, women were taught how to prepare, package and market their own cooked food whilst maintaining standard hygiene practices. Four training centers were established in Multan, Lahore and Rawalpindi/Islamabad to train 250 women. The distinguishing feature of this program was inclusion of core skills training on how to run a successful business by addressing topics like client dealing, communication skills and techniques of business management and budgeting.
Andleeb Uroos Ahmed, Head of Communications, Philip Morris (Pakistan) Limited said, “Supporting and enabling the community we live in is one of our core values. By providing financial support to Kashf, PMPKL aims to uplift the oft-overlooked half of our population, so that they can live as empowered and independent members of society – and I have been following their journeys over the course of the project, and I am so proud to see how far they have come today.”
This program also focused on assisting these women to develop market linkages and join digital platforms to sell their products so that they can create sustainable business ventures and also reach a larger market. A few select trainees were also awarded grants to put towards their business ventures. Some of them have already started running their businesses and earning from them which has provided these women a means to support their families and become productive members of the society.