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Improving Livelihood Opportunities for Rural Women in Pakistan

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Lahore

Nestlé Pakistan has entered into a partnership with Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) to provide livelihood opportunities for rural women living in Pakistan. This partnership is part of Nestlé Pakistan’s Rural Deep Reach Project, which focuses on the needs of low-income population by offering them Popularly Positioned Products (PPPs). These are affordable, nutritious and high quality products. A large portion of Pakistan’s population suffers from deficiencies in key micronutrients (Iron, zinc, vitamin A and D).

Under this partnership, Nestlé Pakistan will be providing livelihood opportunities to the female beneficiaries of the BISP Program. The beneficiaries will be acting as Sales Agents on behalf of Nestlé Pakistan and will be responsible for door-to-door sales within the community.

Nestlé Pakistan will also build the nutrition knowledge of these women by conducting nutrition awareness seminars for these beneficiaries.

Speaking on the occasion, Marvi Memon (Chairperson BISP) said: “It is heartening to see industry playing an extremely positive role in helping improve socio-economic status of women in Pakistan. Our understanding with Nestlé Pakistan is a step in the right direction, as only by working together can we address the key issues faced by Pakistani women”.

Waqar Ahmad, Head of Corporate Affairs, Nestlé Pakistan, said, “Our partnership with BISP is extremely relevant, given our commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Our joint focus is on reducing poverty and promoting economic growth. Nestlé is also committed to providing greater access to fortified products to our rural society. Our products contain Iron, Zinc, Vitamin A and D amongst other vital nutrients e.g. NESTLÉ BUNYAD. Through this initiative, we hope to empower our rural women by providing them livelihood opportunities, along with improving their nutrition status and the quality of life for them and their families”.

About BISP

The Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) is a federal unconditional cash transfer poverty reduction program in Pakistan. BISP was launched in July 2008 and has grown rapidly; it is now the single largest safety net program in Pakistan’s history with approximately PKR 90 billion distributed to 5.4M beneficiaries (in 2016) across Pakistan.

About Nestlé Pakistan

Nestlé is the world’s largest food and beverage company. It is present in 189 countries around the world, and its 328,000 employees are committed to Nestlé’s purpose of enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future. Nestlé offers a wide portfolio of products and services for people. Their ranges of 2000 brands include local favorites like Nestlé Pure Life and Fruita Vitals. Company performance is driven by its Nutrition, Health and Wellness strategy. Nestlé is based in the Swiss town of Vevey where it was founded more than 150 years ago.

For further information, please contact:
Zara Basharat
Corporate Media Relations Manager, Nestlé Pakistan
Cell: 042-35988138
Email: [email protected]

 

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