Mobilink Foundation wins CSR Award
KARACHI (PR): At a ceremony held by Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Center (SKMCH&RC) to acknowledge its leading corporate donors and supporters for the year 2015, Mobilink Foundation was awarded the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Award for the 4th time. "This award underscores Mobilink's commitment towards the local healthcare sector as part of our Corporate Responsibility initiatives. We will continue to support Shaukat Khanum Hospital in the coming years to make every day better for the communities we operate within," said Jeffrey Hedberg, CEO & President Mobilink.
Since the past four years, Mobilink Foundation has contributed greatly to the enhancement of the Shaukat Khanum project and ideology through financial contributions, and active volunteerism under its ‘Mobilink Torchbearers’ program.
Mobilink also invests in health programs and believes that everyone should have access to primary healthcare, irrespective of their financial strength and background.

MIB, Inov8 join hands

LAHORE (PR): MCB Islamic Bank Limited (MIB) and Inov8 Limited, the region’s fastest growing digital payments company, have signed an agreement by which the Bank will be using Inov8’s next generation FalconPay Ecosystem. This will allow MIB to offer next generation mobile payments and commerce, retail payments, G2P and P2G payments, and instant Asaan Account and card issuance at the customer’s doorstep.
This is the first time in the history of Pakistan that a Bank and a Fintech Company have collaborated to enable their customers to have access to a combination of mobile payments, internet payments, inter and intra bank fund transfers, ticketing, retail payments etc. at such a scale. The FalconPay Ecosystem will allow the Bank to target new market segments within the conventional banking framework including the unbanked in combination with the Asaan Account Management System. This will create accessible digital channels for the Bank to leverage its conventional branch banking creating a distribution channel as effective and as big in scope as of that of the leading players of the branchless banking industry.

RB’s pilot project

LAHORE (PR): Reckitt Benckiser Pakistan (RB), manufacturers of Dettol, announced its long-term commitment to fighting diarrhoea and improving health and hygiene practices in Pakistan during a press briefing at Dhori village in Sargodha district. The announcement was made by Patricia O’Hayer, Global Head of External Communications and Affairs, during her visit to Pakistan to evaluate the progress of the pilot project.
“RB’s commitment to Pakistan involves initiating and sustaining such projects that can improve health and hygiene within the country. With this project RB aims to reduce the incidence of diarrhoea, particularly among children, and prevent child deaths due from diseases such as diarrhoea” she said.
The campaign’s pilot, “Sehatmand Gharanay, Khushhal Pakistan”, was conducted in collaboration with Plan International, an NGO that already has several water, sanitation and hygiene initiatives across Punjab and many others all over Pakistan.

Citi-PPAF awards

ISLAMABAD (PR): Citi Foundation and the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund hosted the 10th annual Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards (CMA) in Islamabad, highlighting the achievements of some of the most innovative microentrepreneurs in Pakistan. Citi-PPAF Microentrepreneurship Awards programme is a signature initiative of the Citi Foundation aimed at generating economic opportunities for low-income people including youth, around the globe.
The awards programme provides entrepreneurs with resources to strengthen their business, including access to networks, capital, tools and trainings, and enables individuals to create economic sustainability for themselves, their families and their communities.
The Citi Foundation CMA programme is supported with funding from the Citi Foundation and is hosted by local organizations that are committed to bringing solutions to scale through microfinance and entrepreneurship.
Qazi Azmat Isa, CEO of PPAF, said, “PPAF has led the development of microfinance in the country since it began operations in the year 2000. Our aim is to develop the grassroots economy of the country and supporting individuals to contribute effectively towards the socio-economic development of their households, communities and of Pakistan.”
He added, “The Citi–PPAF Microentrepreneurship Awards Program aims at rewarding entrepreneurial skills, leadership and best practices of individual microentrepreneurs. By highlighting award-winning microentrepreneurs, it creates awareness on the effectiveness and significance of microfinance as a tool in the fight against poverty. As of this year we have celebrated the achievements of 374 winners across Pakistan.”
Chief guest Muhammad Baligh ur Rehman, Minister of State for Federal Education and Professional Training, said, “Established by the last government of PML(N) in 1998, PPAF has since worked effectively in support of public policy to build social and financial capital of the marginalised section of the society. Today, the 10th Citi-PPAF Micro-entrepreneurship Awards, is a wonderful example of public-private collaboration going on for a decade. I congratulate Citi Foundation for its role in poverty alleviation in the country and recognizing micro entrepreneurs for their innovative business practices. I also congratulate the 52 micro entrepreneurs, loan officers and their institutions present here today. Their enterprise has transformed microcredit loans into life changing opportunities for their families and communities.”
Nadeem Lodhi, CCO & MD, Citibank N.A., Pakistan, said, “I would like congratulate PPAF for their partnership and for successfully implementing the CMA Program in Pakistan for the last 10 years. The success of the 10th Citi–PPAF Microentreprenuership awards tells us that we are on the right path. Microfinance is a sustainable strategy for improving lives and promoting growth. Citi has contributed in many ways to building our past and we hope to build a better future by highlighting the success stories and supporting Microentrepreneurship. We hope to take this program to greater heights in years to come.”
In Pakistan, participating microentrepreneurs presented their businesses to microfinance experts and leaders from the public, private and academic sectors. In the interest of transparency, all the applications received from MFIs were screened by a third party before being passed on to members of the judging committee for final interviews. The awards were presented in the categories of most innovative MFI, best national male and female entrepreneurs, best entrepreneurs in each region, most innovative entrepreneur, overcoming adversity, young entrepreneur, and positive impact on community.
The Awards celebrate small business owners for their efforts in creating sustainable businesses in their communities. The program puts the spotlight on local microentrepreneurs who are helping to lift the economic fortunes of their communities, and generating greater opportunities to bring capital into their developing economies.