ISLAMABAD: Ilm (education) Ideas 2, a programme funded by the UK Department for International Development, organized a first-of-its-kind Education Innovation Forum to introduce the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) community to a range of exciting education innovations making a difference for the children and the young people in Pakistan.
The forum introduced the state of education in Pakistan, the scope of the challenge and the potential for education innovation to reach children most in need, as more than 20 million children in Pakistan between the ages of 5 and 16 are out of school.
Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) Chief Human Resource Officer Syed Mazhar Hussain, presenting PTCL’s CSR strategy with an emphasis on its education portfolio said, “Owing to the educational scarcity in Pakistan, education needs to be a top agenda in the CSR Plan of every company. PTCL continues to take initiatives to close the gap between educational institutions and the industry. This is a great event for CSR heads to learn about the innovations that have the potential to significantly improve the quality of education in Pakistan.”
Jazz Head Corporate Responsibility Mohammad Ali Ibrahim spoke about his company’s CSR initiatives, including a project with one of the companies supported by Ilm Ideas 2.
The organizations and businesses supported by Ilm 2 are addressing Pakistan’s education challenges in innovative and sustainable ways to reach the children from poor and marginalized households.
They are implementing a variety of exciting solutions, including creative and localised educational content, digital classrooms, access to learning for out-of-school children, and early childhood education.
They presented their solutions, showcased their work and products at their stalls and invited the businesses and CSR professionals to support them in scaling to reach more children.
“The involvement of major corporations is essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals,” said Zulfiqar Qazilbash- a business development consultant with Ilm 2.
Globally, consumers are choosing to engage with socially responsible businesses and corporations, and this forum was a unique opportunity for companies in Pakistan to learn about and contribute to education initiatives, which are traditionally underfunded when it comes to CSR spending.
