Engro Foundation applauds change agents – 2017 “I Am The Change” award winners announced

Engro Foundation announced the recipients of the I Am The Change (IATC) awards for 2017 in a ceremony held today amid the presence of various development specialists, multilateral organizations, corporate executives and the senior management of the Engro group.

IATC looks to empower organizations to make a large and sustainable impact in the social sector of Pakistan by aiding institutions that have joined forces in a relentless pursuit of shaping a better tomorrow, as they strive for change through long-term investments in the two areas of Social Development (in the case of Not-for-profit Organizations) and Social Enterprise. The recipients in each category will be awarded PKR 2 million after jurors’ decision.

In the category of Social Development, the award was given to Digital Rights Foundation which focuses on making online spaces more secure and inclusive while at the same time supporting humans rights and improving digital governance.

The recipient in the category of Social Enterprise was Daachi Foundation which gives artisans an opportunity to interact with urban customers while at the same time preserving Pakistani art and crafts. The runners up of IATC 2017 were Poverty Eradication Initiative and Health and Rural Development Baluchistan for Social Development and Rizq and Tech Valley Abbotabad for Social Enterprise. The organizations were selected by a respected independent jury of social development and business leaders.

Previous recipients of the IATC Awards in the various categories include organizations such as the Orangi Pilot Project; Child Life Foundation; The Dream Foundation; The Garage School; Patients Welfare Association; Karachi Vocational & Training Centre; Child Aid Association; KhwendoKor (Peshawar); Akhuwat (Lahore), IDSP Community Learning Centers, Afzaal Memorial Thalassemia Foundation (AMTF) and REEDS (Rural Education and Economic Development Society).

Addressing the audience, Aman-ul-Haque, Head of Engro Foundation, said, “We strongly believe in investing in social development by inspiring change and supporting organizations who are solving social problems in Pakistan. Our business strategies, too, are aligned with our vision of creating a sustainable future for the country by contributing to the initiatives driven through Engro Foundation such as inclusive business in agriculture, livelihood enhancement, education, water advocacy and women empowerment. The ‘I Am The Change’ initiative is to highlight the next Maulana Edhi, Akhtar Hameed Khan and Dr. Ruth Pfau and helping them create sustainable models that can be scaled up so wider social impact can be created. Our focus through this campaign is essentially to help and empower these change-makers so that they may expand the magnitude of their benefits to the masses.”

The recipients of the competition were selected based on the scope of their social work; level of impact, number of beneficiaries and the ability to replicate the program amongst other key considerations. There was an independent jury of five people from the development sector. The IATC award entails a financial grant along with aiding the NGO in terms of its capacity & organizational development whilst also ensuring employee volunteerism activities.

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