Philip Morris (Pakistan) Limited – PMPKL Leaf (PK-Leaf) completed another round of Skills Training Project (‘Project’) for the year 2024. Every year, PK-Leaf undertakes a Project for the children of its contracted tobacco farmers. The Project is usually organized between June and August when the children are free during summer vacations and may fall prey to child labour at tobacco farms, considering the period coincides with peak tobacco seasonal harvesting and curing activities. Under the Project, children learn basic knowledge of trade skills and undergo practical sessions to acquire customized electrician and tailoring skills. The children are also provided with weekly additional sessions on agriculture/horticultural science (grafting/budding in plants, etc.), basic health and hygiene for boys, and food processing and preservation (preparing fruit syrups, vegetable puree, etc.) and basic health and hygiene for girls to add to their learning acumen.
This year, the Project’s closing ceremony was held in Swabi on 29th August 2024, attended by PK-Leaf management and the Project’s implementing partner, DragonFly Agriculture. Training completion certificates and shields were awarded to 896 children (448 boys and 448 girls) completing building electrician and tailoring courses, respectively. The graduating trainees were also provided hardware to continue practising the learnt skills, including a building electrician tool kit for boys and a sewing machine for girls. The ceremony also hosted an exhibition of the products and projects the training participants prepared, showcasing their prowess and knowledge acquired during the Project.
Speaking at the occasion, the Manager of Social Sustainability, Mr Syed Muhammad Suleman Gul, said that “since 2021, the project has provided skills training to more than 3,000 children, equipping them with valuable skills and encouraging them to go for self-employment and small-scale entrepreneurship in their future. Several case studies conducted on the project reveal how trainees of the project go after self-employment as soon as they enter adulthood. Thanks to the well thought customized training curriculum design that addresses the growing demand for a skilled workforce and supports the communities by enhancing employability and career growth opportunities in the local market”.
The Head of Leaf, Mr. Abid Javed, said, “sustainability lies at the core of our overall operations. We are thrilled to see this project’s positive impact on our community. The success stories of training participants are a testament to the importance of skills training in their lives. The Skills Training Project is not only protecting children from child labour activities. Still, it is also aimed at empowering tobacco farmers’ children with the necessary skills to thrive in their careers and be prepared for today’s competitive job market. We remain committed to fostering a sustainable business environment in Pakistan that contributes to the development of children, skills enhancements, and activities at large that benefit our tobacco farmers on social, environmental, and economic fronts”.
