ISLAMABAD   -  Four social enterprises have emerged victorious from the first cohort of the UNDP-Jazz’s SDG Bootcamps for Social Enterprises. Overall, 70 social enterprises from across Pakistan participated in the first cohort with over 40 percent participation by women. 

The winning social enterprises include Digital Libas; Sukoon, a health-tech initiative from Punjab aiming to revolutionise mental health care; Asani, an automation-based social enterprise from Sindh, and Peshawar Waste Management Company, a social enterprise working towards building sustainable communities by converting daily waste into natural fertilizers.

Thirteen of the total participants were from Balochistan, 19 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 17 from Sindh and 21 from Punjab. Held online, these five-day bootcamps aimed at capacity-building essential for enterprise market success and outreach.

Knut Ostby, Resident Representative UNDP Pakistan, said at the conclusion of the first cohort, “We hope our SDG bootcamps will help these young entrepreneurs play a vital role in addressing the development challenges of the country to ensure that we leave no one behind.”

These five-day bootcamps, organised by School of Leadership Foundation (SoLF), were led by master trainers and covered a wide array of modules including Branding and Customer Engagement, Marketing and Digital Transformation, and Financial Management, Feasibility and Scaling. On the final day of each regional bootcamp, the social enterprises pitched their business ideas to a panel of judges of industry experts.

This programme comprises overall 20 bootcamps nationwide by December 2022 targeting close to 800 youngsters and 50 percent women participation. The aim is to promote promising social ventures that are addressing the country’s developmental challenges.