ISLAMABAD: Microsoft Pakistan, a leader in technology and innovation, has recently organized its Corporate social responsibility (CSR) campaign named ‘Microsoft Pakistan Partners Ecosystem CSR Outreach’ with the commitment of facilitating the needs of people in all communities at Serena Hotel, Islamabad and Pearl Continental Hotel, Lahore respectively.
The motive behind Microsoft Philanthropies is to invest the strongest assets to drive greater inclusion and empowerment of people not having access to technology and the opportunities it offers and enables. Shahzad Khan Country Head initiated the event in Islamabad by emphasizing that CSR is vital for partners by stating: “At Microsoft we believe in sharing our success with the communities, wherever we operate.”
“The employment forums are robust platforms which can enable revolutionary enrichments in the society, by empowering the youth, to find effective solutions for the various challenges faced by the society. Microsoft aims to bring Partners together with the NGO’s, Private Academia and Donors to create fresh opportunities for the youth, to play a key role in nation-building,” he said.
Rozgar.workis a pioneering ‘Employability and Entrepreneurship Portal’ by Microsoft, launched in collaboration with ‘World Vision’, aimed at providing Pakistani job-seekers with end-to-end career guidance, up skilling, job-matching and mentorship – all centred on a free online hub that brings the best resources together in a bold attempt to address unemployment and underemployment.
‘Tech4Good’ and ‘What Makes Next’ are also few of Microsoft’s initiative having the objective of inspiring higher productivity through the use of revolutionary technologies and to create fresh opportunities for organization and individuals. The Employability platforms nurtures the essential ingredients for Workforce Development, and helps the youth in becoming employed or self-employed.
Microsoft also aims to connect the Microsoft Solution partners with the NGOs/INGO’s, Private Academia and Donors, ultimately benefiting all segments by aligning each other efforts. In this wonderful initiative, around About 40 NGOs, 40+ Partners and 10 Private Academia gathered to explore the future possibilities.
Laura Sheridan –at United Nations Developmental Program (UNDP) participated in the Islamabad event and stated, “We are really excited to be a part of this wonderful and pioneering initiative with Microsoft.”
She said, “UNDP is the UN’s global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. It is definitely an insightful forum which will bring together the corporate companies with the NGO’s and Academia to work on more wonderful projects in the future.”
Rohma Labeeb – Grants Coordinator at Human Development Foundation said, “This is a great initiative taken by Microsoft which is directly in correlation with the mission of HDF, to empower communities and individuals with the tools and resources needed to achieve and sustain a better way of life.”
“The area’s targeted by this initiative will be; Social Mobilization, Education and Literacy, Primary Health Care, Economic Development, and Sustainable Environment,” she said.
She also mentioned how Microsoft Pakistan supported Human Development Foundation through donation of cloud technologies and how it helped them in enhancing productivity and efficiency.
Rizwan Ulhaq from Worldvision International Pakistan expressed his opinion about Microsoft Solutions and Worldvision’s collaboration on employability portal and enabling youth for national development and next steps.
