Weekly roundup

Standard Chartered donates $249,000 for flood relief

Standard Chartered has donated a total of $249,000 towards emergency relief and rehabilitation of communities impacted by the recent floods that have caused large-scale devastation all over Pakistan.

The selected partners are The Citizens Foundation and Orange Tree Foundation for immediate relief and British Asian Trust for rehabilitation.

Standard Chartered Bank Pakistan Limited (SCBL) Chief Executive Officer Rehan Shaikh said that the bank’s commitment is absolute, and it is totally focused and determined towards rehabilitation and relief of the flood affected people.

“We are fully committed to providing maximum relief to our brethren who have suffered tremendous losses due to the massive floods in Pakistan. By working with these leading non-government organisation (NGO) partners, we are able to support the delivery of rapid and effective relief efforts that aim to address some of the key challenges created by the devastating floods,” he added.

The Citizens Foundation and Orange Tree Foundation have extensive experience and resources to expand the outreach of such philanthropic efforts, promising relief to the flood affected people and communities.

The donation is in line with the humanitarian initiatives supported by Standard Chartered, globally.

This donation has enabled distribution of more than 50,000 meals and grocery packs, sufficient for a family of five, to the flood victims, who are left without food, shelter and healthcare across Pakistan.

Additionally, hundreds of tents have been distributed to provide shelter and relief for those who were left homeless in various areas of Sindh and Punjab.

The emergency effort is also directed towards rehabilitation of communities which includes providing cash grants to 240 households, rehabilitation of 140 water points to enable access to clean drinking water, and distribution of seeds for key cash crops such as wheat and sunflowers to farmers. — Staff Correspondent

 KE’s Roshni Bajis building safer societies

National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) Chairman Tauseef H Farooqi has commended the second cohort of KE’s Roshni Baji programme for their contribution in promoting a culture of safety across Karachi’s most densely populated neighbourhoods, a statement said.

These remarks were made during a meeting with the graduation batch held at the KE’s Distribution Network Academy with Chief Distribution Officer Amer Zia, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Sadia Dada and Chief People Officer Muhammad Rizwan Dalia.

Between the two cohorts, 100 women have been part of the Roshni Baji programme since its inception in February 2021. The programme was conceived to drive awareness among the communities on the best practices for safe usage of electricity and its conservation and allow the KE’s women customers in these areas — who primarily reside at home — access to the utility, as well.

Through their efforts, these women have educated over 460,000 households to-date across Lyari, Baldia, Korangi, Malir, Shah Faisal Colony, Bin Qasim, Surjani, Orangi, and others.

Their intervention also enabled the conversion of almost 30,000 illegal connections to legalised, metered electricity users. In recognition, this initiative won the prestigious S&P Global Platts Energy Award under the Corporate Social Responsibility — Diversified Programme Category.

Farooqi congratulated the Roshni Baji programme on their success.

“This initiative that you are a part of is a unique programme, which is also one-of-its-kind in the world. Safety is a core tenet of NEPRA’s philosophy and we are pleased to share that our attention and efforts have improved the system to a point, where despite heavy rainfall in the city this past monsoon season, the safety of the public was guaranteed and not a single electrocution incident was reported.”

“With this training, you now have acquired new skills and the brand name of Roshni Baji associated with you. I encourage you all to keep your efforts up and never limit yourself. It is a huge credit to your families who have supported you on your journey, as well, and if you keep working with passion and dedication, there is no limit to what you will be able to achieve,” he added.

This initiative is also part of the KE’s vision to partner, empower and uplift the residents from low-income neighbourhoods in line with the company’s own commitments to the United Nations Sustainability Goals (SDG-5) that seek to achieve gender equality and women empowerment by 2030.

Under the programme, the Roshni Bajis are also being trained as Pakistan’s first certified women electricians capable of completing the single-phase wiring of any premises. They have also undergone training in financial literacy and self-defence.

KE Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Sadia Dada said: “We are grateful to NEPRA for providing Pakistan’s energy sector with the vision of power with prosperity, under which the Roshni Baji Programme was developed.”

“We truly believe that these initiatives are a way of driving grassroots engagement and developing a safety culture in our communities. NEPRA has been a constant source of guidance and support and we look forward to taking this programme further in the future,” she remarked. — Staff Correspondent

 TikTok wraps up successful T20 World Cup campaign

TikTok has concluded its T20 World Cup campaign in Pakistan, capturing some of the most celebrated moments of the Pakistan cricket team’s journey in the tournament, a statement said.

The campaign, powered by two hashtags, garnered over one billion views on TikTok during the month.

Celebrities and content creators took part in the vibrant, fun and eye-catching campaign, expressing their love for the game. From sharing on-ground glimpses to expressing their emotions during the World Cup matches, the TikTok community celebrated every up and down of the tournament, it added.

The hashtag #CelebrateCricket crossed 680 million views, featuring videos of some of the most popular content creators in the country, including Momin Saqib whose hilarious takes on the matches helped him cross 1.2 million followers on TikTok.

Other content creators across Pakistan joined in to support the Pakistan team, while some shared their views about the team’s performance in a fun and entertaining manner.

Another hashtag, #KhelegaPakistan, which crossed 750 million views, celebrated every moment of the Pakistan cricket team’s World T20 journey, including behind-the-scenes, exclusive content from the official TikTok account of the Pakistan Cricket Board, keeping the fans connected with the team throughout the tournament.

TikTok has become a vibrant hub of sports content in Pakistan in the last two years. It nurtures incredible, never-seen-before sporting content, while enabling creators to relive and remix some of the best moments in sports, as was seen during the partnership with the Pakistan Super League and Australia’s tour of Pakistan earlier this year.

TikTok offers its Pakistani community new ways to create and engage with the Pakistan’s most popular sporting events, with exciting in-app effects, as well as cool features and filters for the sports community to enjoy. — Staff Correspondent