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Standard Chartered and British Asian Trust celebrate the impact of the Agri-preneur project

Standard Chartered and the British Asian Trust celebrated the success and impact of their collaborative “Agri-preneur Project”. This event was held at the British Deputy High Commission’s Runnymede Garden in Karachi, to celebrate the impact of this resourceful venture. In eighteen months, this livelihood initiative directly supported 1,000 young women and men, enabling them to nurture profitable and sustainable agricultural enterprises in the rural and peri-urban regions of Sindh and Punjab, Pakistan. 

In 2020, Standard Chartered Foundation partnered with the British Asian Trust for enabling the implementation of this Agri-preneur project. It is part of 'Futuremakers' by Standard Chartered, a global initiative by Standard Chartered Bank to tackle inequality by promoting economic inclusion for disadvantaged young people, including those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The project aimed to identify, develop and sell agricultural products that promise strong potential in the local markets. The project has produced great results supported by local implementing partners, the Sindh Agricultural & Forestry Workers Organization (SAFWCO) and renowned NGO, Shirakat.

Standard Chartered Pakistan’s Chief Executive Officer, Rehan Shaikh, attended the event along with the Deputy Head of Mission, Martin Dawson and the Deputy Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, Sima Kamil. Chief Executive of the British Asian Trust, Richard Hawkes, also attended and participated in a panel discussion to share insights and knowledge gained from this socio-economic intervention.

Standard Chartered Foundation funded this project, leveraging the convening expertise of the British Asian Trust, which specialises in running Livelihoods programmes within Pakistan. The project also worked with numerous experts and in-country partners to combine the development and delivery of technical and business skills for participants engaged in the project. Moreover, the Agri-preneurs were provided with vital market-linkages to sell their products. They were also trained to access and/or develop financial-resources for the future growth of their businesses.

Rehan Shaikh, CEO, Standard Chartered Bank commented, “We are proud to share the success of this project, which was launched in collaboration with British Asian Trust a year ago. This was part of the Bank’s Futuremakers initiative to empower the next generation to learn, earn and grow. The Bank and the Trust feel privileged to provide young people with the right support and opportunities for lifting participation. This project has been able to effectively provide vocational and business-skills training to enable women and young people to increase their incomes and reduce their vulnerability through agricultural enterprise development.

Agriculture continues to play a pivotal role in Pakistan's economy and we are excited to play our part in supporting the renewed focus and initiatives of the Government and State Bank of Pakistan aimed at providing sustainable economic conditions and futures for people linked with this critical sector.”

Richard Hawkes, Chief Executive of the British Asian Trust said, “In eighteen months, we’ve seen people’s lives changed as they have established successful businesses after taking part in this project. With support from Standard Chartered Foundation, and the efforts of our partners SAFWCO and Shirakat, we are delighted to see so many people achieve sustainable incomes for themselves and their families.”

The participants displaying their products during the event also received gifts of appreciation. Before the current Agri-preneur project, The British Asian Trust’s Livelihood programme had already conducted several other livelihoods projects in the country, supporting more than 10,000 women and young people, to improve their lives and income through employment, or setting up their own enterprises.