A Memorandum of understanding was signed in a ceremony held at British Deputy High Commission, Karachi between SEED Ventures and Social Enterprise Academy (SEA), Scotland, to inaugurate the international social franchise of the Social Enterprise Academy for Pakistan. Faraz Khan, CEO and founder SEED Ventures and Sam Baumber, Managing Director Social Enterprise Academy Scotland, initiated the signing which was witnessed by Belinda Lewis, British Deputy High Commissioner.
The partnership between Social Enterprise Academy, Scotland and SEED Ventures has marked the beginning of a lasting relationship to support social enterprises and the social economy throughout Pakistan. SEA Pakistan will work towards catering to the local social entrepreneurs and enterprises, building links between the two countries while adopting an inclusive approach towards an international network of hub partners.
Through SEA Pakistan, local social entrepreneurs will be trained to facilitate programs for their peers, bringing their insight and understanding of the challenges and opportunities Pakistan’s social enterprise sector faces.
A two-day gathering of social entrepreneurs, members of the corporate community, public sector, and think tanks was held at a local hotel in Karachi as part of the soft launch and was led by the senior team from Scotland, whereas the opening speech was delivered by the British Deputy High Commissioner Belinda Lewis. The workshop allowed for professionals from diverse backgrounds to share their experiences and discover their ability for furthering learning and development techniques for social impact.
Sam Baumber, Managing Director SEA, Scotland talked about the social entrepreneurship landscape in Pakistan commented, “Pakistan’s social entrepreneurs and their teams are stepping up to tackle huge challenges. SEED Ventures and others are supporting a generation of people developing enterprising skills and qualities.”
On their partnership with SEED Ventures, Mr. Baumber said,“ We are delighted to partner with SEED Ventures to add Social Enterprise Academy Pakistan into the mix to build the local support ecosystem, with the support of Scottish Government and the British Council.”
Faraz Khan, SEED Ventures Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder said: “A growing network of social enterprises will have a far greater impact in a country like Pakistan where each one of the socio-economic, environmental, and educational challenges can be converted into an entrepreneurial opportunity and has the capacity to empower entire communities.” He added further: “This partnership will further strengthen our endeavors of inculcating social entrepreneurship as an important change agent in Pakistan.”
