BECHLO.PK has won the first national Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Bootcamp conducted jointly by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Jazz. Ten startups, which had earlier won the provincial and thematic bootcamps, participated in the national competition held today in Islamabad.
The winning startup, Bechlo.pk, is a fully integrated online multi-vendor store that provides women with a platform to sell new and pre-loved items from the comfort of their homes. The startup will now be provided with an opportunity to join Youth Co:Lab: the largest youth Social Entrepreneurship movement in Asia and the Pacific along with access to mentorship opportunities and exclusive digital giveaways by Jazz.
Ms. Laura Sheridan, Programme Manager of UNDP’s Youth Empowerment Programme, said at the occasion, “UNDP believes that by developing young people’s 21st century skills, and by catalysing and sustaining youth-led startups and social enterprises here in Pakistan, we can jointly position young people front and center to solve the country’s most pressing challenges. Together with Jazz, we have provided entrepreneurial skills and supported our participants to develop business plans for sustainability and scalability of their social enterprises.”
Syed Ali Naseer, Chief Business Officer at Jazz, said, “Pakistan’s increasingly tech savvy youth demographic of over 60%, can be a massive driver for growth. This is a tremendous asset for the country towards achieving its socio-economic goals. Jazz is delivering on its promise of empowering youth through technology, knowledge, skillset, and capital. Our partnership with UNDP is a validation of our commitment to strengthening Pakistan through partnerships and I hope these bootcamps inspire other social entrepreneurs to take a chance on turning their ideas into successful businesses.”
These bootcamps are a part of the agreement inked between UNDP and Jazz in December 2020 with an aim to promote promising social ventures that are addressing the country’s developmental challenges. So far, these bootcamps have trained, mentored, and educated 201 nationwide social enterprises, including 159 female participants. The program comprises overall 20 bootcamps nationwide by December 2022 targeting close to 800 youngsters and 50 percent women participation.
National Bootcamp Participants
Bechlo.pk is a fully integrated online multi-vendor store that provides women with a platform to sell new and pre-loved items from the comfort of their home.
Cropcare is an AI-based mobile application that detects diseases in crops as well as recommends the most suitable and efficient treatment
Perwaz is a Karachi-based healthcare company that is committed to prompt delivery of first aid, CPR Kits, medicines, and other life- saving drugs, especially during accidents and other incidents where medical services are inaccessible or delayed.
Teekhi is a home-based delivery service in Lahore which is owned and managed by only women, aims to provide economic growth opportunities to women and the trans community
Digital Libas is a complete online tailoring service that makes life more convenient by providing stitching services at your doorstep.
Malook enterprise, a social enterprise, is assisting the people of Gilgit to generate income through organic products
Edibles is reinventing food consumption with a healthy and eco-friendly alternative. With their biodegradable spoon, the enterprise offers a way to replace single-use plastic which is both delicious and reliable
Azdil is a women-led, online clothing store that is using the earnings from their clothing line to empower and aid students with their academic requirements, including accommodation and admissions
Asani.io is an IoT and automation-based social enterprise working to solve water scarcity and mismanagement issues in Pakistan,
School of Entrepreneurs Balochistan developed a hub for entrepreneurs, business development & training community offering right markets, memberships and productive workspaces
About UNDP
UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet.
Learn more at undp.org or follow at @UNDP
About Jazz
Jazz is Pakistan’s number one 4G operator and a leading digital service provider with over 74 million subscribers, including 35. 8 million 4G users. By providing the most extensive portfolio of digital value-added services, Jazz continues to be the country’s undisputed telecom leader.
