Memon spot-checks Nestle in Renala Khurd
Staff Report
2017-12-10The purpose of the visit was to spot check the livelihood opportunities provided to beneficiaries and progress of implementation plan for nutrition awareness campaign launched by BISP and Nestlé Pakistan in the wake of memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between BISP and Nestlé Pakistan earlier this year.
As per MoU, the beneficiaries will act as sales agents on behalf of Nestlé Pakistan and will be responsible for door-to-door sales of popularly positioned products (PPPs) within the community as a large portion of Pakistan’s population suffers from deficiencies in key micro-nutrients of Iron, zinc, vitamin A and D.
PPPs are affordable, nutritious and high quality products. Nestlé Pakistan will build the nutrition knowledge of BISP beneficiaries by conducting nutrition awareness seminars.
On the occasion, Nestle Pakistan rural development manager Adnan Mushtaq informed Memon that in the last three months, Nestle selected 28 beneficiaries who are acting as sales agents for Nestle after having them trained.
These beneficiaries will provide training to other beneficiaries as well. He added that they have made sales up to Rs 1,000,000 by selling various PPPs including Nestle milk, water, cerelac and juices.
10 percent of each beneficiary's total sale is the income of that beneficiary.
Memon expressed her happiness over the business potential of beneficiaries and urged other beneficiaries to get inspiration from them. She discussed with Nestle Pakistan team to scale up the number of beneficiaries in the current as well as in the next phase which will be launched in Thatha, Larkana and Pindi Bhatian.
Memon is leading war on malnutrition in the country not only by providing financial assistance to its beneficiaries but also by partnering with such organisations. She added that our understanding with Nestlé Pakistan is a step in the right direction under our poverty graduation strategy.
In addition to better livelihood opportunities, the products sold by them will be key for reducing malnutrition in the country which is BISP’s key empowerment output and goal and as a result sustainable development goals (SDGs) will be better served.
Memon urged other fast-moving consumer goods (FMCGs) like Unilever Pakistan, Engro foods, Procter and Gamble Pakistan to provide employment opportunities to BISP families. She stated that following the business model of Nestle Pakistan, they can also use BISP workforce and hire beneficiary women as sales agents which will increase their sales at grass root level besides helping poor women.
Later on, Memon visited a beneficiary Razia Bibi who runs a shop at her house in Village 21-2-L and sells PPPs. She discussed various aspects of malnutrition with her and made her understand that the use of nutritious food items results into better intelligence quotient (IQ) levels of children which ultimately help them in better education and better employment opportunities.
She bought some products from Razia Bibi in order to encourage her in pursuing better livelihood opportunities.