A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed among Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), Young Parliamentarians Forum (YPF) and Oxfam International on BISP youth development today. The MoU was signed by General Secretary YPF Ms. Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Country Director Oxfam International Muhammad Qazalbash and Director General BISP Mr. Shahid Gul Qureshi in the presence of Minister of State and Chairperson BISP MNA Marvi Memon, Ms. Romina Khurshid Alam and officials of BISP, YPF and Oxfam.
The pilot phase under this MoU would provide voacational and technical trainings to 80 BISP beneficiaries or their family members in Lahore and Karachi and then they would be integrated in the market for employment. The trained beneficiaries will also attend entrepreneurship courses in LUMS and other relevant institutions. After the completion of trainings, the trained beneficiaries would also be facilitated to get interest free loans from Akhuwat Foundation. In addition, the parties would develop training modules for the empowerment of BISP Beneficiary Committees (BBCs) and would create awareness on different subjects of importance. After pilot phase, the cooperation among parties under this MoU would be extended to the rural areas across Pakistan for life skills trainings of BISP beneficiaries.
On the occasion, Chairperson BISP stated that BISP is a social safety net that not only assists in poverty management but endeavors to graduate its beneficiaries out of poverty. She reiterated that as BISP is a national organization and the custodian of provincial harmony, parties of this MoU must ensure that youth development and life skills trainings are extended to the far flung areas of all the provinces and the regions of the country.
General Secretary YPF Ms. Shaza Fatima Khawaja stated that YPF is a platform to share and develop ideas for youth development and promotion of gender rights. The young parliamentarians through BISP would reach out to the downtrodden youth, will address their issues and design programs for their development.
Country Director Oxfam Muhammad Qazalbash highlighted that investment in youth is a way to prosperity and all the relevant stakeholders must start championing the cause of youth development and poverty alleviation. This MoU would benefit the BISP youth by providing them skill trainings and linking them with the employment market and would add to the overall impact of BISP in alleviating poverty.
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