LAHORE: The Engro Foundation, the social investment arm of Engro Corporation, has signed a three-year memorandum of cooperation with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to promote the well-being of vulnerable and marginalised segments of society.

Under this agreement, both Engro and the Gates Foundation would explore opportunities to support the government’s poverty alleviation programme for deserving families, whose incomes had been adversely affected by the coronavirus lockdowns.

The foundation would be representing the philanthropic endeavours and mission of The Dawood Foundation and its affiliates as well. Both organisations will evaluate other areas of mutual interest, such as nutrition, agriculture development, financial inclusion, women empowerment, and health of mothers and children. In addition to programme-specific cooperation, the organisations would benefit from shared experience and learnings related to grant making, including strategy development, grant implementation and operational support.

The memorandum of cooperation was signed by Ghias Khan, President and CEO of Engro Corporation and Trustee of Engro Foundation, and Dr Chris Elias, President of Global Development at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Hussain Dawood, Chairman of the Engro Corporation, in a press release on Friday said: “It gives me great pleasure to announce the collaboration between Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Engro Foundation. I would like to express my profound appreciation to Bill & Melinda Gates for their generosity towards Pakistan.”

Ghias Khan said: “Together with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, we are excited about investing in long-term solutions that address the country’s socio-economic challenges and create sustainable impact in our communities.”

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2020