The Italian government is planning to invest €40 million on youth, health, infrastructure, education development policies and programs in Pakistan in collaboration with Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF).
This was revealed by the Italian Ambassador to Pakistan, Stefano Pontecovero, at the closing ceremony of poverty reduction training sessions conducted by the PPAF in collaboration with the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation in Pakistan (IADCP) and Luiss Business School.
Stefano said that 65 percent of Pakistan’s population is under 35 and they possess immense potential. Italy hopes to invest more in youth development policies to empower the future of the country and contribute towards a prosperous tomorrow.
These trainings were specially conducted for communities based in Balochistan, KPK and FATA with the aim to uplift their socio-economic conditions.
Speaking on this occasion, Emanuela Benini, Director, Italian Agency for Development Cooperation in Pakistan said, “We are delighted to see the impact of PPR training sessions for communities in Pakistan and hope that everyone had an insightful week of learning. We now look forward to the participants’ contributions towards sustainable development for their respective areas.”
PPAF Chief Executive Officer Qazi Azmat Isa also lauded the efforts of the Italian government and said without their active participation, such sessions could not have been possible.
“Positive interventions cannot be done in isolation. It is imperative for multiple stakeholders, including academia, NGOs and governments, to collaborate and work towards bringing a sustainable change,” said the PPAF head.
The ceremony was attended by Italian Ambassador for Pakistan, Stefano Pontecovero, Ms Emanuela Benini, Director, Italian Agency for Development Cooperation in Pakistan, Qazi Azmat Isa, CEO PPAF & Simi Kamal, Head of Programmes PPAF.
