The mobile technology offers an unprecedented opportunity to address the challenges of sustainable development.
With Pakistan being a country with great potential for growth, prosperity, and success, it does require support from stakeholders to reduce the digital and social divide to propel economic growth.
Corporate Social Responsibility is about having a positive effect on people’s lives and the environment by running a successful values-based business.
As a leader in Pakistan’s digital and telecom industries, Zong 4G clearly understands the issues that concern millions of marginalized. The company has a passion for digital innovation, customers, the people of Pakistan, and the world around it.
Therefore, the company is spearheading initiatives to ensure bridging the socioeconomic divide in the country.
In 2022, Zong 4G has made massive social investments in the following realms which have positively impacted 2.5 million lives this year alone, and plans to continue working for the betterment of the country:
- Digital Intelligence and Innovation
- Digital Education
- Inclusive Growth (Gender Inclusivity)
- Green and Low Carbon (Environment)
Digital Intelligence & Innovation
In the last year, Zong 4G has worked on a number of initiatives to improve the nation’s digital infrastructure and innovate the processes in the areas of health, women empowerment, and career and skill development.
Despite having one of the most effective COVID responses in the world, 50% of people still lack access to primary health facilities.
Enhancing access to health facilities, Zong 4G provided free online e-health consultations to over 12,000 underprivileged people with Sehat Kahani over the past year which consisted mostly of COVID patients by setting up a total of 8 medical camps.
The company conducted health awareness sessions through Facebook Live for issues such as diabetes, obesity, Omicron variant, Covid-19, mental health, and breast cancer.
Floods in Pakistan disrupted over 12% of CMPAK’s (Zong) network. As a result, the company has spent most of the last few months working fervently to ensure that its customers have continuous connectivity.
Zong 4G also partnered with PSDF to give courses to over 10,000 marginalized students in Pakistan. This course gives students and recent graduates the tools they need to launch successful freelance careers on reputable websites like Fiverr and Upwork.
With these efforts, Zong 4G targeted the health crises brought about by the pandemic and the devastating floods, besides launching a number of career development and job creation initiatives.
Digital Education & Inclusive Growth
Another pressing concern for Pakistan remains the lack of education and employment opportunities. An estimated 22.8 million children aged 5-16 are out of school, according to a report by UNICEF.
Zong 4G set up digital labs at numerous schools and carried out digital trainings in marginalized areas such as Gwadar, Muzaffarabad, and Pir Chinasi.
These initiatives are very beneficial for the less fortunate, as they provide access to digital learning materials and information that would otherwise be unavailable to them.
Along with that, e-commerce and financial inclusion courses will be developed in collaboration with PAGE and taught to the women of the centers. An estimated 53% of girls are currently out of school.
This goes on to affect gender inclusivity in the labor force, with female participation being at a minimal 21% which has remained stagnant over the past decade.
The company partnered with Pakistan Bait-ul-Maal and the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety (MOPASS) to set up a state-of-the-art digital lab within their ‘Women Empowerment’ vocational center in Islamabad.
Green and Low Carbon
Pakistan has been declared among the top ten countries most affected by climate change. In 2022, Pakistan was hit by one of the worst floods in its history as a result of the global climate crisis while only contributing less than 1% to the global carbon footprint.
Despite two annual plantation drives, Pakistan is unable to meet the UN-set goal of 25% forest cover in its entire area. The risk of landslides, slope destabilization, floods, increased surface runoff, and soil erosion is rising as a result of deforestation.
Zong 4G is actively developing and carrying out a variety of afforestation programs to increase the country’s environmental sustainability one tree at a time. The planting of trees is one of the first lines of defence against the climate crisis.
Zong 4G has commissioned two urban forests in Multan and Lahore, respectively, and has also started a “Seed Pouch Campaign,” which encourages people to plant trees themselves.
This campaign is important as it encourages citizens to actively take part in their environmental sustainability.
The social endeavors of the company have rendered accolades from the Chinese Embassy for the prestigious SDG award as well as the Outstanding CSR Case Award.
Being one of the most caring brands in the country, Zong 4G is committed to uplifting the country.
In the past 15 years of operations in Pakistan, Zong 4G has actively demonstrated that it has been working toward a sustainable future.
Zong 4G has formed partnerships with prestigious non-governmental organizations, educational institutions, hospitals, and government entities across the length and breadth of the country.
Constantly having focused on the fields of education, health, and digital innovation year after year with lasting effects, the company has placed an emphasis on the sheer desperate need for these initiatives.
