Mobile operator employees in Pakistan take active role in elevating digital literacy

Pakistan’s ability to flourish is dependent—as in so many countries—on the digital literacy of its population. As the largest mobile operator in Pakistan, Jazz (part of VEON, a NASDAQ and Euronext listed emerging markets telecoms and digital services provider with 210 million customers across three continents) has a vested interest in ensuring the nation’s digital literacy. A program that places Jazz’s employees in mentoring roles in schools and business incubators has won first place in the “Employee Volunteer Program” category of PR Daily’s Corporate Social Responsibility Awards.

Known as “Gurus,” the employee volunteers take on hands-on mentoring roles with entrepreneurs and startups through educational programs run by Jazz Pakistan and the Pakistan government. One example of employee involvement: guiding startup development and product launches by sharing their expertise.

In addition to the work performed by employees at the National Incubator Center, the program also delivers support for women and girls through a program targeting 9^th- and 10^th-grade students; more than 50 female Jazz employees have visited schools and tutored more than 600 students.

Partnership with local governments has also played a role, with (for example) employees participating in a Digital Youth Summit and a Youth Employment Program (which has spread the benefits of digital empowerment to 40,000 young Pakistanis in two years), as well as a government innovation lab.

The effort of Jazz employees across these various activities has produced a considerable amount of social media coverage.

Congratulations to the entire Jazz team and the employees who have volunteered their time and expertise.