In spite of much progress, women still don’t get equal opportunities in life. But now more and more women are realizing that moving ahead and claiming their due is now in their own hands, not a favor dispensed by society or men. However, women still require guidance and support to plan their education and career goals. Unilever Pakistan Limited and Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi have collaborated to economically support women to achieve higher goals in life through Academic and Vocational Training Scholarships, along with Seed Capital. Fair & Lovely (FAL) Foundation Scholarship is non-discriminatory. Candidates were chosen on the basis of merit and completely irrespective of any age, racial, ethnic, religious, cast, cultural and marital status.
A total of 61 candidates were selected for this project against a target of 60, however, after two candidates dropped out due to personal reasons, the candidate count is now 59.
Currently, ITA has a total of 59 candidates registered as FAL Scholarship candidates, divided among the following clusters:
- Cluster 1: Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpur Khas, Gwadar- 22 candidates
- Cluster 2: Kasbah Jalal Din, Khangarh, Okara, Sargodha -Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib , Toba Tek Singh, Lahore- 12 candidates
- Cluster 3: D.G Khan, Muzzafargarh, Multan, Vehari, Bahawalnagar, Khanewal – 6 candidates
- Cluster 4: Chakwal Rawalpindi, Islamabad, AJK, KPK- 13 candidates
- Cluster 5: Sialkot Narowal, Gujrat ,Faisalabad, Pindi Bhattian-Hafizabad- 6 candidates
The ITA team for this project has ensured:
- Detailed candidate profiling and in-depth research on potential colleges and skill centers of each academic scholarship and vocational training scholarship finalist
- Counseling of candidates over calls and visits for contract signing
- Regular reporting from cluster coordinators and contact with them regarding any complications, queries, issues or updates.
- Regularly updating the FAL Drive.
- Contacting vendors and formulation of proposals for seed capital candidates and counseling of candidates over calls.
- Coordination with institutes for information collection regarding admission procedures and keeping a track of deadlines for each candidate.
- Visits to selected institutes for admission and fee payment procedures.
- Formulation of a progress monitoring template updated regularly by cluster coordinators.
It is said, “educate a man, you educate one person. Educate a woman, you educate a nation.” A woman goes passes on her learning to her children and so begins the cycle of knowledge. Together, UPL and ITA are not just providing a service to these girls; they are ensuring the development of the future generations of our country.
The candidates of FAL Scholarship are highly motivated and are realizing their true potential as they work towards breaking the glass ceiling. Any achievement by a candidate, big or small, is discussed with ITA coordinators and appreciated so as to reinforce their progress positively.