Here Is How You Can Contribute Towards A Hunger-free Pakistan

In Pakistan many a times the solutions to our plethora of problems are right in front of us however, the lack of coordinated implementation of solutions complicates the situation. One such crisis is food insecurity. According to the World Food Program (WFP), more than 80 million people in the country go hungry. This became more evident during the pandemic as a huge number of our people suffered from acute hunger. Keep in mind that this figure is in the face of the fact that 36 million tonnes of food is wasted here while $2 billion is given in charity annually.

A prime example of paradox if ever there is one.

Rizq, a local non-profit founded in 2015 by three co-founders decided to create a zero waste and hunger free Pakistan. They believe that one of the key reasons behind food insecurity is a design issue that prompts a market failure between demand and supply. The greatest concern for food suppliers and donors is reliability and transparency of the sharing process, along with the knowledge of whom exactly to give to. The poor (demand) on the other hand are concerned with availability, affordability and knowledge on utilization of food resources efficiently. Since, the identification of this issue the non-profit has dedicated to resolve it by becoming a bridge between the two sides.

When it comes to building bridges, Rizq extends the concept to creating partnerships with all segments of society and the corporate sector to develop a system that provides a long term solution for food insecurity.

In 2021, the non-profit partnered with Coca-Cola Pakistan & Afghanistan to jointly work to remedy the staggering food security crisis in a humble effort to donate meals in the month of Ramadan. They were able to distribute 900,000 meals. This year the partnership has been scaled to reach out to communities in more than 14 cities across Pakistan, as well as in terms of the number of people they aim to reach with a target set for 3 million meals to make citizens more food secure.

The campaign’s two segments, iftar dastarkhawans, and meals rations have been launched in multiple cities nationwide. So far, more than 420,000 meals have been distributed.

Coca-Cola has lent its marketing prowess to Rizq enabling this grassroots organization to expand its giving footprint. The goal was to make the call to action available at all the touchpoints and amplify the message encouraging consumers to join the cause. Billboards across the country and Coca-Cola family-size bottles now come with the QR code which can be scanned with the phone app, making it easier for the consumers to make their donations.

What started as part of the spirit of Ramadan is now going to be a year long effort where the partners are also inviting people to open their hearts to help spread the blessings to the maximum number of people by donating, supporting, or volunteering for the initiative. For details about how you can get involved visit: https://bit.ly/CokeRizq

Originally published at https://pk.mashable.com on April 28, 2022.