In light of the coronavirus pandemic that has halted global economies and caused wide-spread unemployment, the Suleman Dawood School of Business (SDSB) Executive MBA Class of 2021 has come together to help daily wagers and their families by distributing ration boxes. Each ration box comprises of 11 food items and is prepared at a discounted price of PKR 2,000 to sustain a family of 5-7 for a week and make an impact in these trying times.
Class representative Saman Ghazi Khan, EMBA ’21 shared how the idea came about to help daily wagers who are losing out on their daily income. “It started when on the class whatsapp group an image was circulated by classmate Afrasiab, which highlighted the plight of the daily wage earner who is unable to provide food for his family. I then floated the idea and galvanised the class of 53 to come together and make a difference. We decided together the need to establish a supply chain distribution network considering things were fast evolving with the lockdown.”
Another classmate Azfar Ali who works for Metro Cash & Carry decided to activate his firm and help facilitate the purchasing and packaging of the ration boxes that were to be distributed. According to Ms. Khan, the Class wanted to ensure transparency in distribution so the Lahore Corps Headquarters were approached to establish an authentic and transparent distribution network. “In areas where troops were set to deployed, we were assured that the ration boxes sponsored by EMBA Class of ’21 would follow.”
In partnership with Metro Cash & Carry and Lahore Corps Headquarters, the EMBA Class 2021 have crossed PKR 3 Million in donations. As of now the Class has distributed ration boxes in many areas within Lahore. Plans are underway to widen the scope of the effort and target areas outside the city. Other LUMS EMBA classes have also shown interest and more collaborations are underway. Those interested in helping can contact the following:
Ans Qayyum 0321 665 4727
Faraz Hussain 0300 846 7494
Afrasiab 0346 537 1984
