In a pioneering move that will significantly support the development of social entrepreneurship in the Arab world, PepsiCo, the global food and beverage leader, has announced its partnership with The Synergos Institute. This will address the social, cultural and environmental issues facing the Arab world today. The first tangible demonstration of this agreement is PepsiCo’s support for Synergos’ Arab World Social Innovators Program (AWSI). This program provides support and guidance for young Arabs keen to build their own businesses within the concepts of social entrepreneurialism.
In supporting and encouraging the growth of social entrepreneurship within the Region, PepsiCo’s partnership with Synergos is consistent with its long held aim of bridging the gap between Arab youth and their employment prospects. PepsiCo is committed to the development of opportunities both within education and employment; a twin approach which is genuinely present in the development of social entrepreneurs. Their own commitment to people and long term sustainable businesses will be the basis for the resolution of this issue in the future; a view that PepsiCo fully endorses.
As a first step to support the development of social entrepreneurship in the Middle East and North Africa region, PepsiCo and Synergos will build on the success of the PepsiCo Business 4 Change Social Entrepreneurship Conference recently held in Dubai. A range of services and guidance will be offered to innovators, aimed at developing their professional and organisational skills. This will include mentoring, coaching and technical assistance on key topics such as strategy, business planning, communication and fundraising.
With the support of PepsiCo, the AWSI program has created a financial award to be given to qualifying innovators, supporting the growth of their activities. This funding and PepsiCo’s involvement will provide the basis for further external support, generating other funding for each project. This model has already been deployed successfully in other parts of MENA, helping social entrepreneurs such as Ziad Abichaker, Rana Dajani and Kamal Mouzawak who have all developed social innovations which bring about change in their communities.
Ziad’s business builds recycling plants to produce organically certified fertilizers and recycle most waste materials, such as plastic bags, into usable products. Rana’s initiative, ‘We Love Reading,’ builds local libraries in in communities across Jordan. Finally, Kamal created the first farmers market in Beirut which preserves food traditions and the culture of sustainable agriculture in Lebanon. Kamal and Rana are part of Synergos’ first class of innovators.
Sanjeev Chadha, PepsiCo MEA President said: “Synergos is a pioneer in the promotion of social entrepreneurship, and we are delighted to partner with them. Our partnership will enable social entrepreneurs to work on projects addressing the critical issues of employment, environment and education”.
Bob Dunn CEO of Synergos said: “Synergos is very proud to be in partnership with PepsiCo. We have a common interest in working with others in the MENA region to improve educational and employment opportunities and to contribute to the well-being of all of its citizens. PepsiCo has a strong track record and commitment to making this happen, and so do we. We’ve demonstrated our ability to help successful enterprises in develop and grow and bring great benefits to their communities. With PepsiCo’s support, we expect social innovators to benefit as many as 200,000 people in the MENA region. And we’re just getting started.”
Kamal Mouzawak, Souk el Tayeb, endorsed the work of AWSI; “I am a social entrepreneur and I have benefited greatly from the support of AWSI. Indeed, I would not be where I am today without the funding and guidance I received. The success of my endeavour is an example of how, within the Arab world in particular, the principles of social entrepreneurship are not only relevant but a solid base from which to build a sustainable business. I welcome the partnership between PepsiCo and Synergos and wish them every success in this worthwhile enterprise.”
