The venture Hashoo Foundation has been selected as a finalist in World Challenge 08, the world-wide competition that rewards projects and small businesses that have shown enterprise and innovation.
The northern areas of Pakistan are among the poorest and most isolated regions in the country. Effective development assistance has yet to reach these hilly, remote areas and it is the women and children who are most affected. The only workable and sustainable solution is to capitalise on local resources, building on what is achievable as well as culturally acceptable.
The Hashoo Foundation assists local beekeepers to boost their income by selling high-quality honey through a network of five-star hotels in Pakistan. Through the project, honeybee farmers are able to earn more than twice the price they would in the local market, while making the most out of their skills and environment without placing pressure on the local ecosystem.
BBC World News will broadcast six 30-minute programmes profiling each of the 12 World Challenge 08 finalists, showing how their projects and businesses are changing lives. Newsweek magazine will mirror the programmes' content in a six-part series of advertorials. The audience and readers are then invited to vote online "theworldchallenge.co.uk" for their favourite project or business from October 1, 2008.
The winner will receive a US $20,000 grant from Shell while two runners up will each receive US $10,000 to help develop their initiative. World Challenge 08 will broadcast on BBC World News from 11 October. The programme featuring the Hashoo Foundation will air at the following times (local times to Pakistan): 25 October at 1530; 26 October at 1830; 27 October at 0230.