Pakistan Software House Association (P@SHA) on Wednesday announced a launching of Rs 20 million Social Innovation Fund with the seed money provided by Google Inc in the form of grant. While addressing a press conference President of P@SHA Jahan Ara along with country consultant for Google Pakistan Badar Kushnood said that the purpose behind establishing a fund is to provide mentoring to young people besides providing financial assistance to their projects.
She said that they will provide financial assistance of up to Rs 850,000 for the project recommended by the committee. She also said that they will accept applications of projects from the whole country adding that there will be no age limit as well as both male and female can apply for the project. The applicants must submit their applications before the last week of August, 2011.
The fund will create economic opportunities, design an innovative solution to existing societal problems and will create success stories and role model for others to follow, the impact would no doubt be substantial. She said that idea is not to fund the creation of software but to find ideas that use Information and Communication Technologies (ICT's) as a platform for delivery and as a means for empowerment. Country Consultant for Google Pakistan Badar Khushnood said that grant was to support social entrepreneurship and innovation and was a natural follow up to the one million US dollars that Google has provided Pakistan as part of the flood relief effort.