Hashoo Foundation celebrated the graduation of 30 dynamic youth leaders as ‘Agents of Change’ in Swat under the Partnerships for Change Project. The ceremony marked the culmination of an intensive social innovation and leadership program aimed at empowering Swat’s youth to champion peace, resilience, and inclusive development in their communities. Through the initiative, six youth-led social enterprises were incubated at the Social Lab, where trainees co-created solutions with community members to tackle pressing local challenges with the special focus on climate action. These solutions focus on biodiversity conservation, eco-tourism, food innovation and preservation, access to clean water, and sustainable livelihoods, transforming the selected community of Gullibagh into a fully functional SMaRT Village.
The graduation event celebrated the trainees’ transformative work. It also included the disbursement of essential goods procured to bring their ideas to life, turning their vision for sustainable, inclusive development into reality. With Cohort I successfully graduating, Cohort II set to begin, and the winners of the Pitch Fest entering Phase II featuring advanced mentorship and capacity-building to accelerate their social enterprises, this project is creating a strong pipeline of youth-led innovations driving social impact and community transformation.
The event was graced by notable dignitaries, including Assistant Commissioner Charbagh, Munir Khan Halimzai; Additional Director General KPCVE, Kashif Irshad; Vice Chancellor, University of Swat, Prof. Dr. Hassan Sher; and CEO of Hashoo Foundation, Haris Qayyum Khan, alongside the graduating cohort and the Hashoo Foundation team.
Haris Qayyum Khan, CEO Hashoo Foundation, highlighted the importance of active youth participation in the economic cycle, particularly by creating pathways for peripheral youth to establish self-sustaining social enterprises. Echoing these sentiments, Assistant Commissioner Charbagh, Munir Khan Halimzai, stressed the urgent need for collaborative efforts in building community resilience and the pivotal role of youth in driving change. Kashif Irshad, Additional Director General KPCVE, underscored the critical role of innovative, youth-driven solutions in addressing pressing community challenges to bring positive peace.
Held within the broader framework of the EU-funded Countering and Preventing Terrorism in Pakistan (CPTP) project, the Partnerships for Change project is executed by UNODC and NACTA and implemented by Hashoo Foundation. It builds on the Foundation’s flagship Social Lab and its award-winning SMaRT (Sustainable Methods and Resilient Technologies) Village model. Under the Education 4.0 framework, youth participants received future-ready technical and soft skills training to incubate their social enterprises.
This activity marks a significant milestone in the Countering and Preventing Terrorism in Pakistan (CPTP) project. Funded by the European Union, led by NACTA, and implemented by UNODC in partnership with civil society organizations like Hashoo Foundation, CPTP aims to strengthen community resilience against violent extremism and acts of violence through inclusive, youth-focused programming.
This was made possible with the financial support of the European Union. The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 European countries. It is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. It acts globally to promote sustainable development of societies, environment and economies, so that everyone can benefit.
About Hashoo Foundation:
Established in 1988, Hashoo Foundation continues to lead knowledge-based development across Pakistan. Its wide-ranging initiatives in education, health, sustainability, and community development are backed by robust partnerships with the United Nations, international NGOs, government agencies, and the private sector. The Foundation remains committed to transforming lives and empowering communities through an inclusive, holistic approach.
