Greetings to all and sundry on this great platform, I am very excited to write and participate in this great contest. I deem it a great honor to participate in the contest. A link to the contest is given here in this article. Contest Link. I would like to use this opportunity to say a very big thank you to 
Pakistan is a developing country, and one of its biggest problems is poverty. According to the United Nations Development Program, over half of the population lives below the poverty line. This is mainly due to a lack of access to financial resources and capital. In order to combat this, there has been an increasing focus on providing microfinance and entrepreneurial opportunities to those in need.
Seed Out is Pakistan's first interest-free online crowdfunding platform that is focused on alleviating poverty by establishing microentrepreneurs. Founded in 2014, Seed Out works to provide access to finance for those who cannot access traditional banking services or afford the interest rates of other platforms. Seed Out is able to do this by connecting entrepreneurs and small business owners with investors who are looking to support local businesses in need. Seed Out aspires for microentrepreneurs to have easy access to training, support, and tools to help them attain a more productive lifestyle. This organization even has a robust micro-funding platform where one can donate and select the type of beneficiary he or she wants it to be delivered to. The goal of this organization is to completely change your life by establishing a business for you without you having to give them any money. Yes, this organization doesn't provide physical money contests, but instead, they provide an already established business for you, so you can just start a business with zero investment. It is just a matter of running the already established business that has been given to you.
Brief History about the Founder and President of Seed Out Foundation
The Seed Out Foundation has a group of optimistic workers that aim to bring a better future to the needy in Pakistani communities. Zain Ashraf, the Seed Out Foundation's founder, and the president is a young, enthusiastic individual. He graduated in 2011 with a degree in entrepreneurship from the University of Miami. After graduating and returning to Pakistan, he saw the need to establish a foundation to assist the country's needy and poor citizens, and from there he established the "Seed Out" foundation. Zain Ashraf oversees all the operations of the organization, making sure that there is transparency in the implementation and also setting up smart policies for the foundation.
Apart from being the president and founder of this foundation, Zain Ashraf works in other aspects of entrepreneurship and holds key positions there. Zain is currently holding the position of director at Hardee's Pakistan and Super Asia. In 20 years, Zain founded SAFELINE, Accountant (all-in-one cloud accounting and ERP), and Invoke (an interactive digital agency). He is the first president to be awarded the prestigious Commonwealth Youth Award in 2018. This award was received for his excellent work in the development of work he did in 2018 establishing Seed Out. Also, he received an award for the Pakistani Poverty Alleviation Programme for Seed Out in 2017 and was ranked as one of Pakistan's top 25 achievers for people under 25. This reward was given by Tech Juice.
Zain Ashraf was the first member of the Young Alumni Leadership Council to be invited to the University of Miami. He also participated in the meeting held at the Heads of Government Meeting with Prince William. Due to his hard work and diligence, a case study of his work was published by the University of Jonkoping. He has also been a representative for Seed Out as a speaker at TEDx, LUMS, BNU, OIC, etc.
Other Team members of Seed Out Foundation
- Ayesha Hamid (Board Director)
- Usman Ashraf (Board Director)
- Fiza Ferhan (Board Director)
- Syed Haris Ali (Board Director)
- Raheel Anwar (Board Director)
- Sajjad Mughal (Board Director)
How Seed Out Works
Let's take a quick look at the process of obtaining a loan from Seed Out. First of all, the borrower applied for a loan. The loan then proceeds to the next stage, known as the underwriting and approval process. In this stage, the borrower's details and application are written down for evidence's sake and then approved if he/she qualifies for it.
After approval, the loan is distributed during the loan disbursement period. During this stage, the application is posted and submitted on the Seed Out platform for donors' support and consideration. After they receive support from the foundation, they make repayment of the loan, and the money received by the foundation is used to fund new projects.
A graphical representation of how Seed Out works for borrowers is provided in the screenshot below.
A video of how Seed Out Crowdfunding works is provided below. I hope you understand that because the language in the video is Pakistani.
Financial Status
As we know, finance is the most effective aspect of an organization. In order to know how they manage their finances, including the donations, we would have to look at some of their audit reports. There are several of them, and I will leave a link to download and read them from the 2015 to 2022 audit reports. Audit Reports.
It is reported that the year 2022 was the biggest year they received and also spend from the foundation. In that year, Seed Out spend 38 Million PKR. They were able to help 2065 people to have a better life, educating 1,239 children and also helping establish 413 entrepreneurs in that year.
Seed Out Transforming lives
Let's look at so far how Seed Out has transformed people's lives in Pakistan communities.
| Achievements | Quantity/ Amount |
|---|---|
| Total Amount Disbursed | 167.8 Million |
| Entrepreneurs Raised | 2,041 |
| Lives Impacted | 10,205 |
| Children Sent to School | 6,123 |
| % of Males Impacted | 60 |
| % of Females Impacted | 40 |
| Number of Cities Impacted | 21 |
| Transgender helped | 40 |
| Widow/ Divorced Individuals helped | 147 / 38 |
| Differently-abled Individuals | 54 |
Impacts that Seed Out has created so far
| Developments | Impact |
|---|---|
| Household Income | 40% increase in household income |
| Trends in self-reliance and stability | 60% are able to do savings and 30% able to save for extra emergency |
| Women's Empowerment | 80% of women's empowerment |
| Food Security | 40% increase in quality of meals |
| General Living Standards | 50% increase in hygiene & general living standards |
| Beneficiaries' satisfaction level | 93% stated they were satisfied |
Brand Partnerships
The following include some partnerships that support the Seed Out foundation. In collaborating with the Seed Out foundation, you become their sponsor as well. Some of the sponsors include;
| Organization/ Foundation | Year they partnered with Seed Out |
|---|---|
| Nestle | 2018 |
| CocaCola | 2015 |
| Hardees | Not Available |
| Careem | Not Available |
| Super Asia | Not Available |
| Sitara Chemical Industries LTD | Not Available |
| Toyota Faisalabad Motors | Not Available |
| Lahore | Not Available |
| Scavolini | Not Available |
| UBER | Not Available |
| Australian High Commission Islamabad | 2018 |
| Kingdom of the Netherlands | Not Available |
| Punjab Skills Development Fund | Not Available |
| Easypaisa | Not Available |
Student Ambassador Program
The Seed Out foundation has got a student ambassador program that is developed and designed on their platform. It is aimed at helping students in the enhancement of skills and career experience as well. Under this program, students are selected to serve as representatives of the Seed Out foundation in their respective colleges and or universities.
Let's look at some of the tasks or responsibilities of a student ambassador for Seed Out.
Raising funds at campus events for Seed Out
Promoting Seed Out and their updates
Responsible for the awareness of Seed Out and campaigns.
Write blogs for Seed Out to be added to their website
Supporting and encouraging micro-entrepreneur businesses on campus.
The benefits of being a Seed Out Ambassador
Some of the benefits of being a Seed Out ambassador include the following;
- Helps you to acquire more leadership skills
- Helps you to develop good Public speaking skills
- Helps you to have connections and links with people
- You learn about how to manage an event
- You get the experience of how to raise funds as well.
The Donation Store
The donation store as the name implies is the place on the platform, where one can donate to support a project currently under the supervision and sponsorship of the Seed Out foundation. Currently, there are 62 projects running and the screenshot shown above indicates some of the current projects available.
You can join in support by donating to them through the platform. It is very simple and user-friendly. When a donation profile is created, the amount required is stipulated and any amount paid would be indicated including the remaining amount as well. This can see from the screenshot shown above.
General Overview of the Seed Out Foundation
The platform has had remarkable success in its short lifespan. There are now over 3,000 entrepreneurs and small business owners who have been able to access finance through the platform. Seed Out has managed to raise over $2 million in investment, and has been able to help hundreds of businesses grow and become self-sufficient.
The way that Seed Out works is by connecting investors and entrepreneurs. Investors can invest in small businesses of their choice and help to support their growth. They can then track their investment and see the progress of the businesses that they have supported.
On the other side of the equation, entrepreneurs and small business owners can submit their projects to the platform and be connected with investors. This gives them access to funds that they wouldn’t normally be able to access. Entrepreneurs can also use the platform to tap into the advice and mentorship of experienced investors, helping their businesses grow and become more successful.
Seed Out has also created a wide range of products and services that go beyond just access to finance. The platform has a wide range of educational resources and mentorship opportunities that are designed to help entrepreneurs develop their businesses. This includes an online course offering tutorials on different aspects of running a business, as well as a network of mentors who can offer advice and support.
Another important aspect of Seed Out is its commitment to sustainability. The platform works hard to ensure that the investments made are used in a responsible and sustainable manner. This includes conducting due diligence checks on all businesses before they are accepted onto the platform and making sure that the investments are used in the most effective way possible. This ensures that the investments are used to support businesses in a responsible way and that they are able to become self-sustaining.
Overall, Seed Out is a platform that is making a real difference in the lives of entrepreneurs and small business owners in Pakistan. By providing access to finance and mentorship opportunities, Seed Out is helping them develop their businesses and become self-sufficient. With Seed Out’s help, these businesses can continue to grow and become a powerful force for good in their communities.
Contacts of Seed Out Foundation
The following include ways one can get in touch with the Seed Out foundation in order to get support or to donate to them.
Mail us at
info@seedout.org
Call us at
+92 42 35749696
+92-300-0450222
Gujranwala
Near Super Asia Factory,
Main G.T Road Gujranwala,
+92-554-296263
Shahdra
Near shahdra chowk,
+42-489-797
Faisalabad
Plaza #12 Hockey Stadium,
Near Nadra office,
Faisalabad,
+92-418-502060
Bahawalnagar
Front of Govt. Elementary School Faisal colony,
+92-632-505210
Nishtar
Nishtar colony Firoze pure road,
+92-000-0000000
Shalamar
Shalimar bagh,
+92-000-0000000
Thokar
Thokar branch,
+92-000-0000000
Samanabad
Samanabad on multan road,
+92-000-0000000
Kakkuana
Kakkuana,
+92-000-0000000
Faisal Colony
Faisal Colony,
+92-000-0000000
Nizam Pura
Nizam Pura,
+92-000-0000000
Muslim Colony
Muslim Colony,
+92-000-0000000
KHIALI
Gujranwala,
+92-000-0000000
That is all I can write and say about the Seed Out Foundation in Pakistan that is owned and directed by Zain Ashraf.
Thank you all for your time and attention in reading my post. It is a great pleasure to participate in this contest. I hope that my entry would be accepted. Below is the reference to my work.
