Empowering Rural Women: Nestlé BISP Rural Women Sales Program

Launched in 2017, the Nestlé BISP Rural Women Sales Program is a collaborative initiative with the Benazir Income Support Program aimed at empowering some of Pakistan’s poorest rural women through sustainable livelihood opportunities. Rooted in Nestlé’s commitment to diversity and shared community value, the program helps women become financially independent while contributing to their families and communities.

Women were trained in sales, pricing, profit margins, and product knowledge — including affordable, nutritious options like Nestlé Bunyad and Cerelac. After the training, they worked as retailers or sales agents, selling door-to-door or from small shops in their villages.

To support their journey, Nestlé extended PKR 2 million as revolving credit to Akhuwat Foundation for interest-free microloans. As a result, 200 microloans were distributed, averaging PKR 15,000 each, helping women set up or expand their businesses.

By 2022, the program had impacted over 2,200 individuals across 25 districts in Pakistan, with plans to expand to more areas including Haripur, Hyderabad, Sialkot, and others.

Stories like Razia from Sheikhupura and Naseem from Mian Channu highlight the program’s impact from supporting families in financial crisis to ensuring children return to school with better nutrition and stability. With incremental monthly incomes of Rs. 4,000 to Rs. 6,000, these women transformed from dependents to entrepreneurs.

Marking five years of success, the Nestlé BISP Program proved to be a powerful step toward building a more financially empowered and resilient rural Pakistan.

Nestlé Pakistan and BISP’s Rural Sales Initiative: Empowering Women, Transforming Lives

Nestlé Pakistan, in partnership with the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), is transforming the lives of underprivileged women across rural Pakistan. Since May 2017, this collaboration has provided income generating opportunities to BISP beneficiaries through Nestlé’s Rural Deep Reach Project, enabling them to become micro-entrepreneurs.

One such inspiring story is that of Sajida Parveen, a mother of six from Renala Khurd, Punjab. “Becoming a Nestlé Sales Agent helped me send my daughter back to college,” she shared. With her husband unwell and their household struggling, Sajida joined a local training organized by Nestlé and BISP. Today, she sells Nestlé products in neighboring villages, significantly improving her family’s financial condition and bringing her daughter home from a distant job in Lahore.

The initiative currently operates in Renala Khurd and Pindi Bhattian, with 13 active female sales agents. Beneficiaries sell affordable, nutritious Popularly Positioned Products (PPPs) like NESTLÉ BUNYAD, which is fortified with Iron, Zinc, Vitamin A and D, and earn through a commission-based model.

In addition to livelihood support, Nestlé is committed to enhancing nutritional awareness. Women receive nutrition training through engaging seminars, visual aids, and easy-to-follow guides; empowering them with knowledge on healthy, budget-friendly meals and hygiene.

The program aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals of reducing poverty and improving health. As Waqar Ahmad, Head of Corporate Affairs, Nestlé Pakistan, stated, “This partnership is about creating real impact; economically and nutritionally.” The program is expected to expand in five more districts across Punjab and Sindh, continuing its mission to uplift rural women and communities.