CAIRO: PepsiCo Tomooh signed a new partnership agreement with the United Nations World Food Program (UNWFP) worth LE 1 million. In a star-studded gala, Saad Abdul-Latif — the founder of the Tomooh education program and the chief executive officer of PepsiCo Asia, Middle East and Africa — hosted government officials, members of the diplomatic and business communities, celebrities, and UNWFP staff to witness the official signing of the agreement in Egypt. “Tomooh in Egypt reaches some of the most disadvantaged children in society, and opens the door for them to a world of opportunity,” Abdul-Latif told Daily News Egypt. “Children should not have to choose between working to help feed their families and attending school; these are two essential human rights that many of us take for granted.” The new agreement will be used to help children that attend community-based schools in Sohag, Upper Egypt. “Upper Egypt has the highest rate of malnutrition in Egypt, which is why we chose that area to start,” said Gian Pietro Bordignon, the UNWFP's Egypt director and representative. “We have a responsibility to help and to be advocates for these people.” Children at these schools with a monthly 85 percent attendance record will be given date bars as a morning snack, and the families of children with this attendance rate will receive 10 kilos of rice per month. The Tomooh program plans to provide nourishment to 84 targeted community-based schools in the Upper Egypt governorates of Sohag, which includes the Dar El Salam, Geheina and Saqulta districts. Two guests who attended the gala were Rania Abdel Fatah Abdullah and Mohamed Ahmed, two 12-year-olds from the Sohag governorate who are direct recipients of the Tomooh program. They thanked Abdul-Latif and his employees for their continued support that they provide through the Tomooh program. Since the Tomooh program's Egypt launch with the UNWFP in 2007, the Tomooh program has helped more than 13,000 beneficiaries, including 2,650 students in Sohag. Abdul-Latif initially founded the Tomooh program in 2003, when he pledged $1 million from PepsiCo to further education within the Arab world. That pledge has since benefited various students throughout Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt. PepsiCo executes the Tomooh program in each country by partnering with non-governmental organizations that aid the private company in carrying out its vision. In Lebanon, PepsiCo is partners with Ajialouna, an independent social welfare organization. In Jordan, PepsiCo joins forces with the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development to carry out its program's goals. According to Abdul-Latif, PepsiCo's education program is quite flexible in adapting to each country's needs. Lebanon and Jordan receive scholarships from PepsiCo to help pay education costs, and Egypt receives food. “We called the program Tomooh, Arabic for ‘ambition,' because we believed we were creating something that would serve as a stepping stone for students on the path towards realizing their dreams,” Abdul-Latif said. “I'm a big believer in dreams and dreaming big.” Overall, PepsiCo has helped more than 4,181 students in Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt through its program. “This program is a perfect example of PepsiCo's vision of performance with purpose, which means achieving financial success while leaving a positive imprint on society,” said Abdul-Latif. PepsiCo also offers many other programs to help leave its lasting positive impression on society, such as its after-school sports program that currently has over 70,000 student participants. Bordignon added that it is the UNWFP's vision to sustain their current involvement in the program while expanding it into other areas with increased help from the private sector. “We want to stabilize the program in current areas before we expand, and maybe hope to pass it on to the government at some point to support national programs that are already in place,” said Bordignon. “Education is empowerment, and the program is designed to empower our youth by encouraging education with incentives, providing them with opportunities they need and deserve to become successful in their lives,” Abdul-Latif said.
