In the ever-so digitizing world, having an online presence has become the new normal. Having a presence on social platforms not only helps in the marketing of the business but also possesses great potential for business expansion.
Realizing the importance of digitization for small businesses, Khalida Rahim – an entrepreneur hailing from a small town of Gulmit in Gilgit-Baltistan – created a Facebook page for her hand-made jewelry business. Her first venture in the digital world, however, failed. The Facebook page remained static and failed to get the attention of buyers because Khalida was unfamiliar with the concept of digital marketing.
The page, however, remained static and failed to get the attention of buyers because she was unfamiliar with the concept of digital marketing.
I had created a social media page for my jewelry business, but I wasn’t using it regularly. I did not even know what to do with the page to get the word out or attract customers.
To help Khalida and many other amateur entrepreneurs from Gilgit-Baltistan, the region’s first-ever digital marketing Bootcamp was organized recently.
Since her home is located in a remote area, continuing to attend Bootcamp was a real challenge for Rahim. She and many other participants had to face issues like power outages, poor internet connectivity, and extreme weather, but they survived through thick and thins and graduated from the camp.
Khalida has already begun to yield the fruits from her learnings.
“The Bootcamp significantly enhanced my digital marketing skills,” Rahim said. “By employing the strategies that I learned during the program, I am seeing a significant increase in the number of followers on my social media pages.”
A Woman Empowerment Program
A Karachi-based startup CIRCLE, in collaboration with Rupani Foundation – an NGO working to create employment for people belonging to the underserved mountainous communities of Pakistan – organized the camp for the women of Gilgit-Baltistan.
This Bootcamp was tailored to fit the growing demands of the industry. Courses offered to the participants included digital marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), creating content, and life skills like building confidence and resilience.
The program was organized as per the growing demands of the industry and courses like search engine optimization (SEO), creating content, and life skills like building confidence and resilience were offered to the participants.
The 10-day camp, which ended on March 10, 2021, included 30 students belonging to Sost Village and Gulmit. The virtual graduation ceremony was held recently to acknowledge the successful completion of the program.
Reflecting on the importance of digital skills in today’s world, Sadaffe Abid, the founder of CIRCLE said:
Digital skills are a core capability in today’s world. With this vision, we ran a digital marketing Bootcamp in Gilgit-Baltistan for 30 young women to build the next generation of women leaders in tech.
“I want women in smaller cities to know that they can leverage technology from their homes and play an important role in Pakistan’s economic progress. Through these workshops, our goal is to empower women with digital skills and reinforce the fact that women can set up their businesses,” she said.
“I am happy that these women participated in the Bootcamp despite the qualms. My message to them is to always believe in themselves, stay resilient, communicate, don’t feel alone, and support each other,” Sadaffe said.
Jalaluddin Shah, the Global Director of Rupani Foundation, thanked CIRCLE for pioneering the employment-creating project in GB and highlighted the importance of women’s participation in the workforce. He also congratulated the participants on the successful completion of the program
“There’s no doubt that a society cannot progress without gender equality. We need to induce employable skills [in women] so that they can meet the demands of the digital world. These graduates will not only improve their businesses but will also act as ambassadors and bring more women on board in the future,” he said.
Pakistan is full of potential’
The virtual graduation ceremony was also attended by Wendy Gilmore, Canada’s High Commissioner to Pakistan. Speaking on the occasion, she said she was excited to learn about a digital Bootcamp specifically designed for the women of G-B.
Referring to Pakistan’s sliding position on the 2020 Global Gender Gap Index, Gilmore maintained that despite the challenges, Pakistan is full of potential.
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