K-Electric’s aim with its Thought Leadership initiative is to bring progressive minds together and promote enlightened thinking for sustainable development. To this end, it has created platforms that facilitate the spread of intellectual discourse.
Thought Leadership Forum
In September 2012, on the 99th anniversary of K-Electric, the first Thought Leadership Forum was held. Dr. Ishrat Husain (Former Dean and Director of the Institute of Business Administration) gave a speech titled, ‘The Impact of Privatization on Sustainable Development’.
The follow-up event focused on ‘Social Entrepreneurship and its Impact of Sustainable Development’. It was attended by Dr. Abdul Bari Khan (CEO, Indus Hospital) Mushtaq K. Chhapra (Founder and Director, The Citizens’ Foundation) and the keynote speaker, Dr. Adib Rizvi (Founder and Director, Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation).
Knowledge Sharing
With the aim to establish strategic links with academic institutions for mutual value creation, long term partnerships have been formed with all major educational institutes of Karachi, educating the youth, specifically engineering and business students, on issues faced by the power sector.
Some 26 interactive sessions have been held, which also includes sponsorship of the IBA Leadership Conference and the NED Innovation Conference. 18 field trips to the K-Electric generation plants have so far been arranged for almost 1,200 students.
E-Force Program
K-Electric conducted the E-Force School Awareness Programme as an energy conservation initiative. The focus was on bringing about a first-hand realisation in children about the energy crisis in Karachi and the country at large.
K-Electric sensitised around 25,000 school children from 150 schools in Karachi about energy conservation through talks and presentations. Students were involved in exercises to monitor and reduce energy bills in their homes by adopting energy conservation methods. Creative layouts were provided to children to exhibit their ideas. A grand finale was organised to recognise the overall performance of schools. This programme is a continuing initiative and reaches children as well as the citizens of Karachi.
Roshan Karachi, Roshan Pakistan
K-Electric partnered with Geo TV to engage the youth of Karachi towards creating awareness about energy conservation.
50 Brand Ambassadors were drawn from different universities and colleges of Karachi to create awareness in their social circles and distribute 2,000 energy saver bulbs to some 2,000 households.
School children were also involved in creating mini RKRP (Roshan Karachi Roshan Pakistan) days at their schools through art, tableaux and other creative means. A mega ‘Roshan Karachi Roshan Pakistan Day’ was also held at the Bahria Auditorium, where celebrities reinforced the idea behind the drive.
The Way Forward
Going forward, K-Electric will remain focused on creating strategically sound, multi-directional links with its stakeholders to maintain a long-term approach. It will encourage employees to form platforms for the creation of vibrant, educated and healthy communities.
It is hoped the same sense of sustainability will be instilled within K-Electric’s partner organisations to consistently share goals. We endeavor to make structured social and environmental investments that will continue to remain fruitful on a long-term basis.
These efforts have been widely commended and K-Electric has received many awards and accolades in this regard. However, the company is more concerned with the impact it is making and will continue to strive as a catalyst for change.