In a milestone moment for Pakistan’s social entrepreneurship landscape, Rizq led the country’s first national delegation to the 15th session of the internationally renowned Social Business Day in Dhaka, hosted by the Yunus Centre.

Yunus Centre was founded by Nobel Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus to promote his vision for social business and forge lasting, productive relationships among social companies worldwide. Social Business is a model of enterprise pioneered by Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, designed to solve human and environmental problems in a financially self-sustaining way. Every year, the Yunus Centre organizes Social Business Day to celebrate and share the accumulated experiences of social business leaders and entrepreneurs from over 40 countries who are spearheading a new path towards a sustainable and just future for the world.

After attending the event for two years independently and noticing no official Pakistani representation, Rizq decided to change that. Rizq is more than just an organisation – it is a youth-led, community-driven movement transforming the food ecosystem through sustainable, systematic, and scalable solutions. The organisation is deeply inspired by the philosophy of Dr. Yunus. It has replicated it across its various interventions in the domain of food justice and sustainable agriculture, making it among the pioneers of social businesses in Pakistan. Rizq’s inclusion at the event not only affirms its credibility as a leading social business within Pakistan but also marks Pakistan’s emergence as a serious and proactive player in the global arena.

This year’s theme, “Social Business is the Most Efficient Path to Ensure Healthcare for All,” resonates strongly with Rizq’s mission, as it believes that health begins with access to nutritious food, an issue critical across the Global South. At the event, Rizq’s CEO, Qasim Javaid, became a part of an esteemed panel of global changemakers to present how dignified food access is a cornerstone for resilient, healthier societies.

As a precursor to the Social Business Day event in Dhaka, Rizq organized the first-ever Country Forum for Pakistan. In partnership with Superior University, the forum convened stakeholders across academia, government, and social enterprise to spotlight existing models and chart pathways for future innovation. The findings and gap areas were shared in Dhaka, alongside forums from 13 countries.

Key highlights from the main event included presenting the landscape of social businesses in Pakistan to the Global Social Business community. Rizq Khana was showcased as a flagship social business model in Pakistan which is transforming the urban food landscape by providing affordable, nutritious meals to urban communities while also generating employment opportunities.

The highlight of the event was the meetings with Dr. Yunus as well as other prominent officials from the Yunus Centre. These discussions focused on further formalising the social business ecosystem in Pakistan via knowledge exchange, research partnerships, and collaborations between Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Rizq’s participation in the Social Business Day marks the start of a new chapter in Pakistan’s social business and development domain. Opening the channel of global collaborations guided by the principles of Dr. Yunus himself would allow leaders in the Pakistani ecosystem to rethink models of development along more sustainable lines. This delegation also sends a strong message that Pakistan will no longer be reacting to global practices, but rather proactively participating in the global discourse and leading it through youth leadership and innovation.

“I wouldn’t call Rizq’s participation at the Social Business Day merely an organizational milestone – it is a moment of national pride,” said Qasim Javaid, CEO of Rizq. “This only reaffirms what Rizq has always believed in: transforming existing systems globally through youth-powered action. Today, we find ourselves one step closer to the dream that started this movement!”