"EU Delegation Visits Women-Led Enterprise in Hyderabad, Applauds GRASP Project’s Impact on Rural Development"

Hyderabad: Members of the European Parliament visited Fiza Desi Ghee, a small business owned by Ms. Nusrat, to witness how EU support is transforming women-led enterprises in rural Sindh. The business received a PKR 0.5 million matching grant under the European Union-funded Growth for Rural Advancement and Sustainable Progress (GRASP) project. The project is being implemented by International Trade Centre (ITC) in partnership with PPAF, FAO and SMEDA with SAFWCO as partner organisation facilitating project activities in Hyderabad. 

The matching grant, along with targeted training and exposure visits, helped Ms. Nusrat modernise her operations resulting in higher production, improved product quality, and new job opportunities created for women in the village.

The delegation, which included Members of the European Parliament, Mr. Lukas Mandl, Mr. Tomas Zdechovsky, Mr. Juan Fernando, Mr. Robert Biedron, and Mr. Marc Jongen along with representatives from the European Union, including Mr. Christian Ben Hell, Ms. Barbara Riksen, Mr. Christian Meseth, Ms. Teresa Paula, and Ms. Janetta Cujkova, commended the enterprise’s success and acknowledged GRASP’s contribution to empowering women entrepreneurs and advancing sustainable rural development in Sindh.

Concluding the project visit, MP Lukas Mandl, leading the delegation of Members of the European Parliament said "We were happy to see that our EU funding contributes to scaling up local SMEs. We saw that locally owned private enterprises can make a real difference throughout the value chain, starting from small banana farmers and milk producers, with scaled-up technology, and grants for better equipment.  The GRASP projects we have seen create employment, improve food security, and build on and improve the capacity of local people. In this case we in particular provide technology support to avoid banana diseases wich could impact a vast number of people negatively.”

Representing ITC, Umer Arfi, SME Development Specialist noted, “Through access to finance, training, and market linkages, GRASP is helping rural entrepreneurs unlock their potential and build sustainable businesses.”

Sohail Khan Bangash, Operations Lead for GRASP at PPAF, added, “The impact of GRASP goes beyond individual enterprises; it strengthens local economies, encourages innovation, and uplifts entire communities.”

Mr. Zeeshan Memon, Deputy Executive Director, expressed hope that the European Union will continue supporting projects focused on rural women business development in future

The visit highlighted how GRASP is fostering inclusive economic growth by empowering rural entrepreneurs, particularly women, to build resilient livelihoods and contribute to Pakistan’s sustainable development.

About GRASP

The Growth for Rural Advancement and Sustainable Progress (GRASP), a European Union funded project for poverty reduction and sustainable inclusive economic growth, is being implemented by International Trade Centre (ITC) in partnership with the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) and the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF). Focused on selected districts of Balochistan & Sindh, it is providing technical and financial assistance in livestock and horticulture sectors for improving commercial viability of MSMEs and for a conducive policy regime.