The Visa Foundation announced last week its approval of
$8.8 million of its $10 million in COVID-19 relief grants to organizations supporting the frontline response to the global pandemic and providing critical services for vulnerable households such as public health and food relief.
In Pakistan, $200,000 has been granted to Akhuwat to support their COVID-19 Relief
Program and provide meals and rations bags to the most affected families. In Pakistan,
the ongoing COVID-19 related pandemic and the resulting economic activity lockdown
has placed an immense strain on local communities causing food insecurity and
increasing poverty. The grant to Akhuwat aims to extend their efforts in providing much
needed support to food relief programs in the country.
This grant is part of the Visa Foundation’s previously announced $210 million global
commitment, with $10 million in COVID-19 relief focused on the emergency needs
announced last week for organizations worldwide and another $200 million to address
longer-term needs of the small and micro businesses over the next five years.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is creating unprecedented challenges on the communities in
Pakistan,” said Kamil Khan, Visa’s Country Manager for Pakistan. “We’re grateful for the
mission-critical services Akhuwat is delivering.”
“We’re grateful for the amazing work humanitarian assistance organizations are
providing to communities around the world affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, “said
Graham MacMillan, president of the Visa Foundation. “The Visa Foundation is proud to
offer these grants to support these organizations’ mission-critical work during these
perilous times.”
The forthcoming 5-year $200 million program will support small and micro businesses,
with a focus on fostering women’s economic advancement, both of which will be critical
to long-term economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. This commitment
expands the Visa Foundation’s long-standing support for small and micro businesses
globally. Additional information on the Foundation’s grant and investment strategy will
be shared in the coming months.
For more information:
The Visa Foundation’s COVID-19 regional grantees: https://usa.visa.com/visa-
everywhere/blog/bdp/2020/05/11/the-visa-foundation-1589219590276.html
Visa Inc. COVID-19 response: https://usa.visa.com/visa-
everywhere/blog/bdp/2020/04/03/visa-is-committed-1585927227688.html
Visa Foundation $210 Million commitment to small and micro businesses and immediate
COVID-19 relief: https://usa.visa.com/about-visa/newsroom/press-
releases.releaseId.17066.html
About the Visa Foundation
The Visa Foundation seeks to support inclusive economies where individuals, businesses and
communities can thrive. Through grantmaking and investing, the Foundation prioritizes the
resilience and growth of micro and small businesses that benefit women. The Foundation also
supports broader community needs and disaster response in times of crisis. The Visa
Foundation is registered in the U.S. as a 501(c)3 entity. For more information, visit
https://usa.visa.com/about-visa/philanthropy/visa-foundation.html.
About Visa Inc.
Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) is the world’s leader in digital payments. Our mission is to connect the world
through the most innovative, reliable and secure payment network – enabling individuals,
businesses and economies to thrive. Our advanced global processing network, VisaNet,
provides secure and reliable payments around the world, and is capable of handling more than
65,000 transaction messages a second. The company’s relentless focus on innovation is a
catalyst for the rapid growth of digital commerce on any device, for everyone, everywhere. As
the world moves from analog to digital, Visa is applying our brand, products, people, network
and scale to reshape the future of commerce. For more information, visit About Visa,
visa.com/blog and
@VisaNews.
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