A Brand Uniliver Trust Of Many Years….

In 2022, Pakistan suffered one of the worst climate-related disasters in its history when unprecedented monsoon rains and flooding devastated vast swaths of the country. Millions were displaced, thousands of homes were destroyed, and essential infrastructure—roads, schools, clinics, and water systems—was washed away. Rural areas were particularly hard hit, with entire communities left struggling to rebuild their lives. Recognising the scale of this humanitarian and development challenge, Unilever Pakistan launched a strategic community resilience initiative under its “Unilever for Pakistan” platform.

As part of this response, Unilever Pakistan adopted two flood-affected villages—one in Thatta district of Sindh and another in Dera Ghazi Khan (D.G. Khan) in southern Punjab—with the goal of transforming them into **“Model Villages”: resilient, sustainable, and more capable of withstanding future climate shocks.

2. Vision & Objectives

The central vision behind the Model Villages initiative was not merely to reconstruct physical infrastructure but to rebuild livelihoods, strengthen social frameworks, and enhance climate resilience among the most vulnerable rural populations. The initiative aimed to:

Provide climate-resilient housing and basic infrastructure for flood-affected families.

Improve access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities, and energy solutions.

Support livelihood diversification through skills training and community institutions.

Foster community ownership by integrating local voices into planning and decision-making processes.

This approach reflects a shift beyond short-term relief towards comprehensive community development—with resilience to future disasters at its core.

3. Implementation & Key Components
a. Housing & Physical Infrastructure

In Essa Rajero village (Thatta), which was among the worst-affected areas, Unilever Pakistan—working with partner NGO HANDS Pakistan—reconstructed approximately 90 houses built to be more resilient against flooding and extreme weather. These structures offer safe, durable shelter for families who had lost everything.

Beyond housing, infrastructure improvements included:

Clean water systems and water filtration.

Sanitation facilities designed to promote hygiene and prevent disease outbreaks.

Basic solar energy solutions to improve household energy access in off-grid or unreliable grid areas.

b. Community-Based Organization (CBO)

A pivotal aspect of the initiative has been the creation of Community-Based Organizations composed of local residents. These bodies are central in planning and implementing ongoing development activities, ensuring that influence, ownership, and responsibility rest with the community rather than outside actors.

c. Education & Skills Development

Recognising that resilient communities also need economic and social empowerment, Unilever Pakistan partnered with TeeSquare—a digital education organisation—to introduce tailored learning programmes within the Thatta Model Village. These programmes focus on improving literacy and numeracy for adults (especially mothers), and support learning for children—helping break cycles of exclusion and enabling greater participation in local economic opportunities.

Vocational centres and skills training further support community members in accessing diversified livelihoods, reducing dependency on traditional agriculture and fostering economic self-sufficiency.

4. Partnerships & Collaboration

The Model Village project exemplifies the power of multi-stakeholder collaboration:

HANDS Pakistan provided project delivery and community engagement support on the ground.

TeeSquare contributed digital literacy and educational innovation tailored to community needs.

Local residents participated directly through CBOs, ensuring sustainability and relevance.

This partnership model goes beyond philanthropy—combining private sector resources with NGO implementation expertise and community governance.

5. Immediate & Long-Term Impacts
a. Social & Economic Resilience

The project has provided immediate relief and long-term stability for families still recovering from displacement, trauma, and economic shock. Climate-resilient homes, clean water, and sanitation reduce vulnerability to future disasters and health risks…..

Through education and skills training, the initiative has opened new income pathways and strengthened economic agency—especially among women and youth—enabling community members to diversify livelihoods beyond traditional agriculture and manual labour.

b. Community Ownership & Agency

By empowering locals through CBOs, the Model Village initiative fosters local leadership, accountability, and collective decision-making—elements which are essential for sustainable development and resilience.

c. Climate Preparedness

The experience in Thatta and D.G. Khan demonstrates how private sector-led interventions can complement government and NGO efforts in climate adaptation. By investing in resilient infrastructure and skills, Unilever Pakistan’s model villages help mitigate the impacts of future extreme weather events—an increasingly urgent need for Pakistan.

6. Unilever’s Broader Sustainability Framework

The Model Village initiative aligns with Unilever’s broader global and country-level sustainability commitments—such as improving health & well-being, reducing environmental impact, and enhancing livelihoods. In Pakistan, these commitments are evident across programmes that span emergency relief, climate action, and community legacies that aim to create shared value for society and the environment.

7. Challenges & Forward Path

While the Model Village project has had notable successes, scaling and replication in other flood-prone and climate-vulnerable regions remain ongoing challenges. Institutionalising the lessons learned—especially in community governance, resilience planning, and livelihood diversification—will be crucial for broader impact. Continuous monitoring, sustained investment, and deeper partnerships with government agencies could further enhance scalability and policy influence

Unilever Pakistan’s development of model villages in Thatta and D.G. Khan illustrates a holistic, community-centred approach to disaster recovery and resilience building. By combining infrastructure rebuilding with education, livelihoods and local leadership, the initiative moves beyond charity toward transformative development. It offers a blueprint for how corporate social responsibility, aligned with sustainability goals and strong partnerships, can make a lasting difference in communities facing climate-induced adversity

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