Rockefeller Foundation awards grant to Avasant to support Impact Sourcing in Africa

Los Angeles, USA: September 26, 2011: The Rockefeller Foundation has awarded a grant to Avasant, LLC to help advance the Foundation's organizational initiative entitled "Poverty Reduction through Information and Digital Employment" (PRIDE).  The Rockefeller Foundation's PRIDE work is aimed at creating sustainable employment opportunities for the poor and vulnerable by fostering a critical new arm of the outsourcing industry called Impact Sourcing (IS). IS employs people with limited opportunity for sustainable employment as principal workers in business process outsourcing centers. This grant will enable Avasant to provide research and recommend policies, incentives and global best practices that encourage the growth of Impact Sourcing which will generate employment opportunities for people who are historically and socio-economically disadvantaged. In response to the grant award, Avasant Sr. Partner and CEO, Kevin S. Parikh said, "Avasant has been a pioneer in developing the IT and BPO sectors in Africa through its work with the World Bank and several countries in the region."  He stressed, "We have a long standing commitment to the helping the poor and using technology enabled services to bring opportunity to Africa." "The Rockefeller Foundation is thrilled to collaborate with Avasant as part of our commitment to promote growth with equity and provide access and opportunities to the poor and vulnerable," said Dr. James Nyoro, Managing Director, Africa, The Rockefeller Foundation.  "The foremost goal of our PRIDE work is to encourage the growth of the impact sourcing sector to employ low income populations and thereby provide them with sustainable income in the fast growing Business Outsourcing Sector in Africa. "This landmark study with the Rockefeller Foundation is designed to support the creation of a vibrant Impact Sourcing ecosystem. The primary objective of which is to recommend policies and incentives to create thousands of jobs in the region. About The Rockefeller Foundation: The Rockefeller Foundation's mission to promote the well-being of people throughout the world has remained unchanged since its founding in 1913.  Today, that mission is applied to an era of rapid globalization.  Our vision is that this century will be one in which globalization's benefits are more widely shared and its challenges are more easily weathered.  To realize this vision, the Foundation seeks to achieve two fundamental goals in our work.  First, we seek to build resilience that enhances individual, community and institutional capacity to survive, adapt, and grow in the face of acute crises and chronic stresses.  Second, we seek to promote growth with equity in which the poor and vulnerable have more access to opportunities that improve their lives.  In order to achieve these goals, the Foundation constructs its work into time-bound initiatives that have defined objectives and strategies for impact.  These initiatives address challenges that lie either within or at the intersections of five issue areas: basic survival safeguards, global health, environment and climate change, urbanization, and social and economic security. For more information, please visit www.rockefellerfoundation.org. About Avasant Avasant is next generation top management consulting, research and events firm servicing global clients across the public, private, and non-profit sectors. Avasant's talented team of consultants, lawyers and technologists average over 20 years of industry-honed experience and have conducted over 1,000+ engagements in over 40 countries worldwide. Avasant is recognized as a leading Strategic Sourcing, Technology Optimization and Globalization Consulting firm.  According to the International Association of Outsourcers (IAOP), Avasant is ranked among the "World Best Outsourcing Advisors".  Further, Avasant holds honored distinctions as the Black Book of Outsourcing's 'Number 1 BPO Advisor' and 'Top 10 Full Service Advisor'. For more information on Avasant, please visit https://avasant.com For more information, Contact Avasant LLC Voice: +1.310.643.3030 Fax: +1.310.643.3033 marketing@avasant.com contactus@avasant.com