PepsiCo and Ajialouna partner to support AUB students
October 18, 2021
Others may be leaving Lebanon, but not PepsiCo. The company, which has been operating in the country since 1952, feels a strong commitment to the country and its people. “We have never closed our plant in Lebanon – even during the civil war,” explains PepsiCo Public Policy, Government Affairs and Communications Manager for the Levant and North Africa, and AUB master’s student, Malak Jaafar. “We are with the people of Lebanon. PepsiCo is committed for the long-term.” This is a sentiment that was echoed by Aamer Sheikh, PepsiCo’s president and general manager for Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan, who spoke during a recent visit to Lebanon about the company’s commitment to the country.
For the last 15 years, PepsiCo has been partnering with Ajialouna on the Tomooh Scholarship Fund PepsiCo – Ajialouna Scholarship. The program was launched by the late Saad Abdul-Latif, who was chief executive officer for PepsiCo Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA) region for many years. Abdul-Latif, who was also an AUB alumnus (BA ’75), “believed in education,” remembers Lina Kronfol, member of the Executive Committee responsible for the Tomooh Project at Ajialouna. “He was an inspiration to all of us – an extraordinary man.” Jaafar agrees. “He is a legend at PepsiCo,” she says. “We want his legacy to continue. This program is part of that legacy.”
The Tomooh Scholarship Program, which has funded more than 350 scholarships in Lebanon in just 2021-22, including 120 scholarships for AUB students, has recently been expanded to support even more students. “It breaks our heart to see the urgent need in Lebanon today,” says Jaafar. “We are stepping up to help meet that need and are especially committed to investing in education.” Kronfol comments, “You can’t improve the nation without education.”
The Ajialouna-PepsiCo Tomooh Program was launched in 2006 with the first cohort of student scholarships. During her 21 years at Ajialouna, Kronfol has seen firsthand the impact that scholarships can have. “We stay in touch with our students. We see how the experience of receiving a scholarship changes their approach to life. Many of them go on to help other people,” she says.
“We are profoundly grateful to PepsiCo and Ajialouna for their support for this important scholarship program,” commented VP for Advancement and Business Development Imad B. Baalbaki. “When you give a student a scholarship, it is not just an investment, it also provides hope, which is desperately needed in these times.”
“Ajialouna was established in 1995 in Lebanon and has earned over the years the respect, confidence, and credibility of the community through its efforts and programs to support people in need, from all walks of life, gender, and age. This reputation has played a significant role in fostering the alliance with PepsiCo and the success of the program,” remarked Dr. Lina Zaim Dada, founder and president of Ajialouna.
Pictured in the photo above: Media Relations Manager Estelle Sahyoun (Rprmena), Lina Kronfol (Ajialouna), Imad B. Baalbaki (AUB), Assistant Director of Stewardship Rana El-Sayed (AUB), and Head of Training-Women Empowerment Balkis Zaatari (Ajialouna)