Coca-Cola Foundation, CARE Pakistan Complete Two-Year Home Chefs Project
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✧ GENERATE BRIEFING
The Coca-Cola Foundation and CARE Pakistan formally marked the successful completion of their joint two-year flagship initiative, the Home Chefs Project, on International Chefs Day (October 20, 2026). The program successfully trained 8,000 home-based entrepreneurs across eight major urban centers in Pakistan, with women accounting for nearly 7,200 (90%) of total participants. Key operational metrics, institutional partners, and project outcomes include: Geographic Deployment: The training modules were delivered across eight cities: Lahore, Multan, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Hyderabad, Karachi, Sialkot, and Islamabad. Curriculum & Skill Tracks: Participants received practical training in financial management, business planning, digital marketing, e-commerce integration, food safety, and customer engagement to scale home kitchens into sustainable commercial enterprises. Institutional Leadership: The closing ceremony featured key stakeholders, including Carlos Pagoaga (President, The Coca-Cola Foundation), Gull Sadia (Assistant Country Director, CARE Pakistan), and Saman Rai (Secretary, Punjab Women Development Department).
The Coca-Cola Foundation and CARE Pakistan have completed a two-year initiative that trained more than 8,000 entrepreneurs across eight cities in Pakistan, with women accounting for nearly 7,200 participants.
The Home Chefs Project was designed to help aspiring and established home cooks turn their culinary skills into sustainable business opportunities. Alongside food preparation, participants received structured training in financial management, business planning, digital marketing, e-commerce and customer engagement.
Implemented by CARE Pakistan with funding from The Coca-Cola Foundation, the initiative covered Lahore, Multan, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Hyderabad, Karachi, Sialkot and Islamabad.
Capacity Building and Skill Modules
The programme sought to address practical operational challenges faced by home-based food entrepreneurs, including managing business finances, promoting products, attracting customers and organising daily business operations. Training in digital marketing and e-commerce was specifically intended to help participants reach customers beyond their immediate neighborhood communities.
| Program Metric | Operational Benchmark |
| Total Entrepreneurs Trained | 8,000+ |
| Women Entrepreneur Participation | ~7,200 (90%) |
| Geographic Coverage | 8 Cities (Punjab, Sindh, ICT) |
| Funding & Implementation | The Coca-Cola Foundation / CARE Pakistan |
| Key Curricula | Financial Literacy, Digital Marketing, E-Commerce |
Carlos Pagoaga, president of The Coca-Cola Foundation, noted that the organisation prioritises supporting initiatives that help individuals turn existing skills into sustainable livelihoods, particularly by strengthening women entrepreneurs’ business, financial and digital capabilities.
International Chefs Day Graduation and Marketplace
The project’s completion was marked by a ceremony held on International Chefs Day (October 20, 2026). The event brought together participating home chefs, government representatives, development partners and industry stakeholders, while a live marketplace showcased commercial food products developed by programme participants.
Saman Rai, secretary of the Women Development Department of the Government of Punjab, emphasized that long-term entrepreneurial success depends on expanding market access, financial literacy, professional networks and structured expansion pathways.
Gull Sadia, assistant country director at CARE Pakistan, said combining culinary training with practical business and digital skills helped participants build confidence and identify clear growth opportunities for their enterprises.
One of the entrepreneurs recognised at the event was Maria Onaas, founder of Bake My Day. She stated that the training helped her improve financial management, branding and digital marketing, enabling her to organize her business more professionally and reach new customer segments.
Economic Empowerment Context
The project highlights the role of targeted skills development in supporting micro-scale entrepreneurship, particularly for women seeking independent income opportunities through home-based enterprises.
The initiative’s long-term economic impact will depend on the degree to which graduates sustain active commercial sales, maintain customer retention, and access micro-financing to scale their enterprises beyond home kitchens.
