New York/Sao Paulo, June 5, 2013 - Some 500,000 children are expected to gain access to early childhood education in low-income areas of Brazil following a commitment by PUPA to the Business Call to Action (BCtA). The educational company has also pledged to employ 2,000 low income women as part of its micro-franchise network, leading also to quality early childhood development for over 500,000 low income children in Brazil by 2017.

In Brazil, there are approximately 14 million low-income family children under the age of 6 with over 12 million lacking access to formal day care centers or pre-schools. The PUPA model was based on a successful pilot project co-sponsored by LEGO and the Instituto Aprender Fazendo in order to reach children and caregivers in communities all over Brazil.

All children up to 6 years should be able to fully develop their potential through play, reading, music and affection in a safe and healthy environment, according to PUPA, which offers a set of playful activities infant songs CDs, LEGO kits, books and other toys and facilitator guides to stimulate their cognitive development.

As part of the project, a training and certification program is offered to parents and caregivers in remote and low income urban areas where children have no access to day care. The company has been successful in reaching low-income populations who traditionally do not have access to the educational tools related to early childhood development learning.

We are greatly encouraged to have PUPA join the Business Call to Action, said Sahba Sobhani, Progam Manager of the initiative. The PUPA model will impact not only young children, but also women entrepreneurs who are empowered with tools and training to enhance their potential.

With an initial secured loan from the Inter-American Development Bank's Opportunities for the Majority (OMJ) in 2012, PUPA has also been working to scale up its unique model. The company has set a goal of training 250,000 caregivers and providing employment to more than 2,000 women micro-franchisees by 2017. Through its educational kits and services, PUPA hopes to improve the development and learning skills of 500,000 children across Brazil in 5 years.

The company model is very scalable as it uses a micro-franchise network for distribution. PUPA has a unique network of community partners and franchises, and we believe that as we grow, our vast network and approach to education can be expanded to other communities and caregivers, we look forward to sharing our knowledge and expanding this model, said Mary Anne de Amorim Ribeiro, CEO of PUPA.

For more information, please contact:

BCtA: Karen Newman, karen.newman@undp.org +1.212.906.5194

PUPA: Suzana Ribeiro, suzana.ribeiro@pupa.net.br +55.11.304.2340

Business Call to Action is a global initiative that challenges companies to develop inclusive business models that offer the potential for development impact along with commercial success. The initiative is the result of a partnership between the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, UK Department for International Development, US Agency for International Development, United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Global Compact, and the Clinton Global Initiative to meet the anti-poverty Millennium Development Goals by 2015. Companies report on progress toward commitments on an annual basis. To learn more, please visit www.businesscalltoaction.org or join the conversation on Twitter at @BCtAInitiative.

PUPA is a private company with a social mission focused on early childhood education, whose business also aims to generate value for low income communities. PUPA's goal is to ensure that all children in early childhood have access to the best educational practices and tools to develop their full potential, regardless of their social class and the environment in which they are. For more information, please visit http://pupa.net.br or join the conversation on Twitter at @PupaEducacao.