Amidst recession, Airtel launches ‘Touching Lives 3’
Despite the current economic crisis in the country, telecommunications firm, Airtel Nigeria, on Thursday launched Season 3 of its corporate social initiative project ‘Touching Lives’.
Speaking at the launching held in Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos, the company Managing Director / CEO, Mr. Segun Ogunsanya said that Airtel saw it as a responsibility to support the less-fortunate ones in the society as it captures the essence of the telco’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)philosophy which it derives from the spirit of giving; a salient part of the DNA of Airtel people.
“Touching Lives doesn’t depend on the economy. Doing good just cannot wait. We can’t wait till we come out of recession. In every society, the rich have an obligation to support the poor and the strong should support the weak.
“I always say that to be a great person, you have to be a good. By extrapolation, to be a great organisation, an organisation must first be a good one. You can’t separate greatness from being good and by that, we mean doing good to those who don’t have the opportunity to pay us back. We are very much committed to earning our social license which is the love and acceptance of the various communities and people we serve,” he said.
Adding that the third season of the show would hopefully be the best yet, Ogunsanya called other corporate bodies to join Airtel as they imbibe the culture of giving in communities.
Since 2014, Airtel has offered practical relief, succor, hope, opportunities and credible to liberate and empower the disadvantaged persons in the society through ‘Touching Lives’.
The company’s multi-million naira project has led to the provision of potable water for several communities, maternal and health centre for some remote communities, scholarships for indigent children and flown people abroad for proper medical attention.
Airtel has also through this initiative adopted some public schools across Nigeria by providing books, uniforms, classroom furniture, building classroom blocks, welfare for teachers and so forth.
“Our ‘Adopt-a-School’ project is particularly dear to my heart because it creates a kind of positive pressure on other stakeholders and the government. When we adopt a school, we do it for four years. We believe that when we say four years, it becomes hard to stop. It is easy to stop supporting a project if it is just six months or one year, but for four years? You would have truly adopted it,” Ogunsanya explained.
He said: “Soon, we are adopting a school in Kaduna. Part of their needs is good toilet facilities for the pupils. Something as small as a bad toilet facility, is enough to discourage a child from going to school. So, when we adopt schools, we are also encouraging the children to enjoy going to school, thereby empowering the younger generation.”
Other schools under this programme are Okin Primary School, Offa; St. John’s Primary School in Ogun State; Oremeji Primary School, Ajegunle, Presbyterian Primary school in Akwa-Ibom State and Community Primary School, Mbaise – Imo State.
Like Seasons one and two, nomination of persons, families and communities is now open and will close on October 6, 2016.
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