22nd November, 2011
Having entrenched the Help-Change-A-Life, its premium corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative, in the Lagos market for the past one year, Shoprite has extended this initiative to Little Sisters of the Elderly Poor, Enugu, making a total of 10 homes that have benefited so far.
Since inception, the institutions that have benefited from the initiative are Red Cross Motherless Babies Society, Lagos; Orphan Youth Group, Lagos; Living Fountain Orphanage, Lagos; Heart of Gold Children Hospice, Lagos; Red Cross Motherless Babies, Enugu; Little Saints Orphanage, Lagos; SOS Children Village, Lagos; Modupe Cole Home and School, Lagos, and Ile School for the Handicapped.
In the last couple of months, the Help-Change-A-Life CSR campaign had donated over N2million to voluntary institutions across the nation especially in Lagos and the figures are bound to increase as more retail stores are opened.
The initiative is Shoprite and its customers’ way of contributing and giving back to the society in which they operates. Shoprite provides a platform for its customers to contribute to the needs of the greater community by simply collecting change from any of its willing customers. The responses have been overwhelming, proving once again that customers are happy to join Shoprite in supporting the plight of the less fortunate people.
Little Sisters of the Elderly Poor, Enugu, a religious congregation taking care of the elderly poor people received N120,000 from Shoprite and its customers in Enugu in October 2011.
Acknowledging the kind gesture of the brand and its teeming customers across the state, Sister Philomena Monica, Superior at the Little Sisters of the Elderly Poor said, “As a big family with the elderly, the vouchers will be of a great help to us. Our wish is to give them the best of everything, both in health and when there is sickness.â€
For instance, she said “it will soon be Christmas, and some of the elderly would like to have some portable radios. With the help of the vouchers we will be able to provide these presents for them.â€
She however, hoped that other corporate bodies would borrow a leaf from Shoprite’s book and extend their CSR initiatives towards the home to enable it take good care of the elderly who are still a part of the society. “As a big family, we would like corporate organisations to assist us in every area. We need a car for the home and a water tanker. These are just a few items that could make life meaningful for these poor elderly ones,†she added.
Speaking on the choice of the Home Mr. Fabian Abaratu, Manager Shoprite Enugu stated that the organisation was chosen in view of its roles in assisting the physically challenged and impoverished members of the society due to circumstances of age.
He said “The organisation was chosen after a critical survey of the challenges they are facing in coping with this section of the members of the society. The challenges include building a modern lifter that will convey those of them who can not walk again, building a complex that will have separate apartment with all the necessary conveniences, purchase of modern game/sports and gymnastic equipment, maintaining accurate balanced diet for such aged people and provision of adequate clothing for the members of the Community.â€
He said, this charity donation is one of the Community based activities of Shoprite to impart positively on the environment where retail business is going on. “Precisely, this donation is from shoppers (customers), staff and management of Shoprite Retail Supermarket in Nigeria. It is our plan to continue this donation on a monthly basis and of course spot out other less privileged members of the society within and around Enugu to effect the donation,†he emphasised.
With the new Ikeja store about to go into full operation in the next couple of weeks, it is sure another source of income to support the initiative.