Miss-Delectable
New Member
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2004
- Messages
- 17,160
- Reaction score
- 7
http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=32828
For many corporate bodies, it has become a trend to assist the poor in the community where they operate as part of their social responsibilities. Travelex Financial Services, recently identified itself with the cause to helping the less privileged in the society, when it showered N1.3 million worth of goods and materials on three charity homes in Lagos.
Some of the benefiting organisations and institutions include the Wesley School for the Deaf and Heart of Gold-Children Hospice and Orphanage, both in Surulere, Lagos as well as the Lagos State Red Cross Motherless Babies’ Home, Yaba. The items include 18-seater bus, washing machine, computer, television sets, video players and a sum of N100, 000.
The recipients could not contain their joy. For example, Mr Solomon Addey, the vice principal, Wesley School for the Deaf Surulere Lagos, who stood in for the principal said “I feel happy and grateful to Travelex for the donation. Even this is a government school; we depend heavily on charity to run the school. We know that government alone cannot do it all. As a school for the deaf, we use specialised equipment apart from some special stationery.
Unfortunately, the things for the deaf are very expensive. In fact, as hearing impaired individuals, we need hearing aids for them. These hearing aids are very expensive. One cost between N150,000 to N180,000. This is the area we need the assistance of the public. Here we have almost 600 students”.
He added that although the government is trying its best for the school, “it cannot do everything. We believe that the corporate bodies and public-spirited individuals should come in to assist us”.
To attract the individuals and corporate bodies, Addey said they have a lot of awareness programmes such as sporting activities and end of the year concert. He said the school does all these to draw the attention of people to the school and create awareness that a school like this exists. Surprisingly, he said some don’t know about the school and they have deaf children and which they don’t know what to do with them. With all these activities, Addey said the centre hope people would know and bring their children to the school.
The Heart of God Children’s Hospice and Orphanage, Surulere got an 18-seater bus. Mrs. Laja Adedoyin, the founder said “I am very elated. I feel more challenged. I feel that we have much work to do. The fact that Christmas is approaching now, we have only one bus, which could take some of the 32 children we have in the home to our social functions soon. It was only yesterday that we were discussing it in the house that we had to hire another bus, possibly, a danfo (minibus) to attend to parties, which starts from December 18. This means we would not hire another bus and all the children would be able to go out during the Christmas festivities. I can’t quantify this kind gesture of Travelex. I am still in surprised.
“Heart of Gold Hospice and Children’s Orphanage is a home for abandoned children with mental disabilities, who are rejected by the society on daily basis. They are the ones that cannot be admitted by other charity homes. They are the ones close to dying. They are the ones on whom we shower love, care and support because they are part of us. They are God’s children too.
“Though they are disabled, every one of us is also disabled in one way or another. God never made a perfect human being yet. There is no street without a child with mental problem; in fact, every street in the country has at least a child with mental disability. But because they are hidden, people don’t hear about them. People don’t talk about them. Some parents also reject them. But this is a place where they find love, peace, care, respect and acceptance,” Mrs. Adedoyin further said.
She said “I will continue to pray for Travelex for this gesture. May the company continue to grow stronger and stronger by the day? God will bless you. I know it is a big family, starting from Europe. You will continue to progress”.
At the Nigeria Red Cross Society Motherless Babies Home, Yaba, Ms Lynn-Lila Mawusi Halm, the branch secretary, Lagos State Red Cross Society said “we called on you and you responded. We really appreciate it. Some companies will take years before they come to our aid. We knew Travelex this year, and they responded this year. We appreciate your gesture. This great things you have done, particularly the washing machine is going to go a long way to save man hours wasted in our washing. It is not easy for us to wash and wash. We promise to put all these items to effective use”.
Speaking later, Mrs. Maureen Emeana, manager human resources/admin of Travelex who represented Mr Roger Ellender, general manager, said “the purpose of the gesture is to identify with the less privileged as a socially responsible corporate citizen. This is not the first time we would be doing such thing. The other time, we also identified with the victims of the Ikeja bomb blast.”
Asked whether the gesture is on-going, Emeana said, “We will try as much as possible to see what we can do.” She added that the company wishes to achieve a lot through the gesture. “We are socially responsible because we are in Nigeria and we wish to play our part in the development of the Nigerian society as part of our social responsibility.”
She explained that the company’s target is to create a “committee that would go round and identify needs of people and convince the management that this is what these people need. It is not a management thing. It is left in the hand of the whole staff through the committee and they would advise the management on what to be done to identify with the society and be socially relevant. Emeana disclosed that the value of the current donation was $10,000.00.
For many corporate bodies, it has become a trend to assist the poor in the community where they operate as part of their social responsibilities. Travelex Financial Services, recently identified itself with the cause to helping the less privileged in the society, when it showered N1.3 million worth of goods and materials on three charity homes in Lagos.
Some of the benefiting organisations and institutions include the Wesley School for the Deaf and Heart of Gold-Children Hospice and Orphanage, both in Surulere, Lagos as well as the Lagos State Red Cross Motherless Babies’ Home, Yaba. The items include 18-seater bus, washing machine, computer, television sets, video players and a sum of N100, 000.
The recipients could not contain their joy. For example, Mr Solomon Addey, the vice principal, Wesley School for the Deaf Surulere Lagos, who stood in for the principal said “I feel happy and grateful to Travelex for the donation. Even this is a government school; we depend heavily on charity to run the school. We know that government alone cannot do it all. As a school for the deaf, we use specialised equipment apart from some special stationery.
Unfortunately, the things for the deaf are very expensive. In fact, as hearing impaired individuals, we need hearing aids for them. These hearing aids are very expensive. One cost between N150,000 to N180,000. This is the area we need the assistance of the public. Here we have almost 600 students”.
He added that although the government is trying its best for the school, “it cannot do everything. We believe that the corporate bodies and public-spirited individuals should come in to assist us”.
To attract the individuals and corporate bodies, Addey said they have a lot of awareness programmes such as sporting activities and end of the year concert. He said the school does all these to draw the attention of people to the school and create awareness that a school like this exists. Surprisingly, he said some don’t know about the school and they have deaf children and which they don’t know what to do with them. With all these activities, Addey said the centre hope people would know and bring their children to the school.
The Heart of God Children’s Hospice and Orphanage, Surulere got an 18-seater bus. Mrs. Laja Adedoyin, the founder said “I am very elated. I feel more challenged. I feel that we have much work to do. The fact that Christmas is approaching now, we have only one bus, which could take some of the 32 children we have in the home to our social functions soon. It was only yesterday that we were discussing it in the house that we had to hire another bus, possibly, a danfo (minibus) to attend to parties, which starts from December 18. This means we would not hire another bus and all the children would be able to go out during the Christmas festivities. I can’t quantify this kind gesture of Travelex. I am still in surprised.
“Heart of Gold Hospice and Children’s Orphanage is a home for abandoned children with mental disabilities, who are rejected by the society on daily basis. They are the ones that cannot be admitted by other charity homes. They are the ones close to dying. They are the ones on whom we shower love, care and support because they are part of us. They are God’s children too.
“Though they are disabled, every one of us is also disabled in one way or another. God never made a perfect human being yet. There is no street without a child with mental problem; in fact, every street in the country has at least a child with mental disability. But because they are hidden, people don’t hear about them. People don’t talk about them. Some parents also reject them. But this is a place where they find love, peace, care, respect and acceptance,” Mrs. Adedoyin further said.
She said “I will continue to pray for Travelex for this gesture. May the company continue to grow stronger and stronger by the day? God will bless you. I know it is a big family, starting from Europe. You will continue to progress”.
At the Nigeria Red Cross Society Motherless Babies Home, Yaba, Ms Lynn-Lila Mawusi Halm, the branch secretary, Lagos State Red Cross Society said “we called on you and you responded. We really appreciate it. Some companies will take years before they come to our aid. We knew Travelex this year, and they responded this year. We appreciate your gesture. This great things you have done, particularly the washing machine is going to go a long way to save man hours wasted in our washing. It is not easy for us to wash and wash. We promise to put all these items to effective use”.
Speaking later, Mrs. Maureen Emeana, manager human resources/admin of Travelex who represented Mr Roger Ellender, general manager, said “the purpose of the gesture is to identify with the less privileged as a socially responsible corporate citizen. This is not the first time we would be doing such thing. The other time, we also identified with the victims of the Ikeja bomb blast.”
Asked whether the gesture is on-going, Emeana said, “We will try as much as possible to see what we can do.” She added that the company wishes to achieve a lot through the gesture. “We are socially responsible because we are in Nigeria and we wish to play our part in the development of the Nigerian society as part of our social responsibility.”
She explained that the company’s target is to create a “committee that would go round and identify needs of people and convince the management that this is what these people need. It is not a management thing. It is left in the hand of the whole staff through the committee and they would advise the management on what to be done to identify with the society and be socially relevant. Emeana disclosed that the value of the current donation was $10,000.00.
