Lafarge commits to community assistance

By BENNIE MUNDANDO WE will continue to participate in community activities that are aimed at uplifting the welfare of our people for creation of shared value in the communities in which we operate, Lafarge Zambia stakeholder relations officer, Gift Danga has said.

And Youth in Action for Sustainable Development (YASD) has challenged other corporate entities to emulate Lafarge’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) drive by endeavouring to plough back into the communities in which they do business to improve the welfare of the local people.

Speaking to the Daily Nation, Mr. Danga said since inception, the company had thrived to make a difference among Zambians through its five pillars of our sustainability policy which focuses on health, education, environment, employment and infrastructure.

He said under environmental awareness, the company was working with 33 schools in Chilanga alone with its primary focus on tree planting, environmental campaigns and garbage collection to make communities and schools in which children learn a safe haven for habitation.

“Lafarge Zambia is keen to participate in community activities that are bent on uplifting the welfare of our people. As a good corporate citizen, Lafarge believes in creating shared value in the communities that we operate in. Under our environment policy, Lafarge has been working with YASD since 2012, doing environmental awareness campaign in schools.

“Lafarge’s support in the education pillar is through various programmes such as renovations of schools, building of libraries and exam strong rooms across the country. Some of the beneficiaries under these programs are Musamba primary school which has been provided with finance for the school be renovated and many others,” Mr. Danga said.

He said the company also has a mobile clinic that went round the communities both in Ndola and Chilanga providing free medicines and screening and that it was also working with other institutions through one-off donations and that this year alone, over 35 institutions have been helped by the company across the country.

“Saving Mothers, Giving Life is an initiative spearheaded by USAID to keep mothers and their babies safe and healthy. Lafarge contributed to the construction of 10 mothers’ shelters,” he said.

And YASD programmes officer Zebedy Lukwesa challenged other corporate entities to emulate Lafarge’s CSR drive by endeavouring to plough back into the communities in which they do business in order to improve the welfare of the locals.

“Lafarge has been very helpful in the communities where it operates from and as an NGO that work in these communities, we are very happy and we would like to commend management for what it is doing.

“We would also like to challenge other organisations to emulate Lafarge because Government alone cannot do everything but we need big stakeholders to come in and supplement developmental projects in communities in which they are operating because they are in touch with the communities and know exactly what each of them needs,” Mr. Lukwesa said.