Roses might be red and violets blue but for itel and the Lagos Food Bank, love is in the air. It is the season of love, sharing and affection and today, itel came through for widows in the Amukoko Community, Lagos State.
In keeping with its tradition of excellent service delivery beyond smartphones, accessories, TVs, and other electronics, itel today put smiles on the faces of widows as part of its Valentine’s Day celebration. This is in line with itel’s Love Always On Corporate Social Responsibility (csr) initiative to be there for their customers and underserved communities.
Themed Love in a Box, the initiative was part of efforts to shore up support for widows who could not hide their excitement amidst the fanfare and celebrations. Despite the colorfulness of the event, the purpose was not lost on hundreds of widows who gathered to share in the love and togetherness engendered by itel and the Lagos Food Bank through Valentine’s Day.
Some of the excited beneficiaries expressed delight at the initiative by itel and described it as a novel, thoughtful and heartwarming act. They used the opportunity to call on other people of means to emulate itel and commit themselves and their resources to helping those around them. The food boxes distributed contained food items like rice, beans, cooking oil, milk, seasonings, and other items suitable for the home.
Speaking at the event, Oke Umurhohwo, itel’s Marketing Manager noted that itel is a community-centric business which focuses on ensuring that consumers are well cared for all-year round. ‘It is the season of love, sharing, and giving, and at itel, we are so thankful for the opportunity to give back whenever and wherever we can’, he says. ‘And that is why we are here in Amukoko community. We promise to be unrelenting and single-minded in our service to Nigerians.’
While giving his own remarks, Michael Sunbola, the President of the Lagos Food Bank Initiative, commended itel for being a business that is always ready to collaborate on efforts designed to emancipate the communities they serve, adding that the Lagos Food Bank bought into the initiative because it was a loving way to give back to society.
According to him, ‘The whole essence of giving back to our communities is firmly rooted in our mission of reducing hunger and fighting malnutrition among the vulnerable population and we do this by partnering with corporate organizations like itel Nigeria. In this season of love, and especially with the rate of poverty and inequality in Nigeria right now, it is essential to foster collaboration that seeks to provide basic needs to improve the lives of the vulnerable people; and we are very pleased to be a part of this action.’
He says hopes are high that this will be a reference for other acts of philanthropy and goodwill especially in the hinterland where there is a multitude of those who cannot afford certain things.
Despite the challenges and the crunch across all sectors, it is particularly encouraging to see how itel has incorporated Sustainable Development Goal 2 to “achieve zero hunger” into its core business strategies, making it a brand that doesn’t just provide smartphones and appliances for everyone, but also a brand that cares deeply for the needs of its consumers and society at large.
With itel, love is not just in a box on Valentine’s Day; it is everywhere, all the time. For more information on itel’s CSR activities and other brand initiatives, please visit http://itel-life.com.
