FirstBank employees lift partially sighted, down syndrome children

Still in the spirit of the 2018 Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Week (CR&S), themed ‘Touching Lives; You First’, employees of First Bank of Nigeria Limited recently shared moments with physically challenged children in Lagos and also presented numerous foodstuffs and toiletries to them. The CSR activity which took place all over Nigeria and other Africa countries where FirstBank is located through its subsidiary; FBNBank had staff visit orphanages; homes for the physically challenged, and other institutions that require support across the country. These subsidiaries include, FBNBank in the Republic of Congo, Ghana, The Gambia, Guinea, Sierra-Leone and Senegal,

Defying the torrential rain, the top-level management staff, on Saturday, June 23, 2018, visited Pacelli School for the Blind and Partially Sighted Children, and the Down Syndrome Foundation of Nigeria in Surulere, Lagos respectively to interact with the pupils and also presented food, health and sanitary items contributed by the staff of the bank to them.

Similarly, the Bank presented foodstuff and other materials to orphanage babies home at Anua in Uyo and Generate of Handmaid of Holy Child of Jesus motherless home Ifuho Ikot Ekpene local government area of Akwa Ibom, with a view to giving the children a sense of belonging.

In Abuja, it was the same story as Al Ansar Orphanage Home and Abuja School for the Handicap, both in the Kuje Area Council of the FCT, Abuja, also received essential materials.

Expressing appreciation on behalf of management and pupils of Pacelli School for the Blind and Partially Sighted Children, the Headmistress, Sister Jane Onyeneri, thanked FirstBank for the kind gesture and the timely gifts.

She added that the school founded on June 16, 1962 and owned by the Catholic Arch-Diocese of Lagos, accommodates 140 pupils, adding that it is a non-denominational institution.

“The school offers the pupils free tuition, free feeding and free accommodation. So, we really appreciate FirstBank’s timely intervention and consider it an act of kindness that will go a long way in ensuring the school continues to do this”, Onyeneri stated.

Speaking on behalf of the FirstBank team, the Group Executive, Retail Banking, Lagos and West, Tunde Owolabi, said: “FirstBank Corporate Responsibility and Sustainable Week is set aside to promote acts of random kindness and create opportunities for staff to give their time and resources to defined courses in line with the bank’s Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability strategic approach.”

He disclosed further that ‘Hope Rising’ initiative is one of the key programmes of the Bank designed to empower people living with disabilities. “Its key objective is engendering inclusivity and diversity through training as well as inclusive events. The partnership with Pacelli School falls under the Hope Rising platform and this includes support in cash and kind”, Owolabi noted.

Touched by the show of appreciation in the emotion-laden sonorous songs rendered by the pupils, Owolabi went ahead to make a personal donation to the school, while appealing to other well-meaning Nigerians to render assistance to the needy. The FirstBank team also promised to send representatives and more gifts at the school’s graduation taking place on July 12, 2018.

The FirstBank team that visited Pacelli School for the Blind, comprised the Head, Alternative Workforce, Yinka Folorunsho, and Head, Talent Management, Muyiwa Olulaja, amongst others.

Apart from visiting and donating to orphanages/ less privileged homes and IDPs, the other four key initiatives of the FirstBank’s CR&S are Career Counselling for secondary school students, commemoration of the UN International Widow’s Day in partnership with the International Women Society, and Staff Promoting Acts of Random Kindness (SPARK) initiative designed to encourage people to be kind and uphold values. First Bank of Nigeria Limited is also in partnership with Vision Spring to empower people with impaired vision by providing eyeglasses and lens at very affordable rates.