Airtel commences Season 7 of ‘Touching Lives’ programme
By Olivia Nnorom
Airtel Nigeria has announced the commencement of the seventh edition of its flagship Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and sustainability initiative, ‘Airtel Touching Lives’, reaffirming its commitment to uplifting underprivileged people across communities where it operates.
The initiative, according to Surendran Chemmenkotil, managing director/CEO, Airtel Nigeria, is an opportunity for the telco to further connect with several communities where it operates as well as focus on Airtel Africa’s sustainability agenda.
“Last year, Airtel Africa announced an ambitious sustainability agenda with a strong focus on providing access to digital learning for underprivileged children, working closely with the government to uplift the standard of primary education through the adoption of schools and providing access via financial inclusion to the underbanked and unbanked,” he told a press conference in Lagos.
The Airtel chief said to implement this agenda, Airtel Nigeria would mostly seek causes and opportunities that speak broadly and primarily to digital and financial inclusion as well as the adoption of schools.
Recounting the previous season, Chemmenkotil noted that Airtel embarked on one of the biggest projects, the adoption of Government Day Nursery and Primary School in Gombe State under the company’s Adopt-a-School programme, bringing its adopted schools in Nigeria to a total of seven.
Furthermore, he said that following the adoption of the school in Gombe, Airtel renovated 37 classrooms, renovated two teachers’ offices, renovated and modernised the toilet facilities in the school, reactivated the borehole facilities with clean pipe-borne water and provided furniture for the teachers’ offices as well as educational supplies for the students.
He highlighted other past projects, including renovation of the Ward A block in Lagos State Teaching Hospital (LUTH), refurbishment of the library for blind people and rehabilitation of an IDP Camp clinic facility in Season 5, and provision of an ultra-modern public water system for a large community in Ajah in Season 4, among others.
“I wish to assure you all that as always, Season 7 will not be different from past editions as we will continue to focus on the vision and philosophy of Airtel Touching Lives,” he said.
The leading telecommunications service provider is officially inviting the public to nominate individuals or communities by dialling 367 or by sending an SMS to the shortcode 367. Entries can also be sent via email to touchinglives@ng.airtel.com.
Airtel Touching Lives takes the format of a reality television show, allowing the public to nominate causes, communities and underprivileged persons/people with special needs. Airtel thereafter evaluates and selects the causes to support, and the activities are filmed and broadcast on terrestrial and satellite television stations with the aim of inspiring other corporate organisations as well as well-meaning individuals to join in supporting the weak across society.