Yemisi Izuora
Dufil Prima Foods Ltd, makers of Indomie Instant Noodles, on Thursday May 9, officially commenced the 16th edition of its corporate social responsibility initiative, the Indomie Heroes Awards, the nationwide search exercise that seeks to identify, recognize, celebrate, and reward the positive and heroic efforts of by children aged 15 years and below.
Held annually, the Indomie Heroes Awards has become a source of inspiration, celebrating the selflessness and bravery of young heroes across the country.
This year’s edition tagged “Unsung Heroes”, will feature a collection of captivating and inspiring stories from different states across the six geo-political zones of Nigeria. These commendable acts of physical, social, and intellectual bravery have often gone unnoticed and uncelebrated until Indomie introduced this innovative programme.
In a press statement, the Group Corporate Communications and Events Manager, Dufil Prima Foods LTD, Temitope Ashiwaju, disclosed that the field search exercise has already kicked off, while online submissions will commence today, May 9, 2024, and continue until June 30th, 2024. All entries will be subjected to a screening process and a final selection process of winners will be done by a team of credible judges.
“The Indomie Heroes Award is dedicated to acknowledging heroic feats achieved by Nigerian children, effectively investing in the future of our nation. Our commitment over the past 16 years as a company to positively impact the lives of our core consumers, children, remains steadfast.”
According to him, Dufil Prima Foods Limited in 2008 created this unique Social Responsibility Initiative out of the need to shine the spotlight on the Nigerian Child. “This award is to recognize children who have, against all odds, exhibited extraordinary acts of bravery in the face of danger, societal challenges which have sometimes even brought them injury. The award seeks to extol the exemplary accomplishments of children who have shown courage and determination in situations that ordinarily would bring fear. It is also meant to encourages excellence, rewards merit and inspire selflessness and patriotism in our youngsters,” he said.
The 2024 edition of the award will feature three categories, namely: Physical Bravery, Intellectual Bravery, and Social Bravery. Three children will be awarded winners, with each deserving recipient receiving N1.5 million, among other rewards.
Explaining the categories, Ashiwaju said the Physical Bravery award is for kids who have shown physical bravery in a challenging situation, and, at great personal risk, have saved lives or extensive damage to property or others by their actions. The Social Bravery award, he said, is for those who have inspired a community and have worked against social evils such as child marriage, illiteracy, environmental concerns, among others. For Intellectual Bravery category, the child nominee must have provided an innovative solution to a problem with their brilliant mind.
Ashiwaju urged parents, guardians, teachers and the public to submit inspiring stories of young heroes who they feel have demonstrated exceptional bravery. He also emphasized that in addition to the ongoing field exercise meant to ensure that the initiative covers remote areas to encourage submissions from every corner of Nigeria, entries can be submitted through the Indomie Nigeria’s website, the Indomie heroes Awards dedicated website or through calls to designated phone lines.
The award unfolds in three distinct phases. Firstly, the search commences, inviting entries and gathering compelling narratives. The second phase is the rigorous review by judges, involving fact-checking, corroborating stories, and conducting interviews with finalists, even capturing their tales through re-enactments and documentaries. The final culmination occurs at the awards ceremony in October, where the most exceptional stories are honoured, alongside runners-up receiving well-deserved recognition.
On her part, the National Coordinator for Indomie Fan Club, Karishma Rustagi, underscored the vital role the media plays in amplifying the notable achievements of children in the society, and pointed out that by spotlighting deserving children and their remarkable deeds, the media contributes significantly to honouring the true heroes of our time.
Over the last 16 years, the Indomie Heroes Awards has produced a total of 52 winners who were rewarded with scholarships worth several millions of Naira both from the brand and well-meaning Nigerians who developed interest after hearing their stories. The award of scholarship grants has helped winners overcome certain financial constraints that may have adversely affected their educational pursuits and life goals.