Yemisi Izuora
As part of its Employee Give-Back Drive, during the last Easter celebrations, employees of The Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE,came together to donate money to fund medical bills for 10 children in SOS Children’s Village, Lagos, an initiative which aligns with the Exchange’s Corporate Social Responsibility strategy.
The SOS Children’s Village was established in Nigeria in 1970.The villages are uniquely set-up to provide a home setting for orphans and vulnerable children. An SOS Children’s Village in Nigeria has 10 -12 family houses, each with a mother. Other amenities include medical facilities, kindergarten and primary schools, as well as vocational training centers that offer courses in various educational and vocational skills.
While presenting the cheque to SOS Children’s Village, Mr. Olumide Orojimi, Head, Corporate Communications, The Nigerian Stock Exchange said, “This gesture is part of the annual employee give-back initiative of the NSE. Giving of money, time and other essentials to the less-privileged is a culture at NSE. Just as the Exchange, promotes the welfare of the people in its host communities, our employees are always very willing to do the same. We are very happy to support SOS and we believe this gesture will assist to improve the total wellbeing of the children and specifically, the provision of medical service for an entire year”.
The Exchange, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy instituted an Employee Volunteering Scheme and Employee Give-Back Initiative in 2015, to encourage employees to give back to the community whilst providing them with hands-on experience and the opportunity to make worthwhile difference to their operating community. For the flagship scheme, the Pacelli School for the Blind and Partially Sighted Children, Lagos, Heart of Gold Children s Hospice, Lagos and Regina Mundi Home for the Elderly, Lagos were chosen as beneficiaries.
In 2017, under this scheme, NSE employees donated various food and household items to charities across the country including The Lagos Food Bank Initiative, Agege, Lagos, Total Parental Guidance Orphanage, Ibadan, Oyo State and Christian Relief Fund Motherless Babies Home, Obosi, Anambra State, all selected based on employees nomination and were selected via a random ballot system
Also in line with the Exchange’s commitment to Financial Literacy, employees volunteered their time teaching students financial matters both at the Exchange, during school excursions and at different learning centres including Wesley School for the Hearing Impaired Children
The Exchange continues to build a sustainable capital market by championing sustainability along four key impact areas of Marketplace, its platform for promoting market-based approach to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) imperatives; Community, where the NSE makes contributions to positively impact lives; Workplace, through which the Exchange facilitates diversity, wellbeing and harness the talent and skills of its people; and the Environment as it focuses on reducing its environmental impact.