To support children with limb loss, Stanbic IBTC Holdings, a member of Standard Bank Group, has held the ninth edition of Together4ALimb Walk, its flagship Corporate Social Investment (CSI) initiative.
The 9th Together4ALimb event which was held weekend, started with a workout that included the top management officials of the bank, members of staff, the children with limb loss, and partner organisations.
Speaking, Dr. Demola Sogunle, the Executive Director, Stanbic IBTC Holdings, said that since the commencement of the program, it has become a very important and key aspect of the bank.
According to Dr Sogunle, this constitutes a word for hope; a promising future, and the belief that the participants, especially the beneficiaries have a fulfilling life and a happy one.
“We have continuously been supporting children without limb with limb replacement until the beneficiaries reach the age of 18. The initiative has transformed the lives of 100 children, and this year we intend to do 45 limb beneficiaries which forms the largest intake that we ever had in history. We have 50 beneficiaries across the country from the 36 states,” Dr. Demola said.
He added that Stanbic IBTC Education Trust Fund will be providing the sum of N1.5 million per child empowerment with access to quality education.
Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, the First Lady of Lagos State, speaking through a representative, Mrs. Oyindamola Ogunsanwo, expressed her delight with the commitment of Stanbic IBTC Holdings towards the initiative.
She lauded the project for supporting children with limb loss and support through the Educational Trust Fund (ETF) for the past nine years, noting that the physical disability has physical ability.
According to her “The project will go a long way for the children that benefitted from the program and will do something for their family. The initiative is targeting one of the three pillars of the theme’s agenda in providing educational support for young ones and vulnerable children in the society.”
“I am calling on other corporate organisations in supporting the lovable program from the initiative from Stanbic IBTC Holdings to support and create impact to the lives of the sensitive people in the society,” Dr. Sanwo-Olu said.
While giving details of how the beneficiaries were selected, Mr. Ejike Anih, the Managing Director, Ifean Health, said that Stanbic IBTC has achieved milestones through the Together4ALimb project.
He said that as a partner, they reached out to 100 children with prosthetic limbs across the 36 States while 45 new beneficiaries were selected for the ninth edition, aged 3 to 18 years; who have a trust fund to go back to school.
He lauded the Bank’s management and staff for the special Corporate Social Investment (CSI) initiative that touches even the lives of the less-privileged children in the society.
Weert Börner, LL.M, the German Consul General (Nigeria) speaking through Viola Van Look, applauded the initiative which helps to develop the well-being of the children.
He thanked the members, staff, and beneficiaries admonishing the vulnerable “You can walk again. Go back to school.”
Similarly, Bridget Oyefeso-Odusami, Head, Marketing and Communications for Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC said, “We walked on an emotional journey so that the children could fit in the society urging the parents, families, and the communities at large to inculcate positive impact to the lives of those children to be useful to the society.”
