Stanbic IBTC Holdings, a member of Standard Bank Group, over the weekend, held the ninth edition of Together4ALimb Walk, its flagship Corporate Social Investment (CSI) initiative that supports children with limb loss.
The ninth edition of Stanbic IBTC Holdings’ Together4ALimb Walk held at IBTC Head Office, Walter Carrington, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria, witnessed massive participation including Dr. Demola Sogunle, executive director, Stanbic IBTC Holdings; Wole Adeniyi, chief executive, Stanbic IBTC Bank; Nike Bajomo, executive director, Business Development, Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers; Kola Lawal, chief risk officer, Stanbic IBTC Holdings; Olu Delano, executive director, Consumer and High Network Clients, Stanbic IBTC Bank; Charles Omoira, chief executive officer, Stanbic IBTC Trustees; Ezinne Anosike, country head and culture, Stanbic IBTC Holdings, amongst others.
The 9th Together4ALimb event started with a workout which includes the top management officials of the bank, members of staff, the children with limb loss and partner organisations.
Addressing the large gathering, Dr. Demola Sogunle, the Executive Director, Stanbic IBTC Holdings, said that since the commencement of the program it has become very important and key aspect of the bank.
According to Dr Sogunle, this constitutes a word for hope; a promising future and believe 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 form 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 limbs 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 on 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 programme 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 account 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 commended 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, staffs and the beneficiaries admonishing the vulnerable “You can walk again. Go back to school”.
On her part, Bridget Oyefeso-Odusami, Head, Marketing and Communications for Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC said, “we walked on an emotionally 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 in order to be useful to the society”.
