Procter & Gamble awarded for its development projects in Africa

By Phil Mwembi

Multinational consumer goods firm, Procter & Gamble (P&G) has been awarded by African Business Leadership Magazine for its commitment to development and social investments in Africa. The award which was presented during the US – Africa summit put spotlight on companies and business professionals who have impacted society and used their business portfolios to touch humanity.

P&G Vice President, South Africa and African Expansion Markets, Mr. Stanislav Vecera, on receiving the award said the company’s clean safe drinking water (CSDW) social programme had touched over 50 million children across 17 countries in Africa.

“We intend to double this number in the coming few years into 40 African countries. However, we need the support of other organizations and governments to scale up the number of people that will benefit from the programme and this forum has provided an excellent opportunity for us,” he added.

Allison Tummon-Kamphuis, Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program (CSDW) Leader (right) demonstrates how the P&G Purifier of Water packets work during the annual African business leadership awards.

Since its inception in 2004, CSDW has worked with a global network of more than 140 advocacy and implementation partners to help save an estimated 39,000 lives by providing clean drinking water during emergencies and in sustained community programs.

In other programmes, P&G has been reaching out to over two millions of new mothers with essential baby care education and its Pampers mobile clinics program helps in supplementing basic health checks for these mothers. In addition, over two million girls in sub-Sahara Africa have also benefited from the Always Keeping Girls in Schools puberty and hygiene education programs.

During the US-Africa summit, P&G announced that it will also invest $300 million on a new manufacturing plant in Lagos, Nigeria to spur job growth in the country and other countries where the company operates affirming its long commitment to Africa and its development.