2020 CSR Activities
We ran two social action projects in Kenya in July supporting farmers and communities whose livelihoods and health and safety have been highly impacted by COVID-19! We have donated personal protective equipment to a local hospital. We have also bought produces from smallholder farmers whose livelihoods have been at risk and donated these to those facing food insecurity.
One of our sustainable commitments as Syngenta is to enhance social engagement with our farmers and communities in which we live and interact with. This knowledge is what inspired the team in Kenya to reach out and support vulnerable communities that have been affected by the pandemic.
Four months in, since the first Coronavirus case in Kenya, the country has experienced a very volatile economy. Jobs have been lost, the state of health is uncertain and the supply and demand for food in the country has largely been impacted.
Social responsibility as an important obligation for the team in Kenya. Every year, Contributions are made to support vulnerable communities. This year would be no different. Despite the current unprecedented period, the team once again came together and made donations that would support farmers and communities who are struggling to access markets for their produce due to the lockdown that had been imposed country-wide, as well as communities that are struggling to sustain themselves during this period.
The donations were in two series as below:
1. Hospital Donation:
As COVID-19 cases surge, medical facilities have been put to test on their capacities and agility to accommodate and serve patients. The most affected hospitals are those that are located in vulnerable areas; either with high infected areas or those located in low-income areas.
The team identified and agreed to support St Mary’s Lang’ata Mission hospital; a fully-funded hospital that focuses on providing affordable healthcare located in one of the hardest-hit areas in Nairobi, Kenya’s Capital city. We supported by donating PPEs, cleaning detergents and disinfectants among patients care packs.
“I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude on behalf of the hospital for your kind donation to our facility. The donated items were timely at this pandemic and will go a long way in supporting our staff towards complying with the set guidelines and providing care without fear of infection” stated Dr. Carren A. Owuor the CEO and Medical Director at St. Mary’s Mission Hospital.
2. Buy and Donate initiative:
In an effort to support Syngenta farmers, and with the reality that markets would be affected due to the lockdown of major cities in the country, the team, through the buy and donate initiative, set out to purchase farm products from identified struggling farmers in the five sales regions and donated these to needy communities and facilities within the same regions. These communities included children's homes, homes for the aged and even families that have been displaced due to the recent floods experienced in the country.
