As part of its corporate social responsibility, SIFAX Group, a conglomerate with investment in Maritime, Aviation, Oil & Gas, Haulage & Logistics, Financial Services and Hospitality, has donated a brand new Hyundai H1 Space Bus to a charity organization, Mission to Seafarers.
The charity organization provides spiritual and humanitarian services to seafarers who call the Nigerian ports.
Speaking at the official handover of the vehicle in Apapa, Lagos, Mrs. Wunmi Eniola-Jegede, Executive Director, Business Development and Strategic Planning, SIFAX Group, said the donation was in line with the company’s robust stakeholder engagement strategy which focuses on the public good of the various sectors the company operates.
She said: “SIFAX Group appreciates the contributions and impacts of the Mission to Seafarers to the maritime industry. Seafarers tend to be lonely and be far away from relatives and loved ones for a long period of time. This loneliness and long period of absence, if not well managed, could be counterproductive and affect performance. We believe the wellbeing of the seafarers is the wellbeing of the maritime industry.
“We are happy your organisation’s several outreaches and other programmes have been able to bridge this gap and give the crew men a sense of belonging. This donation is to support the good work the organization is doing and to further empower for better result.
On his own part, Chief Adebayo Sarumi, Chairman, The Mission to Seafarers, noted that the agency’s main aim is to reach out to the various needs of seafarers whose ships berth at the Nigerian ports.
He said: “The Mission to Seafarers is a non-governmental organisation with about 300-year-old history. Looking at the dangers and perils faced by seafarers globally, our aim is to promote their spiritual, moral and physical well-being and that of their families too irrespective of nationality, race, gender or creed. We have lacked vehicle to move us around and we thank SIFAX Group for heeding to our call through the donation of this bus. It will go a long way in helping us achieve our objectives.”
Sarumi further appealed to various stakeholders in the maritime industry and beyond to support the organization, especially in the provision of new infrastructure and facelift of the old ones.