L'Oreal marks 10 years of Citizen's Day - An interview with Mr. Sekou Coulibaly, MD, L'Oreal.
Why is CSR important to L’Oréal West Africa, largely recognized as a beauty focused company?
L’Oréal is a beauty company that seeks to share beauty with all. In sharing beauty, we seek to give back to the communities within which we operate and a way to give back is through our CSR projects.
2. What is Citizen’s Day and how much impact has L’Oréalhad after 10 years of Citizen’s Day?
– L’Oreal Citizen Day is a day of community volunteering that allows all employees to devote a full day of work time to bringing their skills and energy to social and environmental organisations or NGOs.
Created in 2010, this annual volunteering day has enabled employees from nearly 65 countries to offer more than one million cumulative volunteer hours to hundreds of non-profit organisations and their beneficiaries. Every year, nearly 30,000 employees take part in the various solidarity initiatives proposed during Citizen Day. This initiative demonstrates each year the outstanding commitment and solidarity of our employees with local communities and the world around us
3. What other organizations has L’Oréal West Africa supported for Citizen’s Day?
Over the years, L’Oréal West Africa staff in Ghana have marked Citizen’s Day by undertaking initiatives such as the building and refurbishment of the Hair Academy at the Demonstration School for the Deaf, Akuapim-Mampong, the refurbishment of the ICT centre at the Marteytsuru Presby Basic School in the Spintex community, economic empowerment for women with physical challenges in collaboration with the Ghana Federation for the Disabled, building a multipurpose unit for nursing mothers at the Abokobi Government hospital, provision of dustbins and clean-up of plastic waste of La- Beach as well as donations of various products from brands in the L’Oréal Group.
4. What factors informed the organisation’s decision to choose Tetteh Ocloo special school for the hearing impaired?
- Every year, the L’Oreal Group chooses arears of engagement. These includes but not limited to; Environment, Disability, Fight against exclusion, Intergenerational solidarity and Acting for employment. This year we focused on disability and hunted for a project with the disabled within our community. Tetteh OclooState School for the Deaf fitted within our engagement guidelines for the year.
5. Beyond Citizens Day, will the organisation be assisting the school in other capacities?
Yes, as we have done for Hair Academy at the Demonstration School for the Deaf,Akuapim-Mampong. We give continuous support to the projects we have undertaken. Especially for the Hair Academy, we support them with technical skills where our Educator has sessions to teach the vocational staff on modern trends in hair care.
6. How does Citizen’s Day impact other communities where L’Oréal has offices?
Globally, each subsidiary engages their communities within the areas mentioned. The impact among the communities are widespread and can be attributed to the specific project being undertaken. For example, our cleaning of plastics and provision of trash bins at the La pleasure beach would have a nationwide impact.
7. How will this initiative impact your community in the next five years?
Cumulatively, I believe the different projects we have undertaken and are yet to embark on will have a positive impact on the beneficiary communities and on the wider populace. Be it human development or provision of facilities for the vulnerable in our society.
