Social Responsibility
2010 was a year of change for Zain due to the sale of its 15 African operations to Bharti Airtel on June 8. Naturally, this had an impact on the Zain Group’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) direction as we had to reorganize our focus in order to align the CSR strategy to the new strategic goals of the organization. As in previous years, CSR remains a central component of the company’s mission as we recognize that at the core of the organization’s activities are the various communities in which we operate. The management dedicated time and effort and engaged in stakeholder dialogue in order to identify the key deficits and needs of the region and how the company can address these needs. Serious consideration was given to the previous CSR initiatives and how they impacted the communities.
After much consideration and evaluation of the pressing issues in the communities in which we operate, we decided to re-shift our strategic thrust for CSR for 2011 to focus on knowledge and education. Education is a key driver for human development as it provides the foundations by which societies can grow and prosper. Knowledge is an enabler and as such is an area in which Zain aspires to contribute.
An active year
In 2010, the Zain Group CSR developed the guidelines by which our operations could formulate and implement CSR initiatives in their individual markets that fall in line with the new strategic direction. It was an active year across all our operations with philanthropy, goodwill and dedication central to all initiatives.
During the Holy Month of Ramadan our operations set up Iftar tents, and launched a regional SMS fund raising campaign in support of the health and educational projects of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) on the occasion of its 60-year anniversary. The agreement represented the first partnership between UNRWA and the private sector and included a six-week media campaign that was broadcast on satellite channels to promote UNRWA’s values and humane works, as well as other projects including a relief fund to provide financial and other assistance to Palestinian refugees.
If you have a request for assistance for a noteworthy cause, contact: csr@zain.com
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