To help cushion the effects, on residents of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), of movement restriction over COVID-19, an Indian firm based in Abuja, Tulsi Chanrai Foundation (TCF), has donated thousands of cartons of Indomie noodles for the vulnerable in society. The firm’s move is in support of government’s palliative measures.
Minister of State, FCT, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, received the items from Chief Executive Officer of TCF, Mr. Shravan Kumar, on Thursday in the premises of FCT Administration (FCTA). Presenting the materials which were conveyed in a truck, Kumar revealed that during this difficult phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, the firm decided to join hands with the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, in partnership with FCTA, to specially support those at the bottom of the rung who are mostly affected by the lockdown in the nation’s capital.
Kumar added that the firm under the leadership of its Chairman and global philanthropist, Mr. Jagdish Chanrai, has developed a support package to ensure efficient, effective and impactful response to the coronavirus pandemic, stressing that the support packs would be distributed with the support of FCTA’s personnel. He stated: “Controlling the COVID-19 pandemic is a mammoth task and involves some painful decisions. Tulsi Chanrai Foundation is doing its bit to support the nation at this time of great need and offered help to the FCT Administration to succeed in fighting back the threat of the coronavirus pandemic.
“While the need to fight the pandemic are in many areas, we at TCF are supporting food distribution, increasing awareness via printed handouts on how to control the spread of the disease and providing medicated soap to vulnerable households adversely affected by the measures instituted to control further spread of the pandemic in and around the Federal Capital Territory.” He also revealed that each carton of Indomie noodle contains a pack of milk and soap, adding that these interventions are critical change agents as they give the vulnerable a sense of self-control over their lives.
Receiving the items on behalf of FCTA, Dr. Aliyu, noted that with several decades of service, TCF has demonstrated social responsibility to Nigeria’s populace, especially in areas of primary healthcare, safe drinking water and eye care services. Aliyu assured that the support in the fight against COVID-19 response in the nation’s capital will not be forgotten in a hurry, just as she further assured that the items will be taken to vulnerable households in rural communities.
Thanking the organization for the kind gesture, she called on other corporate bodies to do same as government was doing everything possible to overcome the situation. A press release later made available to Abuja Digest Weekly by TCF Director of Marketing, Mr. Sanjay Upadhyaya, said ”packages made out to be given to a selected population to meet their needs for a week totaled 40,000 packets of Indomie, 20,000 sachets of Dano milk powder and some 1000 units of Savlon medicated soap.”
The Chanrai family is one of the most successful and respected business houses in Nigeria for more than 10 decades. With a strong belief in ‘Caring Capitalism’ and with the intention of giving back to society, the Chanrai family established TCF in 1992 with a vision that “every Nigerian should have access to quality primary health care, safe drinking water and eye care.”