By Joe Dinga Pefok
On July 6, 2007, the Coca-Cola Africa Foundation, through its partner in the country, the Cameroon Red Cross, officially handed over a consignment of medical equipments and material to 10 health institutions in Cameroon.
The representative of the GM of Brasseries du Cameroun(lady), hands over samples of the items being donated to the President of the Cameroon Red Cross
The ceremony took place at one of the centres of Les Brasseries du Cameroun in Douala. Representing the Coca-Cola Company at the occasion was its business partner in Cameroon, Les Brasseries du Cameroon.
The recipients of the equipments and material included the Mamfe General Hospital, the Ngoundere General Hospital (maternity section), as well as some health centres in Limbe, Ndoum, Yaounde, Mpale, Kribi (Grand Batanga), Douala, among others.
The Mamfe Hospital received the largest package, following an appeal it made to the Foundation directly. Unlike the donations for nine of the recipients, which had to be delivered through the Cameroon Red Cross, the package for the Mamfe Hospital was exceptionally handed over directly by the Foundation to the hospital.
The medical equipments and material, which were distributed to the beneficiaries according to their demands to the Foundation, included microscopes, special beds for delivery, machines to carry out radiography, among other items. The medical equipments and material were assembled in the United States for The Coca-Coca Africa Foundation, by an international NGO, Med Share International.
Based in Atlanta, Med Shares International which is a partner of the Foundation in the domain of providing medical equipment and material specializes in gathering and recycling surplus medical and material obtained from American Hospitals and manufacturers for distribution to health centres in developing countries.
For Med Share International to be able to carry out this mission, it receives funds from some donors like The Coca-Coca Africa Foundation. The Foundation had made a donation to the NGO to enable it carry out the assignment of gathering the medical equipments and material for the 10 health centres in Cameroon, as well as those for other African countries.
Humanitarian Spirit
The Marketing Manager of Les Brasseries du Cameroun, Mrs Patricia Berthelot, representing the General Manager, officially handed over the symbolic donations to the President of the Cameroon Red Cross, William Aurélien Eteki Mboumoua.
Mrs. Berthelot noted that the ceremony fell in line with a number of community-oriented projects that the Coca-Cola Company and Les Brasseries du Cameroun have jointly carried out in the country, through The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation. Mrs Berthelot expressed the hope that the equipments and material will serve the purpose for which they were being donated.
Meanwhile, the President of the Cameroon Red Cross, William Eteki Mboumoua, lauded what he qualified as the great humanitarian spirit of the Coca-Cola Company and Les Brasseries du Cameroun. He asserted that the humanitarian spirit is demonstrated in sharing as well as helping the under-privileged in the society.
Eteki noted that the equipment
were quite modern and sophisticated. On behalf of all the health
establishments that received the medical equipments, Eteki Mboumoua
expressed profound gratitude to The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation for the
gesture. In his words, the partnership between The Coca-Cola Africa
Foundation and the Cameroon Red Cross is a perfect model to ameliorate
the health situation in the country.
Free Education For 1710 Girls
Harping on the partnership between Coca-Cola Africa Foundation and the Cameroon Red Cross, Eteki Mboumoua said so much is already being achieved. He disclosed that 1710 young girls in the Grand North will attend primary school for free as from September. The Foundation will sponsor the children for the entire six years of their primary education, he revealed.
According to Eteki Mboumoua, the Coca-Cola Africa Foundation is committed to contribute to the education of the young girls in the rural areas, especially in the Adamawa, East, North and Far North Provinces.
Responsible Citizenship
In an interview granted The Post after the ceremony, the Public Affairs and Communication Manager of the Coca-Cola Company for West and Central Africa, Abou Koné, said the Coca-Cola Foundation was created in February 2001, with headquarters in Swaziland. Koné who also has the duty to monitor the implementation of the projects being carried out by the Foundation in the 11 countries where the Coca-Cola Company is doing business in West and Central Africa, explained that the Foundation has as mission to contribute in addressing some of the major issues impeding socio-economic growth in African countries.
Koné stated that the Coca-Cola Africa Foundation is involved in four main domains, thus, Health, Basic Education, Entrepreneurship and Environment. He also explained that the Foundation, which is managed by a Board of Directors, works through NGOs in the different countries.
As to why the Foundation has the Cameroon Red Cross as partner in Cameroon, the, Koné disclosed that the Foundation did not find a convincing or credible local NGO among those that manifested interest to work with the Foundation as the local partner.
On how the Foundation selects those to give material or financial aids, Koné first of all stated that the groups or institutions apply for all the aids in need. He explained for example that all the 10 health institutions in Cameroon, which benefited from the medical equipments and material had separately applied to the Foundation.
The Foundation upon receiving an application, studies it to see if it falls in line with the criteria laid down by the Foundation for such donations. After diligently carrying out an examination of the appeal, the Foundation thus decides whether to respond or not to the appeal.
Kone also revealed that the Coca-Cola Africa Foundation in collaboration with Les Brasseries du Cameroun, have been engaged in sensitisation campaigns against HIV / AIDS, in the company (Brasseries du Cameroun). He said the Foundation is presently funding a project to expand and modernise the water catchments at Babessi in the Ngoketunjia Division of the Northwest Province.
On how the Foundation raises funds for the donations, Koné said all the branches of the Coca-Cola Company in Africa contribute funds. He explained that the funds are in fact part of the profits the Company makes from its business across the continent.
As to what the Coca-Cola company hopes to gain through the Foundation, Koné was categorical that the Company is not out to gain anything and that the Foundation is not doing marketing. He stated that the company considers itself as a responsible citizen in any country where it does business, and thus also strive to make sacrifices to contribute to the amelioration of life in the society.
"What the Coca-Cola Africa Foundation is doing in the different African countries is in line with our Company's citizenship. It is not marketing. We are in fact giving back to the community part of the profits we make in the country," Abou Koné.
The July 6 occasion, which had the organisational expertise of the renowned Marketing and Communication Agency, McCANN ERICKSON Cameroun, was attended by many personalities among them the Director of Operations of the Coca-Cola Company for Central Africa, Yves Alain Epangue.
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