Corporate Social Responsibility and Investment
As we celebrate 30 years of the existence of the Alliance Group, we continued to recognise and appreciate the symbiotic relationship that the business has with the Basotho community.This recognition is manifested in our vision of investing and promoting sustainable social and economic development in the communities within which we operate. Our CSI strategy is anchored by three pillars which drive focus for the group. These are Health, Social welfare, Sport and supported by commitment to support our employee volunteerism efforts.
During these 30 years of service, Alliance engaged in various CSR Iinitiatives in line with our motto, “Always there for Basotho”. In 2023, we recognised the challenges of access to quality education that befall some of our communities. These challenges ranged from provision of conducive learning environments to learner health. They informed the investments detailed below:
- Creating a conducive environment for children to learn at Kelebone Primary School
A shortage of classrooms and teachers lead to untenable classroom congestion which undermined both the teachers’ ability to impart knowledge and the learners’ reception of knowledge. We are proud to have assisted to alleviate this dire situation by investing in two fully equipped classrooms at the Kelebone Primary School, including the teachers’ office.
- Acccess to basic education through the Sepheo Foundation
Sepheo Foundation is a non-government organisation situated in Motimposo Maseru. The foundation strives to rehabilitate street children with their families, as well as providing a safe environment for the to learn whilst fostering them to become responsible members of their respective communities and future citizens. Alliance invested in the construction of additional classrooms and ablution facilities. These classrooms will increase the capacity of the foundation, thereby increasing its reach.
- Combating malnutrition with Fortified Mealie Meal
With His Majesty being nominated as the Nutrition Champion for African Union, a serious spotlight was shone on the dire situation of malnutrition and stunted growth in Lesotho. Hunger and malnutrition have been noted to compromise school enrollment, regular attendance, and learning, especially in primary school-aged children and adolescent girls..
Alliance with the assistance of the Rotary Club,procured and delivered fortified meals to Baylor Foundation Lesotho. Baylor Foundation is a non-profit organisation that takes care of sick children in five districts of Lesotho where they operate. They focus on treating malnutrition and other related opportunistic illnesses that affect the health and growth in young children and teenage mothers.
Through this initiative, Alliance was able to procure 3000 mealie meal bags. Not only did the commodity address the problem of malnutrition, it also addressed food insecurity and good adherence to medication. According to the office of the Prime Minister, “Alliance is one of the first corporate companies in the country to pay attention to the scourge of malnutrition.”
Children aged 4 – 20 were eligible to receive the package, and distribution was made to 6 districts government hospitals, including Makoanyane Military hospital, as well as the vulnerable homes such as Sepheo, St Margaret, God’s Love, SOS Children’s home, St Cecilia and Lesotho Correctional Services.
Cycling for charity through Tour De Frontline (TDF)
This initiative supported a group of Southern African cyclists who raised money for charity as they cycled through Lesotho’s tough terrains, for the benefit of Basotho. These cyclists support other Southern African countries including South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Eswatini amongst others. In 2023, the supported homes were Semonkong Children’s home and Matholeng children’s centre in Mafeteng. The event was sponsored under Alliance Insurance Company as part of their initiatives to plough back to the communities and in support of their business partners.
It is said that virtue is its own reward. All the efforts that Alliance has extended to our communities in the past years including the tormenting years of Covid-19 pandemic, have on their own been fulfilling. Moreover, they have been recognized and this is evidenced by Alliance being ranked 1st for ‘most admired Financial Services Brand” on Brand Africa 100, for four years in a row.
As we move forward
As we move forward, we remain caring by continuing to plough back to the development of the country through sustainable initiatives that build beyond today. We believe that our business is not just insurance, its about the lasting impact we make on the communities we serve. We thank Basotho for making us who we are 30 years later, and we remain fully committed to always being there for them, like they are for us.
