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CSR Stories: Breakfast meeting at Villa Rosa Kempinski

CSR Stories series #1

Past Event

With our CSR stories, our members learned from impactful case studies, interacted with inspirational leaders, shared experiences, and exchanged best practices.

The French Chamber of Commerce launched the inaugural event of the CSR Stories series in collaboration with renowned multinational companies: L'Oréal East Africa, Lifecare International, and CMA CGM.

CSR Stories provides a platform for sharing insights, experiences, and innovative ideas related to CSR initiatives. The breakfast meeting offered a valuable opportunity for over 50 attendees to participate in meaningful discussions, connect with like-minded professionals, and explore practical strategies for incorporating CSR into their corporate culture.

This empowering and inspiring discussion highlighted each CSR initiative, proving that it can start from scratch regardless of a company's size.

A big thank you goes to our three inspiring guest speakers who shared their companies' CSR stories through concrete corporate case studies.

• Enid Kirui, Public Affairs Manager, and Yassine Bakkari, Managing Director, L'Oréal East Africa
• Alniz Popat, Founder & CEO, Lifecare International
• Esther Ngeno, Human Resources Director, and Rasmus B. TEILMANN, Director Customer Care & Strategic Projects East Africa Cluster, CMA CGM.

Key Highlights of the event:

The goal of CSR initiatives is to integrate and balance economic, environmental, and social imperatives, promoting sustainable development and enhancing performance and brand reputation. Here are some insights into the CSR initiatives of L'Oréal East Africa, Lifecare International, and CMA CGM.

🔹About L’Oréal’s commitment to implementing positive change:

L'Oréal is the world’s largest cosmetics company, and most probably the largest women empowerment company as well! Their CSR strategy is built upon three pillars:

• Transformation

• Empowerment

• Contribution

One of their notable initiatives is the "L’Oréal For the Future" program, which is a partnership with the UNHCR. This program focuses on education, inclusion, and integrity in society, offering a certified training program in hairdressing and makeup. The beneficiaries of this program are women in Kakuma and young Kenyan individuals living with Albinism. 

L’Oréal's CSR strategy focuses on transforming themselves, empowering their business ecosystem, and contributing to solving global challenges. Their actions include fighting climate change, building inclusivity, supporting vulnerable women, and promoting a circular economy.
 

🔹Lifecare International is committed to making positive changes through:

Lifecare International, a global insurance broker focused on people has created a foundation to help and provide care. Their CSR strategy is upon on three pillars:

• Care and Assistance

• Sustainability and Continuous Improvement

• Collaboration and Engagement  

One of their notable initiatives that is anchored into their company culture is their Mara program. The company's Mara program involves building camps in 2014 and 2018 to provide free medical services to the Maasai community. They offer consultations, check-ups, and life-saving treatments, including surgeries. Additionally, the company has set up telehealth services for ongoing support. These actions bring meaning and motivation to employees and are accomplished through budget allocation, volunteering, donations, and sponsorships. Other companies are invited to witness and participate in these impactful initiatives.

Lifecare International's vision is "Even if you start small, you will see the initiative grow". They believe that even small CSR projects can make a difference and have the potential to grow over time, creating lasting impact. 

🔹CMA CGM is committed to making positive changes through their impactful projects:

CMA CGM, a leading worldwide shipping group operating in over 160 countries and committed to contribute to sustainable globalization through better balanced international trade. Their Sustainable Strategy aligns with 3 pillars:

• Acting for people

• Acting for the planet

• Acting for fair trade

One of their notable initiatives is their 12-month project to rehabilitate a mangrove swamp, including cleaning up and managing plastic waste, as well as restoring carbon to the area by planting and maintaining 3,000 seedlings.

CMA CGM's commitment to the environment is reflected in these actions, as the speakers said, “It’s time to react and bring solutions to the problems we have created”.
 

The event concluded with a panel discussion moderated by our Executive Director, Laure PAUGAM, followed by a Q&A session with the speakers. During the session, they delved into topics such as ESG communication, government engagement, measuring the effectiveness and success of CSR programs, and the key performance indicators utilized.

A big thank you to our member hotel Villa Rosa Kempinski for hosting us and to all in attendance!