‘The Nigerian child central in Indomie CSR drive’

A few years ago, in the city of Kano, something rather exceptional happened when a huge fire engulfed the residence of the Khalil family. Within a very short while, the entire house was up in huge flames. While other members of the family were able to scurry from the burning house to safety, unfortunately, their little girl was not so lucky. In the midst of the panic that ensued, she was trapped in the inferno with absolutely no hope of escape.

Discovering their little girl was still in the burning house, the family from a distance, watched in despair and were grief-stricken as the fire raged on. All hope was lost… or so it seemed. In an instant, before anyone could restrain him, Khalil Bala whose baby sister was the little girl stuck in the inferno, made a dash to the burning house in an attempt to rescue his beloved sister.

Amid the huge fire and choking smoke, Khalil heard the screams of his sister and courageously fought his way into the room where she was. Using his body as a shield to protect her from the fire, Khalil led her out safely much to the amazement of those who were present. While his sister escaped almost unhurt, Khalil was not so lucky. He sustained third-degree burns on his right leg. Khalil was only 13 years old at the time.

In 2006, Terkimbir Chia from Benue State, at great personal risk, rescued five out of the 18 people aboard the ill-fated Dornier 228 military aircraft carrying senior army officers which crashed at Vandekiya in Benue State. Terkimbir was just 15 years old at the time.

Ajila Wehbe from Lagos State did the unthinkable when her aunt who was pregnant went into labour. Ajila was the only one at home with her aunt at the time. It was an emergency that could have frightened or thrown her into panic, which could have been fatal.

In the absence of any medical personnel or assistance, Ajila put up an unexpected act of bravery as she acted as the midwife in the safe delivery of the baby. At the time, Ajila was only 10 years old.

Ajila, Terkimbir and Khalil are not alone in these acts of heroism exhibited by minors. In Ebonyi State, Njoku Chigbo took it upon himself to rescue a woman from drowning when the boat carrying her and the paddler capsized. He went further to retrieve all the properties which had sunk into the river. Njoku was only 14 years old.

The story of Mohammed Kenubu from Kano is quite remarkable. In the wake of the stampede that ensued after the Sabon Gari Park bomb blast in Kano, Mohammed did the extraordinary. A baby had fallen off its mother’s back while she tried to flee the blast scene. Mohammed, who was also scampering for safety, saw the baby and quickly picked her up to a safe place before she was trampled on. He tended to the baby until he was able to locate the baby’s mother days after. Mohammed was only 7 years old at the time.

These true-life stories represent just a few of the many heroic acts that have been exhibited by young Nigerian children across all parts of the country. In most cases, these acts usually go unnoticed and the true child heroes unappreciated. Indomie, foremost noodles brand, feels this shouldn’t be so. Some years ago, Indomie took it upon itself as a corporate entity to ensure that children who have achieved certain feats or have displayed certain level of bravery and heroism in the midst of grave challenges are duly recognised.

Identifying and rewarding such acts of bravery and heroism have come to form the core of Indomie’s corporate social responsibility, which is expressed through its Indomie Independence Day Award for Heroes (IIDA) initiative. So far, through the IIDA initiative Khalil Bala, Terkimbir Chia, Ajila Wehbe and 18 others have been rewarded with scholarship awards ranging from N1 million, N750,000 and N500,000.

Instituted in 2008, the Indomie Independence Day Award for Heroes of Nigeria is geared towards the recognition of children 15 years and below who have against all odds exhibited extraordinary acts of heroism and bravery in the face of danger or other daunting societal challenges capable of harming them. The award extols the exemplary accomplishments of children who have shown courage and determination in situations that ordinarily would bring fear.

At this year’s media briefing to kick-off the eight edition of the IIDA initiative, Deepak Singhal, managing director, Dufil Prima Foods plc, represented by Tope Ashiwaju, public relations/events manager, said “the initiative is significant because it is rooted in the recognition of those whose best efforts are very often overlooked.”

He said: “On a daily basis, our beloved Nigerian children perform thousands of heroic acts that save the lives and property of others at great personal risk to themselves. But the reality is that such acts of bravery often go unsung because the players involved are minors.

“Hence, our belief that they need to be identified and celebrated publicly in other to encourage and inspire more selfless acts in these children, who would tomorrow hold various leadership positions in the country.”

Dufil has sustained the IIDA initiative over the years owing to the company’s commitment to continuously impact positively on the lives of consumers most importantly the children who represent the future, he said, saying “the joy we feel in giving back to the society as a responsible corporate citizen brings our founding principles to life. It is a moral obligation we are fully committed to. The Indomie Independence Day Award for Heroes of Nigeria initiative is in consonance with the core values and deep rooted belief of our company and the brand (Indomie) that every child indeed possesses an innate ability to achieve greatness.”

Speaking on the selection process, Tola Bademosi, managing director, BD Consult Limited, explained that all entries would be scrutinised by a screening committee who will later provide a shortlisted selection for consideration by a panel of judges. In order to get deserving individuals for the award, an independent research organisation has been commissioned to further screen and confirm the authenticity of the shortlisted entries, he said.

Notable Nigerians will be shortlisted as judges for this year’s event and their names will be made known to the public at a later date, he said, saying that at the end of the judging process, a final selection of three best acts from the available entries will be adjudged based on certain criteria that include demonstration of exceptional courage, leadership, excellence, skills displayed, bearing in mind the degree of risk involved, the determination to conduct the act, the future goals and likely impact on society, and whether it’s an inspirational role model for children, among others.

Each recipient (First, Second and Third) of the award will get a scholarship valued at N1,000,000.00, N750,000.00 and N500,000.00, respectively.

The Indomie CSR activity is not only deepening and entrenching its brand in the competitive noodles but it is further enriching its customer satisfaction and engagement, which are driving niches for marketing. CSR, customer satisfaction and engagement are now critical more than ever.

Apart from enjoying the first mover advantage, Indomie is winning the game as it constantly engages with its target audience.

According to a marketing analyst, “being at par in terms of price and quality only gets you in the game; service wins the game.” IIDA is an exceptional CSR activity for unsung children.