Cornerstone Insurance expands CSR to cover school safety

Concerned that the safety of children of school age is important for the growth and development of the society, underwriting firm, Cornerstone Insurance plc, has taken its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) project to schools targeted at educating and protecting them against road hazards.

The underwriting firm believes that the risk exposure to school children on our roads when going to school or returning home makes them highly vulnerable to road accidents, hence the need to make them aware of these risks.

Besides, since the children form the future of any society, teaching them safety tips at the early stage of their lives helps them imbibe positive practices on road use, as they grow up as citizens.

This was the high point of a partnership between Cornerstone Insurance plc and Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) that resulted to flagging off of a campaign tagged “Safe Route to School” launched in Lagos weekend.

In 2013, it would be recalled that Cornerstone Insurance started a partnership with FRSC on safety awareness for motorists and commercial bus drivers in major motor parts in Lagos, which report said contributed to lower number of road crashes in 2013 over 2012 figure.

Yinka Adeoya, general manager, Cornerstone, who represented the managing director, said “We are turning our attention to an important segment of the society, and that is the school children. The kids are the most vulnerable member of the society and a number of them walk to school every day under challenging circumstances.

According to her, account has it that at least a child gets knocked down everyday en-route to school by unwary driver, while the same account also has it that at least 80 percent of children related casualties can be linked to lack of adequate safety road signs and recklessness of drivers.

“This is what informed this CSR campaign”, Adeoya said, adding that “From today into the next few months, we would be activating scores of schools across Lagos State and the plan is to put in place illuminated safety signs and zebra crossing markings with on the spot safety sensitisation on use of these facilities.

She said Cornerstone is deeply concerned about the environment and the community, and so has continued to drive its constant pursuit for innovative ways that respond to societal challenges.

“We have developed a sustainable CSR framework that thrives on partnership with broad range of stakeholders to intervene where the need is great and this is in addition to our philanthropic giving as well as social investment in communities.”

John Meheux, acting zonal commanding officer, FRSC, said the CSR initiative was a five-year project which started last year with the objective of carrying the messages of road safety through motor parks, media advocacy and handbills with series of road shows.

Modestus Anaesoronye