Metro

Tuesday August 11, 2009

Generous Ramadan gesture by two firms

By JADE CHAN


NESTLE (Malaysia) Bhd and GCH Retail Retail (M) Sdn Bhd are joining forces for the “Belanja & Beramal” (Spend and Perform Good Deeds) campaign during this Ramadan period and hope that consumers will open their hearts and be charitable as they shop.

The campaign, which runs from Aug 7 to Sept 3, is aimed at raising funds for the poor while promoting healthier eating habits among consumers.

Shop and be charitable: O’ Carroll (left) and Cruddas marking the launch of the ‘Belanja & Beramal’ campaign.

It will see Nestle and GCH Retail — the owner and operator of Giant hypermarkets and stores in Malaysia — jointly contributing an average of 30sen from the proceeds of selected Nestle products sold at all Giant stores to three organisations.

The two companies will also commit a minimum of RM10,000 each to Al-Khadeem Organisation, a non-profit organisation that deals with orphans, single mothers and the elderly; the Selangor and Federal Territory Association for the Mentally Handicapped, which provides education, training and care for mentally-handicapped children and young adults; and Persatuan Ehsan Wanita & Anak-Anak Kuala Lumpur (Pewanida), an NGO that was established to help poor women and children.

According to Nestle (Malaysia) Bhd managing director Sullivan O’Carroll, the 10 products selected for the campaign come from six brands under the Nestle group.

“These products are Nestle’s top sellers sold at Giant, and some are all-time favourites used for the preparation of Hari Raya cookies like Nestle Cornflakes and Nestle Yogurt Natural Set,” he said.

The other products include Nescafe Classic, Nestum, Nestle Nesvita Omega Plus, Milo Fuze, Nestle Bliss Maggi Recipe Mixes and Maggi Tastylite.

Speaking at the launch of the campaign, O’Carroll said: “We have built the trust among Malaysian consumers for the past 97 years, and many of our brands have become household names.

“We intend to continue our journey to nourish and improve the quality of lives of Malaysians through our nutrition, health and wellness vision over the next few years.”

“We would like to continue to bring value to the local communities that we engage with in fulfilling our social, economic and environmental commitments, and we do this through Creating Shared Value, which is Nestle’s concept of corporate responsibility.

“In Creating Shared Value, we recognise that our success means creating value for everyone we touch — from the farmers who supply our products, to our employees, our consumers and the communities where we operate. It is our duty to help the less fortunate in our society,” he said.

Meanwhile, GCH Retail (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd Food Division merchandising director Ian Cruddas urged shoppers to support the initiative to make it a success.

In addition to the campaign, Nestle will be sharing information and tips on nutrition, health and wellness with all its consumers.

This will include healthy and delicious recipes as well as good eating habits during the month of Ramadan.

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