Sahara Group Backs Mercy Ships’ Saving Lives Initiative

By Dipo Olowookere

In keeping with its resolve to give “wings to aspirations” across the globe, Sahara Group, a leading International Energy and Infrastructure Conglomerate, joined Mercy Ships and other global partners to celebrate the Cargo Day 2018 in Geneva on May 17, 2018.

The Cargo Day is an initiative of Mercy Ships, a corporate responsibility organization that works with host nations to help fill the gaps in healthcare systems while serving the dire and immediate needs of their population. Observed in several countries,

Cargo Day is set aside to celebrate the partnership between Mercy Ships, shipping and trading communities in the pursuit of facilitating access to quality healthcare, especially in the remote and rural areas of Africa.

Sahara Group’s affiliate in Geneva, Sahara Energy International Pte Limited, is one of the key partners of Mercy Ships and leading trading companies in Geneva. The company is also involved in other initiatives that are geared towards promoting enterprise, environmental protection, economic empowerment and transparency in business.

Since 1978, Mercy Ships has provided services and materials in developing nations valued at over $1 billion impacting more than 2.5 million direct beneficiaries, through 587 port visits.

Sahara Energy’s Chief Executive Officer, Valery Guillebon, said the company was delighted about its partnership with Mercy Ships and the impact of the Cargo Day on the quest to make quality healthcare available to underserved and indigent populations in Africa.

“At Sahara Group, we are passionate about empowering lives and providing platforms to help people overcome challenges in order to live their dreams. We continue to do this at our locations across the globe and we remain committed to supporting the Cargo Day project.”

Guillebon added:” Our partnership with Mercy Ships is quite special and we derive so much pleasure from seeing smiles on the faces of beneficiaries and hope restored to many beneficiaries with serious medical and surgical challenges. We salute the leadership of Mercy Ships, other partners and pledge Sahara’s willingness to support the organizations similar life transforming initiatives in Geneva and beyond.”

Speaking on its partnership with Sahara Energy, René Lehmann, Managing Director of Mercy Ships Switzerland said: “From the very beginning of the Mercy Ships Cargo Day initiative, Sahara Energy understood the value and the potential of their support. Not only did they contribute financially, but also with resources made available to the Mercy Ships Cargo Day Committee, they actively networked and engaged their partners in order to make the initiative a success this year and the years to come. We look forward to much more lives changed together!”

Sahara Group’s Corporate Citizenship activities are driven by Sahara Foundation. The Foundation has a notable pedigree of implementing sustainable interventions in education, health, capacity building, environmental protection, youth empowerment, and extrapreneurship in over 20 countries where it operates, across five sub-continental regions.

Sahara Group plays a global role in the pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a member of the United Nation’s SDG Fund Private Sector Advisory Board. The Group is also a member of the World Economic Forum Partnering Against Corruption Initiative (PACI).