In the bid to ease transportation challenge of seafarers, the SIFAX Group has donated a brand new Hyundai H1 Space Bus to the charity organisation.
Speaking on Wednesday at the official handover of the vehicle in Apapa, Lagos, the Executive Director, Business Development and Strategic Planning, SIFAX Group, Mrs. Wunmi Eniola-Jegede, noted the company’s appreciation for the contributions of the Mission to Seafarers to the maritime industry.
She said the organisation provides spiritual and humanitarian services to seafarers, who visit the Nigerian ports.
Eniola-Jegede said the donation was in line with the company’s robust stakeholder engagement strategy, which focuses on the public good of the various sectors the company operates.
“SIFAX Group appreciates the contributions and impact of the Mission to Seafarers, to the maritime industry. Seafarers tend to be lonely and stay far away from relatives and loved ones for a long period of time.”
She added that if the seaferers were not properly managed, they could become counter-productive due to the nature of their work.
Her words, “This loneliness and long period of absence, if not well managed, could be counter-productive and affect performance. We believe the well being of the seafarers is the well being of the maritime industry.
“We are happy your organisation’s several outreaches and other programmes have been able to bridge this gap and give the crew men a sense of belonging. This donation is to support the good work the organisation is doing and to further empower them for better result.”
Also, the Chairman of Mission for Seafarers, Adebayo Sarumi, noted that the agency’s main aim is to reach out to the various needs of seafarers whose ships berth at the Nigerian ports.
“The Mission to Seafarers is a non-governmental organisation with about 300-year-old history.
“Looking at the perils faced by seafarers globally, our aim is to promote their spiritual, moral and physical well-being and that of their families too, irrespective of nationality, race, gender or creed. We lacked vehicle to move us around and we thank SIFAX Group for heeding our call through the donation of this bus. It will go a long way in helping us achieve our objectives,” he said.
Sarumi further appealed to various stakeholders in the maritime industry and beyond to support the organisation, especially in the provision of new infrastructure and facelift of the old ones.
