Ghana’s premier bottled mineral water manufacturer, Voltic (GH) Limited has provided funds to support the basic education of two pupils in the Northern Region for three academic years. The donation of over 8,600 GH Cedis, made through education NGO Futures For Kids (FFK), will cater for the school fees, uniforms, stationery and other needs of the two beneficiaries and the registration of their families under the National Health Insurance Scheme. Futures For Kids has been working in the three Northern Regions of Ghana since 2008. It aims at putting children who otherwise would be engaged in child labour and other forms of menial jobs to support their families in schools. FFK provides the families of each beneficiary with a 75kg of maize or millet as a token of compensation for the contribution of the child to the household income. The NGO has since its inception sponsored many young boys and girls from basic to secondary level education. Corporate Affairs Manager of Voltic (GH) Ltd, Cyrus DeGraft-Johnson who presented the cheque to the NGO in Accra said the focus of the company’s CSI is on the positive transformation and uplifting of communities by supporting education, health and social development. He noted that “We at Voltic strongly believe that Corporate Social Investment (CSI) is about bringing benefits to the communities that we serve. As such, when we talk about CSI, people immediately reflect on the help we give to outside organizations such as schools and hospitals.” “We do it because it helps support the wellbeing of our communities. We don’t expect any financial payback from this gesture,” he stressed, adding that Voltic (GH) Limited strives to ensure that, its work benefits as many people as possible whilst providing stability and security for future generations. “To us, social investment is not an add-on to business activities, but at the heart of how we engage with the communities where our customers, employees, investors and suppliers live. We will continue to complement the work of Governments and other bodies in the various societies in which we do business. Our contributions will be most effective when they concentrate on areas directly related to the impacts of our business on society”, Mr deGraft-Johnson stressed. “Last year our sister company, Accra Brewery provided similar support to FFK,” he recalled. “We deem it necessary to increase our contribution to the good work being done by this NGO. Without their input, many unfortunate children will not be in the classroom, with a bleak future ahead of them.” The Administrator of Futures For Kids, Mrs. Peace Ahiakonu commenting on the gesture, said, “our support to these young persons helps to tide their family over the toughest part of the year and to ensure that the child is not taken out of school. Some of the beneficiaries are located in the Tolon/Kumbungu and West Mamprusi Districts.” “If for nothing at all, Voltic (GH) Ltd by their kind donation will enable us see two kids go through primary and Junior High School over the next three year. We are glad we have been able to build such a strong partnership with Voltic.”