Janus Continental Group Offers US$ 437,500 Donation to CURE International

Funding will enable the purchase of 80,000 pieces of PPE and medical equipment to meet increased demand in Kenya, Zambia, Uganda and Mozambique.

Health

Janus Continental Group Offers US$ 437,500 Donation to CURE International

Nairobi, 24th August 2020

African conglomerate Janus Continental Group (JCG) has offered a US$ 437,500 donation to CURE International to support efforts to step-up the supply of medical equipment, including PPE, ventilators and PCR machines in Kenya, Zambia, Uganda and Mozambique as they work to manage the spread of coronavirus and continue to carry out their service to the community safely.

$200,000 will be allocated to Mozambique and Zambia with $25,000 and $12,500 to Kenya and Uganda respectively. In total, today’s donation will help purchase 80,000 pieces of PPE, three ventilators and one PCR machine across the four countries.

The money will go to CURE International, an organization selected because of its long history in the region and vast experience running hospitals and working in communities, carrying out corrective surgery on children from needy families.

But for CURE to keep carrying out their valuable work—healing children with treatable conditions through surgical care, and running mobile health clinics—it is vital that they have enough PPE to protect their doctors, nurses and patients.

CURE will also facilitate the transfer of PPE purchased by JCG to the Ministries of Health in Mozambique and Zambia. Having the right equipment available is essential to preventing transmission, and is a vital part of the strategies of every Ministry of Health as they work to contain COVID-19.

Commenting on the partnership, Margaret Mbaka, of JCG said:

In times of crisis, it is often the most marginalized that are forgotten. And it is thanks to organizations like CURE, that those in society who most need a helping hand are not left behind in the coronavirus pandemic, widening pre-existing inequalities. We are honored to partner with an organization that is engaging in such important work.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, CURE International has been at the forefront of providing support and has, over the past, forged various partnerships aimed at mitigating the spread of coronavirus across Africa. Through these partnerships, CURE International has played a role in supporting the extensive efforts by governments and multi-agency task forces to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. This requires a very high level of caution, preparedness and resources.

The donation from JCG will make sure that CURE International has facilities well prepared to take care of the critically sick patients if called upon to. There is also a constant need for extra PPE kits, masks, gloves and all the necessary equipment to ensure that patients seeking health services from CURE hospitals and other government facilities are well protected. Also, healthcare workers who are in great risk of COVID-19 while in the line of duty greatly benefit from the PPE kits.

The PCR machine will also add to the matrix of safe care that CURE International ascribes to; the testing machine will make sure that even with the pandemic, children living with disabilities are not left behind. They continue to receive the much-needed world class services at the CURE hospitals without the worry of COVID-19 infection. CURE will also work to support the bigger healthcare ecosystem in providing testing services.

Commenting on the donation, Peter Kyalo, CURE International Chief of Programs, said:

Children living with disabilities are not the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. But they risk being among the biggest victims. They were already marginalized before this pandemic and COVID-19 has just made it worse for them. How do we expect a child that cannot walk to social distance, how do we expect a girl that has been crawling since birth to wash their hands and sanitize all the time, when they need help to even access any of those hand washing points? I am therefore glad that Janus Continental has seen the plight of these children and chosen to act

JCG, an African multinational comprising market-leading companies in the energy, petroleum, construction, hospitality, and real estate sectors, has a long philanthropic history.

Ms Mbaka further stated:

The WHO is calling for a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to addressing COVID-19. As a responsible business, we are acutely aware of our obligations to the rest of society.

 

Supporting communities has always been one of our defining values, and now is not the time to abandon our tradition of supporting those around us. We see ourselves as having a role to play in minimizing the damage this pandemic inflicts on Africans, and we are doing everything in our power to carry out that task.

 

This donation will ensure that CURE is able to provide the essential PPE and other medical equipment to allow its healthcare operations to operate throughout the COVID pandemic and beyond. This represents part of JCG’s efforts. We are working with partners on the ground across East and Southern Africa to support their brave efforts, ensuring that we, in the private sector, do our part.

This announcement builds on the financial assistance JCG companies have provided in Kenya, Uganda and Mauritius. Specifically, a grant of $200,000 was awarded to Amref Health Africa to support coronavirus testing activities in Kenya in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. In Uganda, five Nissan Double Cabin Pickups were handed over to the COVID-19 taskforce, which are helping transport medical workers and distribute food across Uganda.

This is an illustration of JCG’s sincere and enduring commitment to the countries and communities in which JCG operates. Each business forms close bonds with the people in their operating countries and intends to support those people in good times and bad.

The donations also shows the huge potential of public and private sector partnership, bolstering the efforts of civil society and healthcare institutions. The donation represents a spirit that JCG and CURE International hope will continue, as public and private organizations rally together in the fight against coronavirus in Kenya, Zambia, Mozambique, Uganda and across the globe.

Equipment purchased:

Zambia
● 2 ventilators
● 5,000 face shields
● 10,000 surgical gowns
● 10,000 N-95 masks
● 10,000 masks
● 5,000 gloves

Mozambique
● 5,000 face shields
● 10,000 surgical gown
● 10,000 N-95 masks
● 10,000 masks
● 5,000 gloves

Kenya
● 1 PCR machine

Uganda
● 1 ventilator

For more information, please contact:

JCG:

Kawiria Rincuni
Tel: +254 701 814 857 in Nairobi office hours.
Email: media@januscontinental.com

Oliver Aplin
Tel: +44 7851 55 2441
Email: o.aplin@woodrowcommunications.com

CURE International:

Jackie Ngigi
Tel +254725638001
Email: jackie.ngigi@cureinternational.org

Nelson Muoki
Tel +254729977840
Email: nelson.muoki@cureinternational.org

About Janus Continental Group

Janus Continental Group is an African conglomerate comprising market-leading companies in the energy, hospitality and real estate sectors. It operates in eight countries, has nine brands and over 2,000 employees and supply chain partners, and is considered a true African success story.

The group has a long philanthropic history. We believe that our investment in people and communities serves as a catalyst in unlocking the great potential of the countries where we operate. Our key community focus areas include education, health, community development and the conservation of wildlife and the environment.

About CURE International

CURE International now has a presence in 14 countries around the globe. CURE focuses primarily on treating orthopedic conditions (both acquired and congenital) as well as plastics and reconstruction such as burn contractures, cleft-lip/cleft-palate, and neurological conditions such as hydrocephalus and spina bifida.

CURE is also very active in training local healthcare practitioners, from nurses and physical therapists to anesthesiologists and surgeons through our training and residency programs. Responding to Jesus’ example of healing the sick and proclaiming the kingdom of God, CURE champions the cause of children in underserved countries whose physical disabilities can be corrected or alleviated through medical and surgical intervention. Our teaching hospitals and pediatric specialty programs currently reach 29 countries