Zain recently handed over more than US$85,000 to the Nelson Mandela Foundation, an organization focused on various charity initiatives, mainly focused on the plight of children and those living with HIV / AIDS.
What makes the donation noteworthy is that the money was raised only through an SMS campaign on the Zain network. Zain urged its customer s to send the elderly ex-statesman birthday wishes on his 90th birthday, and the overwhelming response enabled the company to make the sizeable donation.
Says Chris Gabriel, CEO of Zain Africa: “This money, raised solely by our loyal customers, is proof that Mr Mandela holds a special place in the hearts of many across Africa.”
The largest response to the campaign came from Tanzania, but customers from Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and many other African countries also contributed to the success of the campaign.
Zain also assisted the Foundation last year, through sponsorship of the Mandela Music Concert at Hyde Park, London, featuring many global celebrities in music, entertainment and sporting disciplines. The musical show, held to commemorate MR. Mandela’s 90th birthday, was broadcast across the world and was seen by more than 1.5 billion, and also raised money for his Foundation’s many charities.
