The unprecedented challenging times we have been confronted has given rise to notable solidarity-based actions from fellow citizens; Jonathan Arsène, CSR Assistant at Fondation Medine Horizons since 2018, is one of these volunteering spirits. In addition to his ongoing coordination and collaboration responsibilities with the NGOs of the foundation’s service catchment area, Jonathan Arsène willingly answered the call for help of Caritas Île Maurice towards the distribution of food not only to vulnerable families but also to those who could not buy supplies prior to the application of national COVID-19 confinement.
On Saturday 29 mars, from 11h30 to 18h00, Jonathan Arsène coordinated, together with a team of 8 volunteers, the distribution of packs of supplies in the region of Beau Bassin, Barkly and Chebel. Based on the list of needy families already registered with Caritas, Jonathan visited these one by one to hand over the packs of basic foodstuff and hygiene products prepared for them.
« It was quite a heavy task, but we managed to carry it out successfully with the cooperation of shops who contributed to the stocks, thereby allowing us to help out a significant number of families. Over the duration of the operation, we have been able to help out some 265 families in the region of Beau Bassin, Barkly and Chebel. It is the more heart-warming to me knowing that all this has also been made possible thanks to the contribution of our Group’s employees too. »
Indeed, the employees of Medine Group also contributed to this operation through their contributions to Caritas Île Maurice, answering the latter’s call for donations during the first week of national confinement imposed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. This is how Fondation Medine Horizons, who had undertaken to double every rupee donated by Medine employees, provided a total amount of Rs 77 200 to Caritas, which funds covered the cost of 128 donation-packs.
As Jonathan points out, that special operation was not the last of his volunteering as he kept on afterwards coordinating other such distributions to support a maximum of vulnerable families. On Wednesday 15 April, Medine Group’s Agriculture Cluster donated an additional 500 kilos of fruits to Caritas Bambous and Jonathan was on site at Medine’s packhouse to pack the fruits into boxes prior to delivery to Caritas Bambous.
Donation of fruits to Sylvina Jean, field coordinator of Caritas Saint Sauveur, Bambous.