Vulnerable Communities Receive Food Donation from Yogi Steels Ltd

Uganda leading Buikwe -based Steel Manufacturer, Yogi Steels Ltd has donated food aid worth millions of shillings including maize flour and Sugar to more than 2,000 families in Wakisi Division, Njeru Municipality.

The food aid was distributed on Saturday to families hit by the current economic hardship, particularly in the wake of the rising cost of living marked by high prices of food, fuel and other household essentials.

Liz Mbieza, the Human Resource Manager at Yogi Steels Ltd explained that they decided to contribute towards supporting the communities after realizing the surging cases of hunger and poverty due to prices of food that significantly increased, and in some cases doubled, since the start of the year.

The food aid to Wakisi Communities is a partnership between Yogi Steels and Local leaders .It also aims to unite the Wakisi residents and the Factory through the Yogi’s Social Corporate Responsibility (SCR).

“This is an effort to help our community of people in Wakisi hit by economic hardships. This won’t only stop in delivering aid but also improving their health standards by providing medical camps among other services we have earmarked as Yogi Steels,” said Mbeiza.

Mbeiza said that though the food aid is not enough, it could help the affected people prepare a meal to enable them to get some body strength.

“We believe everyone has a right to a life free of poverty and hunger. Having food is a right of every human being and therefore in doing this, we are trying to contribute to having a secure and more reasonable society,” she said.

These efforts, Mbeiza said, were out of Yogi's belief in good neighborliness and responsible corporate citizenship with stakeholders and the community at large.

She was quick to add that though the company was focused on promoting employment, they were also aware that to be well to work, residents must be well fed and healthy.

“I appeal to all stakeholders including our government and other nongovernmental organizations to come up and assist our people in need in most of the villages which are badly affected,” she added.

Speaking to our reporter, Mbasiale Abdu, the LCI for Malindi Village where the Factory is located and among the beneficiaries said he was happy that his community was benefiting from the relief aid adding that the situation in the Division is currently alarming.

“The food insecurity and malnutrition problems in Wakisi keep getting worse each passing day as poverty  takes its toll on the Division”, he said.

According to him many parents, especially men, have either abandoned or neglected their families due to poverty in the area which leaves women in a vast struggle to fight for survival.

Bwire Micheal, the Chairperson for Wakisi Division appealed to well-wishers and organizations to continue supporting the affected communities, especially with food aid and hailed Yogi for leading the campaign to empower communities.

“People are not lazy but the economic situation has often betrayed them, leaving some starving. My people either get meals by chance or nothing at all,” Bwire stated.

“We are very grateful that Yogi Steels could come in and hold hands with us and we thank them so much for what they have done”, Bwire added.

As has been the norm, Yogi Steels Ltd has over years engaged in charity activities including donating food items, blood donation and medical camps around Njeru Municipality.

During the fight against COVID-19, the company donated over Shs 250M to help the government fight pandemic. It has in recent years since its establishment engaged in social corporate responsibility including funding educational programs, monthly medical camps among other community related charities.

 About Yogi Steels Ltd

Established in 2012, Yogi Steels has grown into one of the finest and most reliable steel manufacturing companies in Uganda and East Africa, with an annual steel production capacity of over 51,000 metric tonnes per annum (mtpa).

With its products including ;TMT Steels Bars, Round Bar, T Bar, Angles ,Nails, Steel Flat Bar, Binding Wires, Z Angles among others recognized as one of East Africa’s most geographically-diversified steel products supplied in all Kenya, Rwanda, DRC Congo, Burundi, Southern Sudan and Uganda, the group of has developed into a conglomerate of companies.