Kenya’s telco giant Safaricom has joined the Valuable 500, a movement that brings together CEOs responsible for huge organisations to put disability inclusion on the global business leadership agenda.
The company becomes the first in Kenya and fourth in Africa to join the movement that calls on influential business leaders and their brands to ignite systemic change by unlocking the business, social and economic value of the 1.3 billion people with disabilities around the world.
Over 250 companies across 26 countries globally are now part of the campaign that was launched at the 2019 World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting.
Safaricom CEO Michael Joseph said the firm was guided by its purpose of transforming lives to join the initiative.
“Operating in a developing nation, we witness first-hand the disproportionate effects of inequality and poverty on People with Disability, Joseph said.
”By joining the initiative, Safaricom has solidified its commitment to elimination of stigma and discrimination, economic empowerment and facilitating the availability and afford-ability of assistive devices and technologies,” Joseph said.
Caroline Casey, Founder of The Valuable 500 welcomed Safaricom’s commitment, saying so far 250 companies have joined the initiative, most of them are tech related.
“The technology sector has been enormously supportive of The Valuable 500. We welcome Safaricom today,” Casey said.
She added that technology industry has the potential to be one of the greatest enablers when it comes to disability inclusion.
”I call on all from across the tech, mobile and telecoms industry to join us in prioritising disability inclusion so that victims can benefit from the development fueled by technology,” she said.
