Recently, the workers of PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc, Aba, Abia State showed that the milk of human kindness runs deep in their veins through their Foundation, the Inner Heart PZ Employees Foundation. 
The Foundation surprised many, even the host community of their parent company, when it commissioned a four-room toilet facility it built for Eziama Community Primary School, Aba North LGA. The Foundation did not end there; it also handed over a cheque of N390, 000 to Mr Chika Kalu Sampson as its contribution towards the treatment of his four-year old daughter, Princess Chika Kalu who has a hole in the heart.
The dual events were graced by the senior managers of the company, including the External Affairs Manager, Mohammed Tahir; Operations Manager, Emma Ofordu, representatives of the host community and the chairman of the Aba North council area; who was represented, among others.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony of the four-room modern toilet building, the Corporate Affairs and Administration Director, PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc, Mrs Yomi Ifaturoti, who flew in from Lagos, said the project was realized through contributions from salaries of the workers.
She disclosed that the Inner Heart Foundation was conceptualized by the Corporate Affairs department of the company who felt that there was a need for workers to do certain things by themselves to help their host communities than waiting for the management or government.
“It is important for us to know that this project we are commissioning today was built from the pocket of PZ employees. It is not easy for workers to generate N650, 000 to do this project for our own community. We are impressed with what the Inner Heart PZ Employees Foundation, Aba has done. There are different departments of the company doing various projects for communities around the country.
There is a need for us to continue to do good things for our communities and neighbours because we must always look to doing things
for the people. Don’t forget that if we didn’t do this project, and had depended on the government, it may never have happened,” she said.
In his own remarks, the Head of Manufacturing, PZ Cussons, Aba, Mr Ifeanyi Abadom, said the Inner Heart PZ Foundation would continue to offer support to its neighbours, particularly pupils in order to train them well as leaders of tomorrow.
He added that the Foundation would not hesitate to help chat the future of school children to the best of its ability. The Chairman, PZ Cussons Staff Union, Aba, Prince Nwaeze Dimkpa, thanked the management and workers of the company as well as the host community for their support.
According to him, “We all contributed to make this project a success; the management, staff, school and host community. I offer special thanks to the people of Eziama who are the host community because there are many communities where this project cannot be done without them asking for a percentage of funds to be paid before work could commence.”
The Headmistress of Eziama Community Primary School, Aba, Mrs Evelyn Iroha, who expressed gratitude to the Inner Heart PZ Foundation for coming to the aid of the school, promised that the facility would be well maintained.
Commissioning the project, Hon Nnanna Oriba who represented the Transition Committee Chairman, Aba North Local Government, expressed happiness that the employees of the company gave generously towards the successful completion of the project, enjoining the school to make best use of the facility.
“I felt happier when I learnt that the project was not done with money from the company but the pockets of its staff. This is why I rendered the song; ‘give and it shall be given unto you. This is highly commendable. You have shown love to these school children; you can see from their faces that they have already blessed you. As far as they have said it, God has also blessed you all. I’m going to let the chairman know that we have to work with you because you have goo things to offer the people.”
Earlier at the company’s premises, Abadom presented a cheque of N290, 000 to a staff of the company, Mr Chika Kalu Sampson, whose daughter, Princess was diagnosed with a hole in the heart donated by the Inner Heart Foundation.
Ifaturoti added a personal donation of N100,000 to support Princess Chika’s treatment in India.
“We are using this opportunity to present this cheque to him as a symbol that we are with him. Our prayers and goodwill are with him. We present the cheque to him as a token.
“Whatever we preach, we do; we talk and do. We have demonstrated support both in cash and kind. If we do this without letting the outside world know, it might look as we don’t do anything here. This is also a story that can be taken to other places; people can learn a thing or two from what we are doing at Aba. We can also learn from what happens at other places,” Abadom said.
Sampson expressed gratitude to the Foundation for their support, adding that he was set to fly her daughter to an Indian hospital for treatment which would cost about N1.6 million.

Good neighbour: Aba PZ employees build toilet for school, donate to girl with hole-in-heart