Last Updated on Tuesday, 2 July, 2019 at 1:37 pm by Christian Keszthelyi
Keith Marshall has been appointed Chief Philanthropy Officer (CPO) at SiGMA Group in order to direct the group’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) and charitable activities, according to a press release sent to Business Malta.
The charitable arm of SiGMA Group is represented by SiGMA Foundation. Its duty is to reflect the group’s commitment in order to support people in need of fund-raising activities.
In Malta, SiGMA Foundation will look at social responsibility, with the intention of creating a social arm for the local scene, primarily addressing loneliness.
However, the focus of the foundation is concentrated on the collection of funds for a number of similar projects in Ethiopia, where an upcoming project to finance the construction of a primary school will go under the patronage of SiGMA Foundation. The school will likely be inaugurated next January thanks to €80,000 allotted to the endeavour, as the press release says.
Furthermore, the Philippines will also factor into the foundation’s plans with the implementation of a solar power system to benefit remote locations. SiGMA Foundation is going to provide €20,000 with the yearly target of improving surrounding amenities.
“The Malta Kilimanjaro Challenge has helped to raise almost a million euro over the last 15 years, with funds being ploughed into kindergartens, daycare centres, water harvesting projects, hospitals etc and homes for the disabled in Ethiopia and Kenya,” said Mr Marshall. “SIGMA has been a strong contributor over the last few years, and the newly created SiGMA Foundation will now incorporate the Malta Kilimanjaro Challenge – as founder, I am keen to direct that energy and passion into this fresh opportunity to bring real change to people in places of need,” he added.
“Keith has inspired me in both obvious and subtle ways, as early as my days at the university campus. Back then, he persuaded me to give events a try and I never looked back on event planning since. What left the bigger mark, however, was his dedication for philanthropic work,” added the CEO of the Group Eman Pulis. “From Served by the Stars to the Kilimanjaro Challenge — through such charity events — I have come to realise that anyone can put their skills to meaningful use and come closer to the Ikigai [a Japanese concept meaning a reason for being, usually used to indicate the source of value in one’s life]. Setting up the foundation was a natural step for the SiGMA Group and I cannot think of a more suited person to lead the way.”
