Company Joins New Pilot Program in Rwanda to Empower Community Well-Being

RACINE, Wisconsin, March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- More than four billion people occupy the base of the world's economic pyramid and live on less than $1,500 dollars a year. These families lack access to basic goods and services, where everyday challenges can be as simple as finding clean water. Given this scale, SC Johnson, the worldwide manufacturer of trusted household consumer goods, has been supporting these communities for nearly two decades, by providing sustainable business models to raise the standard of living and provide opportunities for a better quality of life.

"The company is dedicated to improving lives for families around the world in communities of all sizes as well as socio-economic levels," states Fisk Johnson, Chairman and CEO of SC Johnson. "With this new pilot program in Rwanda, we are enthusiastic to participate in a new business model which supports female entrepreneurs, while at the same time offering affordable products and disease prevention education."

Today, SC Johnson renews its efforts in Rwanda with a new pilot program aimed to support female entrepreneurs to bring educational information and affordable mosquito repellents, along with other commerce and services, to families with very limited access. Since 2007, SC Johnson's Base of the Pyramid (BoP) efforts in Rwanda alone have ranged from working with local farmers for more effective agricultural and financial management practices, to administering in-field training and user-centered research to drive social change and economic empowerment.

New EKOCENTER Pilot Program
SC Johnson has teamed with The Coca-Cola Company, Solarkiosk, and Society for Family Health Rwanda as a part of the EKOCENTER program, which provides safe drinking water, sanitation, solar energy, and wireless communication. EKOCENTERS are modular retail experiences, run by women operators that provide commerce of basic goods including OFF!® mosquito repellent lotion, Baygon® mosquito coils, and KIWI® shoe polish. EKOCENTERS also offer a place for community gathering and for entrepreneurs to set up business.

Additionally, SC Johnson, together with Society for Family Health Rwanda, will implement a communication campaign focused on malaria education and product awareness in surrounding communities. Activities will include peer education, community mobilization, and events with product demonstrations and sampling.

"I am witnessing first-hand the positive impact on these Rwandan communities with the addition of SC Johnson's pest control products," states Wandera Gihana Manasseh, Executive Director, Society for Family Health Rwanda. "Together with SC Johnson, we are filling a big gap in malaria prevention in the region. We are glad to be underway with our behavior change communication, as it requires a combination of products and education which provides citizens with insect protection both before going to bed and during sleeping hours."

A Commitment to At-Risk Communities                
SC Johnson is committed to preventing insect-borne diseases, as well as creating sustainable business solutions to help strengthen communities in developing countries. SC Johnson has a decades-long legacy of making life better for families around the world through contributions and services. With wider distribution of its leading pest control products in these rural communities, SC Johnson aims to reduce the percentage of malaria cases, as studies* indicate a 33 percent reduction in mosquito bites can correlate to a 60 percent reduction in malaria occurrences.  

Find out more on SC Johnson's Base of the Pyramid efforts by clicking here. For more information about SC Johnson and its social corporate responsibility efforts, visit the company on Facebook, Twitter or at www.scjohnson.com.

*Sourced by American Journal of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene on efficacy of SC Johnson mosquito coils 

About SC Johnson:  
SC Johnson is a family company dedicated to innovative, high-quality products, excellence in the workplace and a long-term commitment to the environment and the communities in which it operates. Based in the USA, the company is one of the world's leading manufacturers of household cleaning products and products for home storage, air care, pest control and shoe care, as well as professional products. It markets such well-known brands as GLADE^®, KIWI^®, OFF!^®, PLEDGE^®, RAID^®, SCRUBBING BUBBLES^®, SHOUT^®, WINDEX^® and ZIPLOC^® in the U.S. and beyond, with brands marketed outside the U.S. including AUTAN^®, TANA^®, BAMA^®, BAYGON^®, BRISE^®, KABIKILLER^®, KLEAR^®, MR MUSCLE^® and RIDSECT^®. The 131-year-old company, which generates $10 billion in sales, employs approximately 13,000 people globally and sells products in virtually every country around the world. www.scjohnson.com

About EKOCENTER:
EKOCENTER is a global initiative of the Coca-Cola Company to provide a place of commerce, safe drinking water, solar power and wireless communications.

EKOCENTER seeks to empower community well-being through their definition of social enterprise; leveraging the tri sector partnerships: business, government, and civil society to achieve long-term social and economic development.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161209/447680LOGO

Related Links

http://www.scjohnson.com

SOURCE SC Johnson