TANZANIA – Serengeti Breweries Limited (SBL), subsidiary of the Diageo company through the East Africa Breweries Limited, has launched a programme worth over Tsh 2.3 billion (US$992,000), aimed to support bars and eateries in Dar es Salaam and other major towns.
This initiative dubbed “Raise the Bar”, is part of a global Diageo programme geared towards helping outlets, and bars recover from COVID-19 and support jobs and communities around the world.
The fund will roll out over the next two years benefitting over 2,000 outlets and will include practical equipment for outlets to implement new social distancing measures, digital skills training and contactless technology.
SBL’s support comes to light as the world struggles to return to business from the torment inflicted by the global pandemic.
While everyone wants to transcend the journey from failure to triumph, which as a notion, provides food for thought, SBL has identified conditions critical to prevent spread of the COVID-19.
Dubbed “Raise the Bar” or “Tunyanyuke Pamoja”, it will be a two-year programme starting in July 2021, offering outlets with free access to digital training and support.
Raising the bar Tanzania will be a two-year programme starting in July 2021
According to the company’s Managing Director Mark Ocitti, this initiative also complements the government’s efforts to call on people and businesses to practice good hygiene to prevent themselves from getting communicable diseases, COVID-19 included.
The “Raise the Bar” program was designed following a survey of bar owners that identified key priorities to support reopening of businesses as hygiene measures, digital support and valuable equipment to transform their operations.
The targeted support includes purchasing equipment such as hygiene kits, permanent sanitizer dispenser units, hand sanitizers, masks, and protection screens for bars that cannot maintain the one metre social distance.
The fund will also enable the establishments obtain mobile bars and outdoor equipment as well as undertake partnerships with online reservations and cashless systems, developing contactless technology.
Through the programme, the outlet operators will be trained on the safety measures they need to take to protect themselves and their customers, upon resumption.
SBL has been a key player in the fight against COVID-19 in Tanzania since the first case of the pandemic was reported in the country.
In March 2020, the company partnered with the ministry of health to create COVID-19 awareness to the public by distributing flyers and posters throughout the country.
A month later, SBL donated sanitizers to the Ministry of Health, again supporting the country’s effort to combat the further spread of Covid-19.
The Raising the bar initiative is also being undertaken in Uganda under the Uganda Breweries Limited and Kenya under the Kenya Breweries Limited.
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