Liberia: ‘Companies Need to Lead Charitable Causes’

--- “People need to know that as we run some of the country's affluent companies, we all have a moral duty to give back in whatever way we can,” said Sachdeva, alias Jeety.  “God has rewarded many of our businesses monetarily, so returning this favor should not be a cause to worry. “There is no greater happiness than being able to give back to society.”

Liberia’s large commercial companies have been asked to use some of their vast wealth to support charitable causes, as the country grapples with a slew of issues that are straining government finances.

This plea comes from a business tycoon, Upjit Singh Sachdeva, who believes that every large company in the country should make it an obligation to donate a portion of their profits to charitable causes such as poverty alleviation, the fight against hunger, disaster relief, education, and women and girls' empowerment.

Sachdeva, who owns several businesses in the country, including the well-known Jeety Trading Corporation, importer and distributor of various types of hardware and building materials, claims that large and successful corporations should recognize that it is their moral responsibility to help make the country better by addressing societal issues through philanthropic causes.

“People need to know that as we run some of the country's affluent companies, we all have a moral duty to give back in whatever way we can,” said Sachdeva, alias Jeety.  “God has rewarded many of our businesses monetarily, so returning this favor should not be a cause to worry. “There is no greater happiness than being able to give back to society.”

“The country's richest companies — have plenty of means at their disposal to help ease issues like homelessness, hunger, and other issues.”

Sachdeva made these comments on July 26, at the Monrovia Central Prison, where he had gone to give hot, freshly prepared meals to prisoners before going out to do the same for homeless and vulnerable persons in Monrovia and its surroundings.

He views hunger as a sad circumstance and, to solve it, he has been giving prepared meals to the nation's most needy citizens, including prisoners, since 2017. The meal is then provided with water, juice, and sometimes soft drink, benefiting over 1,500 prisoners and vulnerable persons in Monrovia and its surroundings.

His drive to fight hunger in Liberia, which has been doubled, one meal at a time, comes as Food Security and hunger in Liberia remains a severe problem, according to statistics from Global Hunger Index (GHI). 

The country ranks 112th out of 117 countries on the GHI 2019. The index consists of a range of scores, 0.0-50.0, whereas Liberia holds a score of 34.9. The score indicates the country’s hunger levels are ‘serious’ and on the brink of becoming ‘alarming.’

The Indian business tycoon's other humanitarian works involve the fixing of the Monrovia Central prison water supply, in December 2021. 

Before the fix, convicts would gather and distribute water across the jail facilities in turn. Worse, they had plumbing issues, which made life in the cells even more unpleasant because detainees were unable to flush toilets for days. Additionally, the fix included the installation of 2,500-liter poly tanks for water storage, along with a 5.5 KVA generator for the supply of water when there is a power outage from the Liberia Electricity Corporation.

And when the prison ran out of food in August of 2021, he was there to provide emergency support until the Liberian government could step into the gap. He has also extended support to Kakata Central Prison in Margibi County, which is expected to benefit from electricity for the first time in several years.