Ramadan,considered the most important month in Islam, comprises , is a 28 to -30 days period when adherents of the Islamic faith observe fasting, prayers, and spiritual reflection. Importantly, during Ramadan, Muslims are called on to engage in acts of charity and kindness in their communities.
These acts of giving include sharing gifts and meals,especially at Sahur and Iftar.The brand said it empathizes with the struggles of those who do not have enough to eat or drink by sharing meals and gifts with them.
In the light of this, Coca-Cola launched its thematic campaign reinforcing the importance of sharing this season. Its campaign in Nigeria uses the opportunity that Ramadan offers to share happiness and joy within communities in Nigeria, particularly those who participated in the various Ramadan activities.
The campaign,tagged; “This Ramadan, sharing makes us one”,focused primarily on individuals and groups who make an impact in their communities by prioritizing other people’s needs above theirs. For the 30 days of Ramadan, Coca-Cola excited its consumers across Nigeria,shared gift items with members of communities in the Northern and Western regions of Nigeria including Ibadan, the Oyo State capital; Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and Kano, in Kano State.
The renowned brand, known for refreshing the world and promoting sharing and bonding occasions togetherness, did not only celebrate the holy month with Muslims, but also created experiences around the season and made the period worthwhile for them by distributing packages, comprising a specially curated gift boxes, a one month’s supply of Coca-Cola zero sugar, and selected groceries over the 30 days that the month lasted.
Prominent Muslim influencers piloted the campaign across Ibadan, Abuja, and Kano for 30 days. Popular Nollywood actor and producer, Femi Adebayo, distributed the specially curated gift boxes to Muslims in Ibadan; renowned singer, Umar Sheriff, led similar efforts presented to the recipients in Abuja; while Kano-based film actor and director, Yakubu Mohammed,visited select consumers in Kano to engender the spirit of sharing the gift items in the state.
In each of the three cities selected for the campaign,30 individuals and groups each were presented with gift boxes,special gifts, making a total of 30 recipients who received the packages from Coca-Cola throughout the month of Ramadan.
By selecting the 30 recipients,Coca-Cola Nigeria demonstrated its appreciation to its valued consumers individuals and groups, particularly within the Muslim community who continue to promote acts of kindness and have taken it upon themselves to engage in philanthropic acts by supporting their communities with their talents and resources, culminating in notable impacts on the society.
Whether through volunteering tutoring providing meals,funds-making payments on behalf of people, or serving their communities in various capacities,these recipients have selflessly executed their charitable acts for years, thereby impacting the lives of several community members.
For instance, Odebode Hakeem, a resident of Ibadan participated in the sharing experience.Hakeem is an education consultant par excellence and a resident of Ibadan,who participated in the sharing experience,who has facilitated scholarships for medical students.
He obtained his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree from the University of Ilorin between 2002 and 2022 and facilitated a fully funded scholarships for 10 Medicine and Surgery students to Russia free of charge.
Besides,Hakeem assists and encourages aspiring students seeking to gain admission into higher institutions of learning in Nigeria.Speaking on the gesture by Coca-Cola, Hakeem expressed gratitude to the brand for deeming him worthy to receive the specially curated Ramadan package.
He said: “This was a one-of-a-kind experience for me and I am truly grateful to I am grateful to Coca-Cola for extending kindness to me during this special time of the year.I implore others to follow in providing me these gifts. What Coca-Cola has done for me should be replicated by others and extended across the country.”
Alhaja Saidat Adebayo, another Ibadan resident, is an individual who is known to assist the indigents in her community,during the month of Ramadan and other periods.
She consistently gives alms to the indigent members of the community, supports the needy in her area, and makes Iftar for Muslims every Ramadan season at one of the mosques in the Oyo State capital.
Appreciating Coca-Cola brand for the timely packaged gifts, Adebayo said: “I say a big thank you to Coca-Cola so much for this wonderful token. I have been a strong advocate of engaging in philanthropic acts and I encourage others to adopt an attitude of kindness wherever them find themselves,not because they want to get noticed, but for the good of our society. It feels good to be recognized and valued by this great brand.”.
Imam Fuad Adeyemi’s organization has over the years hosted the biggest Ramadan feeding program in Abuja. His organization feeds over 1,000 people daily during the holy month. In addition,his organization hosts several educative Islamic programs and the annual Ramadan lecture to enlighten the Muslim faithfuls on television.
“You really can’t explaincan’t compare the joy you experienced by putting smiles on the faces of people around you. when you see other people being happy. For me, providing basic resources to those in need is a way of improving their welfare and helping our community by extension remains stable. I am thankful to Coca-Cola for acknowledging our efforts in making Abuja community a better place,”Adeyemi said.
In the same vein, Khadija Kubura uses her talent not just to earn an income for herself, but also to improve the lives of the indigents in Abuja.
The talented content creator established the Feed a Stranger Foundation,which caters for the underprivileged in the capital city during and after Ramadan through the provision of meals and other amenities.Kubura simultaneously creates and uploads lots of content on the Islamic faith, thereby enlightening her audience on the teachings and practices, especially on what is expected of the Muslim faithfuls during the month of Ramadan.
Desirous to see children excel and become great personalities to themselves and the society tomorrow, Surayya Muktar has for over two years tutored school children in Kano whose parents cannot afford to enroll them in formal schools.
The private school teacher takes special interest in helping students achieve academic excellence by providing extra lessons to school children free of charge.
Also noteworthy is Mubarak Usman, a community health worker who strives for a healthy living in his locale in Kano. To ensure this,Usman provides free or subsidized healthcare for patients who cannot afford treatment, and he has consistently done this for over 10 years.
Following receipt of the curated gift box after the presentation of the gifts to him, Usman expressed his appreciation and excitement for the surprising recognition from the leading brand,adding that: “I appreciate Coca-Cola for recognizing me. I didn’t expect this gift to be presented to me. I will share this gift with my family and friends.”
Other recipients who spoke at the at the event, expressed their delight at the initiative and lauded Coca-Cola for appreciating their efforts. They expressed surprise over the goodwill extended to them by the brand, noting that the gesture has spurred them to continue doing great work with their charitable work in their communities.
Explaining the rationale behind the company’s presentation of the gifts, the Marketing Director, of Coca-CCola Nigeria,Yusuf Murtala, explained that the campaign sought to promote the company’s way of promoting the spirit of sharing and togetherness as one of the core messages of Ramadan.
“As a company, Coca-Cola understands the value of sharing and rewarding good deeds, especially during the holy month of Ramadan. We believe that we have a lot of good people in our communities,who are doing their part in making a difference across their different demographics. We will continue to support our consumers by making positive impact across the communities we call home.We decided to use the month of Ramadan to reward these good people in our midst,”he said.
To celebrate the end of the month of Ramadan,Coca-Cola wrapped up its campaign with Eid celebration,hosted its consumers and treated Kano communities to a refreshing time with the leading brand.
