Blooms The Chemist broadens CSR horizons to Africa

“With the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic felt widespread across the globe, Blooms The Chemist in partnership with global charity The Butterfly Tree, has provided vital health and hygiene supplies to two Health Posts in Zambia; Mambova Health Post in Sekute Chiefdom, and Bunsanga Health Post in Nyawa Chiefdom improving the lives of the local community. 

The donations include disposable gloves, sanitiser and disinfectant to help improve the levels of hygiene to promote strong health and wellbeing amongst patients, school students and the local community more widely.  

Since the beginning of the partnership between Blooms The Chemist and The Butterfly Tree Charity, the Zambian community has benefited from:

• The sponsorship of six children through the Blooms The Chemist network, ensuring these children have safe access to schooling and important health education.
• A newly established maternity ward and women’s shelter which has seen numerous safe and healthy births since its opening in 2019.
• Further additions to the new maternity ward, including improvements to water access, additional equipment and furniture, and the integration of solar power.”

Building a new maternity ward to benefit local women in Zambia is the latest project that national pharmacy brand Blooms The Chemist has undertaken as part of its corporate social responsibility program.

The new maternity ward and women’s shelter was constructed at a health centre in the village of Simonga, near Livingstone in Zambia’s south.

Blooms The Chemist General Manager of Merchandise and Marketing Pamela Bishop said that prior to its opening, women from surrounding villages had to walk up to 11km while in labour to reach the health centre.

“These women faced significant risks on their journey to the centre, including the possibility of giving birth on the side of the road and threats from wild animals,” Pamela said.

“On reaching the centre, they had to give birth in a basic and largely inadequate labour room and share facilities with sick patients, which exposed mothers and their newborns to the risk of infection and contamination.”

“Blooms The Chemist volunteers also attended the site earlier this year to assist with building and associated labour.” – The building was completed in 2019. Blooms The Chemist General Manager of Merchandise and Marketing Pamela Bishop – Pam is CMO.

The project was fully funded by Blooms The Chemist’s support office, stores and supplier network. Blooms The Chemist volunteers also attended the site earlier this year to assist with building and associated labour. The entire project was managed by The Butterfly Tree, a charitable organisation which helps deliver much-needed improvements to African villages.

The charity is now focused on encouraging expectant mothers to travel to the health centre before going into labour and using the accommodation facilities and dedicated birthing centre.

At Blooms The Chemist’s recent 2019 partner conference, which was held in Africa, delegates had the opportunity to attend the official opening of the new maternity ward, which has been handed over to the community and Zambia’s Ministry of health to run.

Chief Executive Officer Phil Smith said Blooms The Chemist’s CSR plan had grown from community support in the areas where stores operated, to making a significant contribution to Make-A-Wish Australia, and now to supporting global communities.

“There are currently over 100 pharmacies in the Blooms The Chemist network nationwide.”

“Schools opened on the 2nd February and very few had any form of PPE, and rural clinics are always in short supply. The items needed such as soap, hand sanitiser, masks and disinfectant are available in Livingstone from local suppliers. We will work with the Ministries of Education and Health to ensure that the donated items reach the areas where we support.” Jane Kaye-Bailey, Chairman – Fundraising and Project Management from The Butterfly Tree Charity.

“We are working hard to have a positive impact on society and are proud of the contributions we’ve been able to make so far,” he said.

“That includes contributing more than $1 million to Make-A-Wish Australia, as well as a significant amount to local community and sporting groups across Australia.

“We are also working on a more comprehensive CSR program that will enable us to support various important initiatives in our local communities as Blooms The Chemist continues its growth across Australia.”

Blooms The Chemist is an Australian network of community pharmacies offering health and wellness support as well as pharmacy services in local communities. There are currently 100 pharmacies in the Blooms The Chemist network nationwide.