With just 11 days to go until the 2024 Olympic Games, brands are ratcheting up the stakes. And none more so than BIC, which has announced its partnership with Paralympian Mpumelelo Mhlongo. Mhlongo is confirmed as a flag bearer for South Africa in the upcoming games.
The stationery brand “drew from the similarities between the renowned athlete’s inspirational story and BIC’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, Together We Can Write the Future”.
The intent is to raise awareness around the alarmingly high school dropout rate of 41% in South Africa, focusing on the importance of providing students with the necessary resources to help them stay in school.
A perfect metaphor
“Mpumelelo’s inspirational story is a perfect metaphor that showcases how individual efforts, the right environment, and the relevant resources can create a hero – despite challenging circumstances,” BIC said in a press release on Monday.
“Mhlongo’s story is inspiring. It is a reason to believe that you can thrive in any environment if the right resources are attainable,” said Lilian Henderson, director of marketing fpr Southern and East Africa at BIC.
“As a brand committed to education, we believe that change starts with ‘one’. An individual that believes in you, a teacher that supports you, an organisation that funds you, a parent that encourages you. Our nation-wide initiative Buy a Pen Donate a Pen and our partnership with Mhlongo are a testament to that,” she added.
Call to action
The campaign has an added call to action, as it hopes to donate a million writing tools to learners in need.
Commenting on the partnership, Mhlongo said: “As a South African child who needed a cheerleader, I understand the difference that the support of a community can make. Someone took a chance on me and that completely changed the course of my life.
“My partnership embodies my experience. I would love to be for our children today, the person I needed to have as a child, and I am touched to collaborate with brands that understand the meaning of that to the future of our society. I look forward to this collaboration and to visiting students at the various school activations led by BIC.”
Mhlongo has represented South Africa at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics Games, where he broke the T44 200m World Record and set the T44 200m, 100m, and long jump Paralympic Games.
About Mhlongo
BIC is committed to improving learning conditions for 250 million students by the year 2025. Based on the finding that one of the main reasons for school dropouts is the lack of resources, BIC continues to provide students with the necessary writing tools to remain in school, and calls on individuals and organisations to join the movement to provide students with the resources they need. BIC’s partnership with Mpumelelo Mhlongo is the most recent step the brand took in sparking further behavioural change within South Africa for South Africa.
