Vodafone Malta has netted the Corporate Social Responsibility of the Year award during this year's Best in Business awards ceremony.
Held under the auspices of President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca and organised by MBR Publications Ltd, the Best in Business Awards recognise outstanding and exceptional achievement in business excellence, innovation and ethics.
Head of Corporate Affairs Jason Pavia said that over the years, Vodafone Malta has not only introduced new technologies and services to the island but has also contributed positively by investing in a more sustainable society.
"Vodafone Malta is not only just committed to providing our customers with the best network quality and customer experience. We also care deeply about the community we operate in and we are passionately invested in helping bring about social change," Mr Pavia said.
The company puts together a calendar of regular Corporate Social Responsibility activities. Employees are galvanised into dedicating their time and energy towards multiple worthy causes, from taking it upon themselves to restore Golden Bay to its pristine beauty during national clean-up day, to embarking on a number of painting and carpentry jobs to help renovate children's homes.
The company culture also reinforces this spirit of giving, as every employee is granted three days of annual community service leave.
However, most of Vodafone's largest and most impactful projects are delivered through the Vodafone Malta Foundation. Since 2003 when it was first set up, the Vodafone Malta Foundation has donated over €3 million to local causes across Malta and Gozo.
Under the Connecting for Good strategy, the Foundation has helped young people experiencing any form of trouble, such as relationship problems, anxiety, addiction, abuse, self-harm and family breakdown, by providing real-time, one-to-one counselling through the "Kellimni.com" mobile app and web portal in conjunction with SOS Malta.
Together with the Speech Language Pathology Department, the Foundation created a mobile app, "NaqraNaqra", used especially by speech language pathologists to treat children with severe speech and language impediments.
In November, the Foundation launched its latest project in collaboration with the Paulo Freire Institute - an online literacy toolkit called iċ-Ċavetta for disadvantaged adults and young people who lack basic reading and writing skills.