Even the most active people have gone into lockdown and perhaps started to support their local community or gotten involved in a wider social movement. The most proactive may have even written a book.
Dr Myriam Sidibe has done all of these things! Myriam is the woman behind the multi award winning and UN recognized Global Handwashing Day. She has focused her professional life’s work on handwashing, leading Unilever’s Lifebuoy programme and is a senior Fellow at the Mossavar Rahmani Center for Business and Government at Harvard Kennedy School.
During our podcast Myriam shares how she has set up the national business response coalition in Kenya. The National Business Compact on Coronavirus is bringing together businesses from across Kenya, the UN family and NGOs supporting their Ministry of Health by amplifying hygiene messages, distributing handwashing facilities and raising funds for those most vulnerable and in need during the pandemic. Their mission is to apply and share global best practice in cross sector collaboration and partnering.
“In parallel the rest of everything else I am working on hasn’t stopped either.” Explains Myriam. “I am a public health worker. I have spent 20 plus years thinking about handwashing and most of it from the private sector, now is the time to accelerate these learnings to the world.”
Myriam shares why she has written her new book: ‘Brands on a Mission.’ A guide and plethora of practical examples highlighting the importance of creating a performance culture that is built on driving impact through purpose, and the type of talent required to drive these transformational changes within companies – from CEO to brand developers.
During this podcast you will hear Myriam’s predictions for how things will change post COVID and how she hopes that we rebuild better businesses. Listen in to hear what she thinks about the way we travel, how we will be connecting through simple behaviours and what she means by compassion capitalism.
Myriam’s advice to us all: “Dig deep and stay true to your purpose.”
Links:
National Business Compact on Coronavirus, Kenya: www.covid19businessresponse.ke
Brands on a Mission: www.waterstones.com/book/brands-on-…//9780367428334
Business Fights Poverty: businessfightspoverty.org
Business and COVID-19 Response Centre: businessfightspoverty.org/articles/cov…onse-centre/
