Giving back: Nearly 180 insurance workers clean up Sea View

IGI Life Insurance Company celebrates insurance day by promoting the concept of cleanliness

KARACHI: Nearly 180 employees of IGI Life Insurance woke up an hour earlier on Wednesday to clean a small patch of the beach before heading to their offices.

This was the company's way of celebrating the third Pakistan Insurance Day and the first one for the company that came into being last year. Nadeem Malik, the company's chief marketing officer, said they wanted to be different. "Unlike other insurance companies, we did not want to arrange seminars but promote the culture of cleanliness as responsible citizens on this day."

The scorching heat and the strong winds did not deter the team of both young and old workers who took merely half an hour to clean up nearly one kilometre of the beach.

According to deputy CEO of the company, Muhammad Aminuddin, insurance is a concept and a state of mind. "But at the end of the day, we have social responsibilities too," he said.

Even though the employees had to wake up earlier than usual, most of them were glad to be a part of the drive. Manal Siddiqui, an actuarial trainee, felt the activity was a good gesture. Everyone complains that the beaches of Karachi are dirty but no one actually takes the responsibility of cleaning it, she said.

The operational officer, Faariya, saw the sun rise by the sea and felt that the opportunity of cleaning the shore at the same time was a chance she could never miss.

"We have a beautiful coastline but not a clean one," said a consultant, Shauqat Abdullah, holding a trash bag filled with litter. "People come here to enjoy but do not bother keeping it clean."

Nabeela Ubaid from the call centre department was baffled to see the kind of litter she was picking up. "Packets of cigarettes and wrappers are some common forms of litter I was expecting," she said. "But I was not expecting to find bottles of wine here."

Meanwhile, the sanitary workers at the beach were glad to share their load with these workers. "At least I don't have to clean the shore now," said Shair Khan as he swept the pavement at Sea View.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 7^th, 2015.