Innovative parking pay station based option to help mobilise funds for worthy causes
Local lifestyle and retail complex The Hub Karen, has unveiled an innovative fund raising option based on its parking check out systems.
The fundraising option, developed in conjunction with The Hub Karen’s Parking Access Control solutions provider, Paytech Africa, will allow visitors to the shopping complex a convenient option to contribute funds for specific causes.
The Kenyan Mountain Bongo, is listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species which is widely recognized as the most comprehensive, objective global approach for evaluating the conservation status of plant and animal species.
Ahead of the Easter Festivities and to kick start the solution, The Hub Karen has activated the option as a fundraising platform targeting to raise more than Kshs 5 million for the critically endangered Mountain Bongo antelopes’ conservation project.
Currently under breeding management and protection at the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy (MKWC), the rare Mountain Bongo antelope has a population of about 100 in the wild globally, way below the threshold of 250 mature individuals required to make a genetically stable population.
Speaking when he confirmed the parking pay station fundraising solution activation, Philippe Cauviere, the Chief Executive Officer of Azalea Holdings, the developers of the mall said the option will provide a convenient platform to support worthy causes.
“At The Hub Karen, we are committed to providing such solutions that leverage on technology to advance worthy causes such as the protection of the critically endangered mountain bongo,” Cauviere said, adding that, “This Easter, we are also helping raise further awareness through the #EasterBongo displays at our open air Piazza.”
The Kenyan Mountain Bongo’s population has declined due to unrestricted hunting, poaching, loss of habitat, illegal logging in forests among other reasons.
The Hub Karen Visitors wishing to contribute funds for the Mountain Bongo conservation will simply need to choose the donate for the Mountain Bongo option to allow for the debiting of Kshs 200 alongside their parking costs.
Parking costs at The Hub Karen, can also be paid via an MPESA solution. The service links a customer’s car number plate with the chip coin they receive at the entrance gate. Customers dial the USSD code *270# from any place in the mall, follow 4 basic steps and pay for their parking via M-Pesa. Once completed, an SMS notification is sent to the customer confirming the payment and the total parking time available before the next top up, or exit.
The Hub Karen has been working to advance the innovative and value added park and go systems with Paytech Limited, a local payment and revenue collection solutions provider in the transportation and retail sectors.
With a more than 35,000 square meters (376,740 sqft) gross lettable area featuring retail outlets, offices, and a purpose built leisure centre, The Hub Karen, opened in February 2016.
The Lifestyle destination mall features more than 1,300 eatery seats and 85 shopping stores hosting local and international retailers. Some of the brands in the mall include French retail giant Carrefour, Furniture Palace, Funscapes, F&F Fashion, Bossini, Adidas, Reebok, Burger King, Dominos, KFC, Artcaffe, Spurs, Ocean Basket and Zucchini and soon to open the international French Sport retailer – Decathlon
The Lifestyle destination for work, play and leisure is part of the Janus Continental Group, an international conglomerate, comprising of market-leading companies in the Energy, Hospitality and Real Estate sectors.
