BIC Cristal®@70: Collaborates with GES to support 70,000 students with 70,000 pens ahead of the 2021 BECE

The world’s most iconic and celebrated writing pen, BIC Cristal^® is 70 years old, and to mark the anniversary the company has made a donation of 70,000 pieces of BIC Cristal^® Pens to the Ghana Education Service (GES) for distribution to 70,000 Junior High School students across the country who would be writing their Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) this year.

The donation forms part of the BIC’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) towards the improvement of education in Ghana.

The donation also stems from BIC’s commitment to improve learning conditions of some 250 million children globally by the year 2025, through which it aims to provide students with reliable pens to help them succeed through tough examination periods.

Israel Nornyibey who represented the Business Development Manager for the Ghana-Cameroon cluster at BIC, George Nkonsah, at the presentation ceremony, explained that BIC is concerned about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on every aspect of society, including education and that is why they decided to lend such a support to the students through the GES.

“We are proud and delighted to partner with industry leaders such as the Ghana Education Service to support the education field in the country. At BIC, we are committed to improving lives through education, and this is one of the many initiatives that we are proud of and wish to continue to build on in the region. The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the education sector around the world and in our region, and we are committed to work with the relevant partners to help flourish and revamp the sector,” he stated

The Director General of the Ghana Education Service, Professor Kwesi Opoku Amankw, who was visibly delighted at the gesture from BIC, remarked that “Under exam pressure, the pen is your only savior. You don’t want your pen to die on you while trying to get those grades in. We are very appreciative of the donation and of BIC’s commitment to the education sector in Ghana. It is refreshing to work with brands that value the importance of education and work to improve communities they operate in. We look forward to further build on this partnership through impactful initiatives in the future.”

BIC is a world leader in stationery, lighters and shavers.

The BIC Cristal Pen has been a flagship product for BIC ever since its inception. It has changed the way people write as it brought together affordability and quality, making it a unique and successful product. Throughout the 70 years, the BIC Cristal^® Pen has maintained its popularity across the world – being a highly innovative yet simple to use product.

Today, the BIC Cristal^® Pen is on exhibit at the New York Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) as well as at the Musée d’Art Moderne/Pompidou Centre in Paris, where visitors are still amazed by its timeless design.

During its 40 years in Ghana, BIC has supported numerous educational projects. The brand has partnered with USAID to assist more than 1.1M students to read and write. BIC has also worked with the Graphic Group to revive the culture of reading and writing through literacy programs such as the National Essay Competition.

Across the world BIC brings simplicity and joy to everyday life. The Company has over the years honored the tradition of providing high-quality, affordable, essential products to consumers everywhere. BIC products are sold in more than 160 countries around the world and feature iconic brands such as BIC^® Kids™, BIC Flex^TM, BodyMark by BIC^TM, Cello^®, Djeep, Lucky Stationery, Rocketbook, Soleil^®, Tipp-Ex^®, Us. ^TM, Wite-Out^® among others.