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A brief on Stanbic Bank Ghana CSR for year 2007/2008
In 2007, Stanbic Bank Ghana took a number of far reaching initiatives to serve the communities we do business in.
As a bank we are committed to creating prosperity and giving back to our community, the people of Ghana. To this end we support activities that ensure that this goal is realized. We see it as a responsibility to assist in the total development of Ghana by not just providing financial services but also by providing critical social support to help the people of Ghana.
Our social support has been in diverse forms. It cuts across project support, to sponsorship of projects and association with forward looking undertakings embarked on by individuals.
The areas covered include sports development, poverty relief, education, health, environmental protection among others. In 2007 out total social support was well over USD 212, 872.000
The examples are numerous. We provided one hundred thousand Ghana Cedis (about USD 100, 000) towards the organization of the Security Services Games popularly referred to as SESSA Games. Other sports disciplines supported include Golf tournaments, Hockey and keep fits clubs.
Our support covers agriculture as evidenced by our sponsorship of the prize vehicle awarded to the first runner up at the 2007 National Farmers' Day Celebration. An amount of about USD 25, 000 was voted to cover the award.
As a Bank which believes in Africa because, our roots are from Africa, our social responsibility has transcended local boundaries. Our support of aspects of last year's Africa Union meetings in Ghana is yet another example of this Pan African vision.
2008 CSR key projects
In 2008, our Social support has been tremendous with a combination of donations, sponsorship associations, and on-air radio and TV news support. Top of the range has been the sponsorship and major partnership with the CAF Ghana Local Organising Committee to organize the 23rd MTN Africa Cup of Nations Ghana 2008 Tournament. That support was phenomenal and Ghana Stanbic Bank played a key role in getting Standard Bank/Stanbic Africa well represented across the globe.
Some key projects for the year 2008 include the following:
Education support:
Stanbic Bank Ghana recognizes the impact of education on the development of Ghana. Over the years, our Corporate Social Initiatives have covered education tremendously. In 2008 our investment in community based education funds and projects increased significantly. These funds often revolves around Traditional Councils and Traditional Rulers and are generally held in high repute because of the cushion and opportunity it offers to brilliant but needy students . Close to GHC21,500 has been committed on three such educational funds across the country. These educational funds share the common characteristics of having high recognition and high impact.
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I. The Otumfuo Osei Tutu Educational Fund:
The Otumfuo Educational Fund was established after the current King of the Ashantis, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II was enthroned. The fund has contributed to the educational needs of many children and young people in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. The support ranges from primary education to high school and tertiary. Technical and vocational training are equally covered.
Stanbic Bank Ghana took a decision to contribute to this fund and an amount of Fifteen Thousand Ghana Cedis (USD 15, 000.00) was voted to support the fund. A high powered delegation led by the Board Chairman of the Bank supported by Board Members and the Members of executive committee visited the Palace to formally introduce themselves to the overload of the kingdom and also presented the cheque for the amount.
This donation has been described as unique and it did trigger quite a number of assistance for the Fund. For Stanbic Bank Ghana, the visit and presentation have strengthened the Bank's ties with the Kingdom, which is very useful even as Stanbic Bank seeks to expand its branch network and operations in Kumasi, the second biggest city in Ghana.
II. Asogli State Educational Fund:
As part of the branch expansion programme, Stanbic Bank Ghana opened a branch in the Volta region of Ghana precisely in the Asogli State. The State has an Educational Fund also established by the King of the area to support underprivileged and less privileged but brilliant children in the Kingdom.
Once again two Board Members and the MD led the team do the donation. Four Thousand Nine Hundred US Dollars (GHC5, 000.00) was donated. The impact has been several folds. Apart from helping the Bank penetrate the capital town, Ho, easily, a number of children are going to benefit directly from this support.
III. Tettehga Educational Fund:
This fund has similar characteristics as the earlier funds we supported. The Ada area is reach in salt mining. This has not motivated quite a number of young people not to stay in the classroom but rather go to mine salt. The traditional rulers are concerned about this trend and have therefore instituted this fund.
A contribution of USD1,500 from Stanbic Bank has been regarded as one of the key contributions to supporting this noble initiative.
Health and wellness (HIV/AIDS)
Our key initiatives in the Health and Wellness space include community outreach missions by our Bridges of Hope Volunteers; financial support of Nine Thousand Pound Sterling to facilitate the purchase of an Ambulance and Blood Pressure Monitor for the National Cardiothoracic Centre and corporate assistance for the Special Educational Need, Counseling and Drama Therapy Centre(SENCDRAC).
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I. Bridges of hope in Ghana
Building on key lessons from the Standard Bank Group, Stanbic Bank Ghana rolled out and powered the training of staff who had volunteered to become peer educators in our HIV Awareness and Sensitization campaign. About thirty staff members took lessons in how to prevent the spread of the HIV. Right after their training, these Staff volunteers took their message into the heart of the community, visiting major shopping malls and markets in Accra and Kumasi ( the two biggest cities in Ghana) to sensitize the public on the need for safe and healthy lifestyles.
Currently, these peer educators are the major change drivers in the Bank. Periodically, they lead discussions and easy chats often around the need for responsible sexual living. The peer educators project is fast catching on and more people are been trained to support the project.
II. Ambulance and blood pressure monitor for the National
Cadiothoracic Centre
High Blood Pressure and Hypertension has stealthily taken over as the third most fatal ailments in Ghana. Virtually every one at Stanbic Bank can recall a family member, friend or a colleague who has laboured and struggled with either one or both of these conditions.
Spearheading Ghana's battle to contain high blood pressure and hypertension, together with other heart and heart related diseases, is the National Cardiothoracic Centre of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (Ghana's premier and largest hospital).
By reason of the cost of running the centre, its services are generally out of reach for the majority of the population especially the poor, vulnerable and marginalized. An approach was made recently to Stanbic Bank Ghana to support the purchase of an Ambulance and Blood Pressure Monitor for the Centre. Notwithstanding the cost of these equipments, Stanbic Bank Ghana saw the opportunity provided to become even more relevant to the community by helping to save the lives of many who would otherwise have had no or negligible medical care. An amount of Nine Thousand Pounds Sterling was requested and provided.
Currently, the Centre is the only one in Ghana with the Blood Pressure Monitor (state-of-the-art version) equipped and lives are been saved each day.
III. Special Educational Need, Counseling and Drama
Therapy Centre (SENCDRAC)
Special education needs and the training of mentally challenged children is an important but heavily under-resourced area of child education in Ghana. Having identified this massive gap in financing and in resources, Stanbic Bank Ghana in consultation with the authorities of the Special Educational Need, Counseling and Drama Therapy Centre (SENCDRAC) decided on a programme of active and effective support for the Centre which specializes in the training and development of these young angels.
Stanbic Bank Ghana sponsored two tutors from the Special Educational Need, Counseling and Drama Therapy Centre (SENCDRAC) to a global training programme in South Africa and have since found other ways of assisting the centre.
The impact of this collaboration has been tremendous. The two tutors are actively sharing the skills and knowledge acquired from their trip with other colleagues and have attested to a significant and verifiable improvement in their management and training of the young ones.
Community projects/assistance
In 2008 Stanbic Bank Ghana embarked on several initiatives to engage and to help improve the well being of the vulnerable in our communities. Three of such projects stand out. In February, Staff of the bank together celebrated Valentine's Day with a difference by visiting and cleaning up a nursery school for underprivileged children; In June the National Service Sales Team Project helped ease the transition from the classroom to the office for 70 fresh graduates; and in November the farmers and fishers of Ghana were celebrated.
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I. Day of care project
In February 2008 70 of our staff embarked on a mission to express love in a most caring and practical way to young children they barely knew. Stanbic Bank staff meandered their way through the back streets of Accra, across a number of alleys, before getting to a créche located in part of the city renowned for all the wrong reasons.
The Street Girls Aid créche at Kantamanto (located in the Capital City of Ghana, Accra) saw a literally invasion as 70 odd day time bankers rolled up their sleeves and changed into working gear in readiness to paint, sweep and tidy up the learning centre for these precious little ones who invariably had parents who could not be called adults by any stretch. The whole Valentine day was spent with the children.
These are children of hawkers and other street mothers who have to go about their daily business and have no one to cater for or watch over these children.
Stanbic Bank Ghana powered the Kantamanto exercise in partnership with United Way Africa. Nets were cleaned, Walls painted, Floors swept, and food served. The kids had a jolly good time
"I'm really glad to be doing this on this day. You see people talk about Valentine and all negative thoughts come to mind. But see what we are doing here; it is very healthy and really fruitful," one volunteer said.
Before leaving, the Stanbic Bank team donated items valued at Two Thousand Nine Hundred US Dollars (GHC 3, 000) to the Créche.
II. National service sales team project (Toughening up for the Work
Place)
"Initially I didn't know what to expect because I have never done sales before and I have not interacted with people that much. But boy! Looking back, I think it was a good thing accepting to go out there and sell the bank's products. I have never regretted", were the words of Mercyln Mensah, who was recruited as a Mobile Sales Hunter for the Kumasi Branch. This sums up the success of this project initiated during the year.
Fresh graduates from tertiary institutions such as the universities, polytechnics and Professional Schools are expected to perform a nine month National Service to the Nation and be paid some allowance.
Stanbic Bank Ghana last year saw the opportunity in this and capitalized on it by recruiting a number of the graduates, armed them with selling skills and marched them on the streets to lead the drive to attract the unbanked on the streets of Ghana. This brought up the name Mobile Hunters in the sales jargons of Ghana. And the results have been astounding.
Each branch has a mobile hunting team and over the period they have lead the 'attack' to mobilize customers for the branches. Even though the Mobile Hunters idea came from the Group, it has seen some changes locally and it is working magic here. Most of the mobilization received by the branches came directly from the efforts of these sales personnel.
Currently, about 80% of these graduates under the National Service Sales Team have been recruited to fill the branches rolled out in the Branch Expansion programme. They have mastered the act of selling near perfectly now.
III. Farmer's Day donation
Farmers in Ghana are recognized by the state each year for their contribution to the development of the country and for feeding the nation. Last year Stanbic Bank Ghana supported the National Celebration by donating the prize for the first runner up National Best Farmer. This year, the support was in two folds. First, an amount of One Thousand and Nine Hundred Dollars (GHC 2, 000) was voted to support the celebration in Tema Metropolitan Area (near Accra, the capital city) where two of Stanbic Bank Ghana branches are located.
The second donation was towards the national celebration. This year, the sponsorship was towards the purchase of a Farmtrac Tractor and its accessories for the third placed National Best Farmer. 57-year old Maurice Dery, a retired Civil Servant from the Upper West Region picked the award. The value of the tractor was GHC 16, 000.00
Sports
Sports support has been one of the key channels for the year 2008. Support has gone to almost every discipline. Here is an outline of some key events.
- Ghana Golf Open 2008: We were the sole sponsors of Ghana's foremost Golf Tournament, The Ghana Golf Open Tournament, supporting it with some Twenty thousand US Dollars. The three day tournament attracted some 200 Amateur Golfers and about 30 Professionals took part in the tournament
- Stanbic Invitational Open: About thirty thousand dollars was invested in this tournament held at the Achimota Golf Course. About 160 amateur golfers, mainly the bank's customers participated in the tournament. The Hole in One prize was a 50,000-dollar Grand Cherokee Jeep. No one won it.
- Ghana Hockey Championship: Stanbic Bank Ghana was the lead sponsors for the 2008 Ghana Hockey Championship which attracted some 16 hockey teams. The total sponsorship package amounted to USD 10, 000.00
- Ghana’s Team to the 2008 Beijing Olympics: Stanbic Bank Ghana voted US 15, 000.00 to support the Ghana's contingent to the Beijing Olympic Games
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