Stanbic Bank has supported Nneka Foundation, a not-for-profit entity inclined to youth empowerment initiative, with GH¢ 15,000 and 500 exercise books and pens.
For the past four years, the Bank has been supporting the Foundation’s Summer Youth Camp organized at Ve-Agbome in the Afadjato South district.
The initiative is an employee community engagement project which complements Stanbic Bank’s culture of supporting the vulnerable.
About 50 volunteers from Stanbic Bank also spent the day mentoring and inspiring the over 3000 teenagers hailing from deprived communities in the Volta and Greater Accra Regions.
They advised the youth against social vices that usually interrupt their education.
According to Patrick Asiamah of the Human Capital Department of Stanbic Bank, the Bank’s support for the Nneka Foundation is at the backdrop of the bank’s vision to ensure the youth of Ghana have the best and highest level of education possible.
“We believe very strongly that every child has the potential to grow and become a great national asset if given the right support,” he said.
“We shared with them the challenges and hurdles we had to surmount as youth before becoming who we are now. We believe that will inspire them to strive for excellence in spite of their current circumstances.”
Since 2012, Nneka Youth Foundation has taken giant strides in changing the lives and mindsets of the youth in the Volta and Greater Accra Regions.
According to Cecelia Fiaka, Manager of Nneka Foundation, the Foundation intends to resolve issues bedeviling the youth in rural areas. These include teenage pregnancy, drug abuse, gambling, the high rate of school dropout and unemployment.
“In my small village, you will always find at least five children of about twelve or thirteen years who are either pregnant or nursing mothers,” she said.
“Boys of the same age are seen openly smoking Marijuana and most of the young men are unemployed. We want to break that mindset and convince the youth that there is life beyond Senior High School.”
Mrs Fiaka lauded Stanbic Bank’s consistent support over the years.
“When we started this programme in 2012, nobody believed in what we stood for but Stanbic Bank’s consistent financial help has helped our operations a lot,” she said.
“The annual visit from the staff of Stanbic is always the highlight of the Camping period as the teenagers learn a lot from them.”
Stanbic pledged continual support for the Foundation. Some of the staff also agreed to mentor and pay the school fees of some of the pupils.
Stanbic Bank over the years has been committed to creating prosperity by providing critical social support in education, sports development, the agricultural sector, poverty relief, health and environmental protection.