The FNB Foundation wishes to announce the N$40 000 sponsorship in favour of Women Action for Development [WAD] to continue the good work in imparting knowledge and skills as well as increasing the capacities of Namibian women through ongoing vocational training and development programmes.
We have developed a training programme consisting of intensive vocational training aimed at empowering Namibian women creating jobs instead of walking the streets of Windhoek in search of employment,” Veronica de Klerk, Director of Women Action for Development said when receiving the N$40 000 sponsorship from the FNB Foundation.
She added that WAD has made inroads in creating awareness amongst the various communities of Namibia, so much so, that her organization is inundated with requests from Government ministries and local authorities to provide similar training programmes to them. “We are flattered and humbled by the institutions that reach out to WAD for assistance. However, we are sad that, due to financial constraints, we are unable to help all those communities in need,” De Klerk mentioned. She said that WAD extends its training programmes to 11 regions and over 4000 needy people are beneficiaries of the various skills programmes amounting to over N$2Million.
It is fulfilling to know financial institutions such as the FNB Foundation that reach out to the women of Namibia, asking the famous question How can we help you? “You will not know the impact of your sponsorship and the difference it makes in the lives of thousands of Namibian women. I have always regarded FNB as the people’s bank and your sponsorship confirms that description,” the WAD Director stated.
The Group Corporate Commu-nications Manager, Cassius Moetie said that the Foundation is the corporate social investment arm of the FNB Group of companies and its primary mandate is to reinvest part of the profits of the Group into the Namibian communities. “’The focus areas of the Foundation’, Moetie said, ‘ranges between education, job creation, skills development, primary health care, arts & culture, environment and community care programmes.’” He added that the N$40 000 sponsorship for Women Action for Development suits well under the mandate of the FNB Foundation with skills development and job creation as focus areas.
Moetie said that the FNB Group of Companies contribute one percent [1%] of its total post tax earnings to the Foundation and the latter considers support for non-profit organisations and institutions working towards the development and empowerment of the broader community.
“The Foundation helps drive our various brands to maintain the lead in terms of commitment to Namibia and the communities in which we operate. The same holds true for every sector of our economy where we want to be associated with the core values of integrity, trust and excellent customer service.
Our reputation is not only based on the world-class financial solutions we offer our target markets, but also depends, to a large extend, on how we are perceived as a result of our corporate social investment activities across Namibia,” Moetie concluded.