Ghana International Bank (GHIB) has reiterated its commitment to use its Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) programmes to support its developing partners in the country to help alleviate poverty and improve health care delivery and education.
The Ghanaian-owned international bank based in London makes annual donations of one percent from its pre-tax profit through the Ghana International Foundation (GHIF) to a number of developing partners – including non-governmental organisations, vocational and technical training institutes, and medical centres which reach out to the less privileged in society.
Speaking at a forum with some of its developing partners in Accra, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the bank, Mr. Joseph Mensah, said it has sponsored the discretionary charitable trust GHIF in a wide range of well-managed developmental programmes and capital projects in the areas of health, education and poverty alleviation.
He said the forum has shown how Ghanaians have through voluntary actions taken control and responsibility in addressing some of the issues that confront young people, especially, in the county.
“There is this element of self-reliance, community activism in Ghanaians that the GHIB is interested in supporting; therefore, seeing the partners here today testifies to the fact that volunteerism is alive and well in Ghana,” he said.
He indicated that the bank had distributed over US$500,000 to organisations and institutions through the foundation since its establishment, adding that the bank is going to sustain and improve the sponsorship to its partners.
“Since establishment of the foundation in 2000, the bank has sponsored communities in northern Ghana by enrolling over 6,000 young girls in school and providing hands-on vocational training as well,” he said.
Some of the recent projects the bank has undertaken through the GHIF include purchasing training equipment for the St. Mary’s Vocational Institute at Asamankese; construction of classroom blocks and provision of logistics to Care 4 Humanity, a non-governmental organisation into education and vocational training in Adorso; and drilling boreholes in some deprived communities across the country.
Also, the bank through the foundation has supported the Theatre for Change – a women’s advocacy group that identifies young girls who were trafficked and sexually exploited – with vocational training, education and mentorship.
The various development partners that have benefitted from the bank’s support commended it, and asked that it continues to support them reach out to the poor in rural communities.
