CSR

Celebrating Women in CSR – Amanda Frankel

in CSR / Featured / Women's Month  by CSRNZ Media 0 comments

As part of International Women’s Month to celebrate the achievements of women and inspire all of us under the theme “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”, we kickstart the 2022 series of interviews with Amanda Frankel,  founder of Okodwela, an organisation that is providing housing, education, and clean water to communities in Livingstone.

What is your background and how did you get into CSR?

I previously worked with domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking survivors for the 10 years and hold a master’s degree in Forensic Psychology. I have also traveled to 20+ countries for personal, educational, and career related experiences. I have also had an interest in providing assistance to enhance human welfare and in 2019, discovered additional happiness in taking it to a global level by forming the American not-for-profit organization, Okodwela, serving Livingstone, Zambia and then in 2021 the NGO, Okodwela Zambia.

What are you passionate about in your work?

I am truly passionate about enhancing human welfare and happiness. Through my extensive time spent with vulnerable populations and communities, I’ve discovered that happiness starts at home. That safe homes, clean water, economic stability, and education can provide the basis for a happy life and these components provide for an overall happy home. Through my work, I seek to enhance happy, thriving communities.

Could you share one or two challenges you have experienced in your career around CSR and how you overcame them?

One of the biggest challenges I have experienced throughout my career would be finding continuous funding to sustain Okodwela’s projects of building secure homes, supporting education, and creating employment opportunities. To overcome this on-going challenge, I continue to network around the world and within our community to find new, innovate ways to fundraise. By finding like-minded individuals, companies, etc. that find alliance in our mission, helps to provide support for our projects. I also try to create and involve community members in helping to create programs to teach skills, train, and employ them in various entrepreneurship opportunities to not only receive income for themselves, but to generate income for additional projects within the organization. This method not only contributes to sustainability of the organization, but promotes empowerment of those involved.

What has been the biggest challenge you faced in your work during COVID19? How did you overcome it?

The last two years have been the most challenging in terms of funding for resources to sustain Okodwela Zambia’s projects, as the entire world has been affected by the pandemic of COVID19. When schools were closed, some of the most difficult times were to see the children and adult students continue to express their strong desire to continue to learn. Through the power of community, we came together to find creative ways to continue educating the students outside of the classroom to ensure a minimal gap in their education. This was made possible through the community and various supporters of other CSR members.

What can we do to empower more women to come to the CSR forefront and lead the social and/or environmental impact?

We as women need to continue to remind not only ourselves, but each other, that we too have a place at the table. That our voices, our ideas, our input is just as valuable as the next. We should continue to push forward and never accept no for an answer. Continue to utilize our compassion, empathy, knowledge, and experience, amongst many other qualities we possess to make impact in the community.

What is one thing you wish you had been told when you were starting out that you know now?

“Your intentions may not always be seen for what they truly are.” This may have been the single hardest lesson I have learned and still am learning today. I believe my intentions are pure…to create happy homes, provide support where needed, and enhance human welfare. Unfortunately, there have been situations in the past where others have mistreated opportunities to do such in the field which has then left a negative stereotype for those with pure intentions to do good. I do not let this stop me from continuing my work, yet I do allow it to drive me to work harder and continue to be my authentic self.

What advice would you give to a woman starting her career or involvement in CSR today?

No matter what project or career you are starting, educate yourself as best as possible. IF its working with a community, get to the know the community. Spend time with its members, what it’s like to live a day in their shoes. Don’t speak for anyone, yet speak alongside them. Empower the vulnerable to stand alongside you, not behind you.

This International Women’s Day, what is the message that you would like to give out to young women who aspire to break the glass ceiling?

Follow your passion. Follow your heart. Follow your gut. For every no you are told, try again 5 more times and more. All it takes is one yes to change everything!

Fenix Power Solar Kits Light Up Kasisi Orphanage

in CSR / Impact  by CSRNZ Media 0 comments

Engie Energy Access Zambia, the leading provider of homebased solar solutions called the Fenix Power Solar Kits, on Holy Saturday 3rd of April 2021 donated Four (4) Fenix Solar Kits, COVID-19 essential supplies and assorted household goods to Kasisi orphanage in Chongwe district.

Priding itself in providing solar solutions which improve the quality of lives and livelihoods, Engie Energy Access also donated a Fenix TV Deluxe that comes with GOtv to provide entertainment for the children at the orphanage which due to Covid 19 Health and Safety measures are practicing restricted social interactions with the outside world.

Receiving the donation from the Orphanage in Chongwe, Kasisi sister-in charge Sister Mariola Mierzejewska said the solar kits will assist in meeting the energy deficit resulting from load shedding which negatively affects the well-being of the children at the orphanage.

Sister Mariola further thanked Engie Energy Access for the donation of hygiene products which she said where critical in preventing the orphanage from recording any Covid-19 cases.

And presenting the donated items, Engie Energy Access Marketing Manager Tiwongi Makungo said the Engie Energy Access, whose core business is to provide lighting made the donation was made to commemorate Easter, a special occasion when Christians reflect on the death and resurrection of Jesus which ultimately brought light to the world.

Mrs. Makungo said Engie Energy Access remains committed to providing the best solar solutions to improve the quality of life for customers through inclusive energy.

Women in CSR – Nsanshi Art, Creating Shared Value through Art.

in Community Development / CSR / Impact / Women's Month  by CSRNZ Media 0 comments

The need for a viable and sustainable women’s empowerment project inspired the establishment of Nsanshi Art Studio in Solwezi, North-Western Province.

The women-run workshop is adding value to local minerals, promoting employment and raising living standards for vulnerable women and girls in the community.

Riding on the rich history of mining in the province, First Quantum Mineral’s community wing, the Kansanshi Foundation, set up a jewelry factory that seeks to empower local women while adding value to the copper that the mining firm produces.

This community-based programme is adequately tailored to provide employment, skills training, and improving value chains in the province.

“Nsanshi Art Studio provides employment to these young women during a two-year apprenticeship, while raising funds for vulnerable women and girls in the community, via sales of the products made in the workshop, and adding value to local minerals,” said Kansanshi Foundation Manager Bruce Lewis.

Over the years, there has been an appeal from various stakeholders for value-addition in Zambia’s mining industry. In the main, Zambian copper is exported in raw form.

It is encouraging that Nsanshi Art Studio is changing this narrative. All the copper used in the workshop comes from Kansanshi Mine’s plant. The team get it as off-cuts and odd pieces.

“We put these in the furnace and convert them into copper bars. From there, we work the bars into flat or round pieces, or wire, depending on what we are making. We design the piece, decide what material is needed, and then work it through the roller,” explains Michele Scholtz, who has been spearheading the training.

Currently, there are 10 women undergoing a two-year course in metal smithing. These ladies, all from Solwezi, are supported by the mine with student wages.

Six of the girls were selected by his royal highness Chief Kapijimpanga while the other four (4) came from the vulnerable.

The training started with making spoons with a view to teaching them the basics of sawing, doming and soldering. They then moved onto making rings of various forms.

“They have since advanced to making bracelets and other items. Currently, they are being taught how to make various settings to incorporate into jewelry pieces,” Scholtz elaborated.

“We hope they can acquire a skill to support themselves and be self-reliant in the future without having to rely on a husband,” she added.

The money generated from jewelry sales goes to the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) for the running of the One Stop Centre for Gender-Based Violence at Solwezi General Hospital and the Safe House that have been built by the mine. These facilities provide support to girl child marriage and abused women victims.

Funding channelled into the project is as follows: building – $75 021; tools – $22 928; laser engraver – $62 771.

The state-of-the-art laser engraving machine has the capacity to engrave a photograph on to any metal. The beauty about this empowerment programme is that it will continue to generate funds even after the mine has closed.

Success stories include the export of 30 sets of ear rings to Panama. The students also took part in a design competition from Association of Women in Mining in Africa (AWIMA) and one of them was selected as part of the top 10 designs, a great achievement for the project.

Nsanshi Art Studio is indeed creating a range of unique and inspired copper items that are certain to gain a huge market in Zambia and beyond.

Celebrating Women in CSR – Wezi Njovu

in CSR / Featured / Impact / Women's Month  by CSRNZ Media 0 comments

As part of International Women’s Month to celebrate the achievements of women, we continue our series to appreciate Women in CSR with another interview of Wezi Muyembe Njovu, the Head Marketing and Corporate Communications at UBA Zambia:

 

Briefly describe your role and responsibilities, and the number of years you have been CSR practitioner.

In my role as Head Marketing and Corporate Communications at UBA Zambia Limited, I am to ensure projection of the UBA brand as one of the top pan-African institution. My role also involves developing effective communication campaigns, managing stakeholder relations, media relations and network, brand visibility, impactful corporate events/ sponsorships and corporate social responsibility initiatives.

It feels like I have been in CSR since I was a toddler and this is because my mother has always believed in impacting the society through community goodwill.

Tell us about someone or something (mentor, friend, hero, incident) who or that affected or influenced your CSR journey, and how.

My mother, Mrs Tamara Chirembo Muyembe would be the first person who has influenced greatly on my CSR journey. My mother has always believed in changing lives of people in our communities especially women in the rural areas as well as disadvantaged women through different ways like teaching them skills such as knitting, sewing, cooking in order to help them generate income and being a teacher herself, she teaches these women how to read and write.

In my professional career, I would definitely owe my inspiration to the founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation and UBA Chairman, Mr Tony Elumelu who is a visionary entrepreneur and philanthropist. Mr Elumelu also believes that we all can play a role in our communities in order to better the lives of our people in society.

 

How has CSR/CSI evolved at your organisation?

CSR has certainly evolved in UBA Zambia to a point that all staff members as well as the UBA Zambia board members have jumped on the bus with great interest and enthusiasm to make a difference in the community. Our main initiative which is the Read Africa Initiative under the UBA Foundation has had staff believe and participate more in the initiative. Read Africa is an initiative of UBA Foundation aimed at rekindling the dwindling reading culture amongst African youths. Our children no longer read; their passion for reading informative and educative books is fast eroding and this is part of the ills we want to correct in the continent’s educational sector.​

These children are also distracted and challenged by the presence of electronic social media — Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others. There are other factors militating against the Zambian educational system as well as Africa as a whole. Having identified the need to curb the trend, especially in response to the declining culture of reading in post primary institutions across the continent, UBAF came up with the ‘Read Africa’ project, designed to resuscitate the reading culture amongst our youths across the African continent. Conceived and introduced in 2011 by the foundation, the project involves the provision of recommended English literature for junior and senior secondary schools students across Africa.

 

Can you share a recent accomplishment you are especially proud of?

This will definitely have to be the recognition/award presented to UBA Zambia by the CSR Network Zambia for outstanding achievements in corporate social responsibility and responsible leadership under Education support for the Read Africa Initiative.

Secondly, I would like to make mention that the Corona virus (COVID-19) pandemic has been a global health and societal emergency that has required effective immediate action by governments, businesses and the society at large.

To aid this collective effort and in line with our Corporate Social Responsibility, UBA Zambia partnered with the Government in dealing with this challenge with a donation of K2,650,000 to the Government Of The Republic Of Zambia for Covid-19 relief support.

UBA Zambia remains committed to working with the Government in other spheres of the economy. We have therefore, formed partnerships with different players in the ecosystem including Co-operatives and the Government; we are currently providing payment solutions to over 5,000 women beneficiaries under the Supporting Women Livelihood project by the Ministry of Community Development in partnership with World Bank.

The bank through the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship programme has also been supporting young Zambian entrepreneurs by providing them with an opportunity to have access to funding for their start-up businesses. Since 2015, 142 Zambian entrepreneurs have each been given $5000 non-refundable seed capital for their businesses.

 

If you had the power to make one major change at your company or in your industry, what would it be, in line with CSR?

I wouldn’t really say I would like to change anything, instead I would say I would like to enhance and push our current initiatives with focus on the Read Africa initiative in order to have more Zambian schools and youths benefit from this. I would like to see more partnerships among businesses with the goal of improving the lives of our people in various ways possible.

 

What is the best advice you have ever received in your career?

Believe! Just Believe!

 

How can CSR activities be used to empower women?

As the saying goes, when you empower a woman, you empower a generation. CSR activities are like gifts that go exactly where they are needed. We need to continue protecting and empowering women by equipping them with skills and offering training, education, counseling, love, medical care and financial literacy. Women can rise from grass to grace, from zero to hero and from nothing to something.

 

Describe your perfect day.

My perfect day is when I know I have made a positive impact and a difference in another woman’s life, and this can be through a positive compliment, encouragement, offering a shoulder, offering guidance and just letting her know that we are on this journey together.

Celebrating Women in CSR – Katongo Chilufya

in CSR / Featured / Impact / Women's Month  by CSRNZ Media 0 comments

As part of International Women’s Month to celebrate the achievements of women, we continue our series to appreciate Women in CSR with another interview of Katongo Chilufya, the Communications, Public Relations & Corporate Social Investment -Manager at Atlas Mara:

 

Briefly describe your role and responsibilities, and the number of years you have been CSR practitioner.

I am the Communications, Public Relations and Corporate Social Investment Manager at Atlas Mara bank.

I have been a CSR practitioner for over 8 (eight) years with experience in various roles during this time.  Some of my roles and responsibilities as a practitioner is to ensure visibility, awareness for our products and services as well as internal and external stakeholder management for the organisation. To achieve this we use different platforms and I am always keen and excited to develop, implement effective Corporate Social Investment strategies that resonate with communities across Zambia.

Tell us about someone or something (mentor, friend, hero, incident) who or that affected or influenced your CSR journey, and how.

I know this will sound cliché but I have always had a passion to want to help or lend a helping hand ever since I could remember. Consequently, I have always gravitated towards situations that require assistance and try to render support in the best possible way by using my immediate network or tools.

My hero would be my sister Kasonde Priscilla Chilufya, in her small ways always found means to assist people in different circumstances and most times improving their well-being through her deeds. I learnt that one does not need to be an Oprah Winfrey my other hero, to make a difference, it is dependent on of all us and not only organisations to make the much needed difference in our society.

 

How has CSR/CSI evolved at your organisation?

CSR is usually seen as an organisation initiative but as a Bank we strive to make certain we also get staff members’ participation across our 50 branches, as this helps spread good-will across the country. For the Bank, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is one of the biggest tenets for Atlas Mara’s vision. This means ensuring continuous improvement in the communities that we operate in.

We strive to be responsive to the needs of society and the communities, hence there is need to develop strong and relevant CSR programmes in partnership with like-minded organisations or individuals that have a passion to uplift communities and help mitigate the various challenges they face.

The Bank’s CSR programmes are anchored on four main pillars namely; Education, Health, Entrepreneurship as well as Water and Sanitation. Beyond these, we have also sought other opportunities to deepen the impact especially in deprived rural communities with effective CSR. Hence our presence across the 10 provinces in Zambia.

 

Can you share a recent accomplishment you are especially proud of?

Atlas Mara Bank in partnership with World Sun Stream has been running a programme called #SolarForSuccess. A programme to donate portable 101,000 solar kits with lighting and mobile device-charging capability to economic and social sectors which included Education, Health, Tourism, Entrepreneurship as well as to under-privileged members in communities across the 10 provinces in Zambia.

This was due to power deficits in the country that has impacted everyone, therefore support is required in various communities, to help contribute to the growth of individuals, businesses, communities at large.

I am excited to say that over 98,746 people in various communities have benefitted so far from solar kit donation.

The donation is a recurring initiative which will assist various communities and sectors with solar kits and mobile device-charging capability.

 

If you had the power to make one major change at your company or in your industry, what would it be, in line with CSR?

Create more empowerment initiatives and activities for young people in communities that are disadvantaged, this will help alleviate poverty levels and help create a beneficial cycle effect.

 

What is the best advice you have ever received in your career?

To know exactly where I want to be in life, identify my goals and ambitions, which will in turn direct my path and decisions to get to my ultimate objective.

 

How can CSR activities be used to empower women?

“I always say that an empowered woman is an unstoppable force to reckon with”

There are so many way CSR activities that can be used to empower women, this can be achieved by creating opportunities and initiatives that empower women. This in turn will help create employment through the various initiatives, foster diversification of the economy with different initiatives contributing to various sectors and which will ensure self –sufficiency among women. This also ensures continuous development in various communities

For instance, Atlas Mara recently sponsored the Buyantanshi and Kamimbe Co-operative initiative, a women and youth empowerment fish farming start-up pilot program. This program ensures that the cooperatives achieve benefits not only at individual levels but at community and national level as well.

Atlas Mara also pledged to provide financial literacy training and business development support services to the camp which is the residence to local small-scale farmers and large international producers as well.

 

Describe your perfect day.

Being at home on a quiet day reading a good book or watching my favourite series with cup of coffee in my hands.

Celebrating Women in CSR – Sarah Banda-Ortiz

in CSR / Featured / Impact / Women's Month  by CSRNZ Media 0 comments

As part of International Women’s Month to celebrate the achievements of women, we continue our series to appreciate Women in CSR with another interview of Sarah Banda-Ortiz, the Corporte Affiars and Communications Manager at Lafarge Zambia Plc:

 

Briefly describe your role and responsibilities, and the number of years you have been a CSR practitioner.

My role is to ensure that we (Lafarge Zambia) have shared value with our communities and partners across the plants in which we operate. It is also important that the Company be a good corporate citizen in the community, I have been in the CSR/CSI space for over 3 years now.

 

Tell us about someone or something (mentor, friend, hero, incident) who or that affected or influenced your CSR journey, and how.

My grandmother influenced my CSR journey. From the time I can remember she has always quoted the following “If you can’t do great things, do small things in a great way”. This quote speaks volumes to me and affects what I do on a daily basis with regards to CSR, it is not about the big things but rather the small things that make an impact.

 

How has CSR/CSI evolved in your organization?

It has evolved in the sense that we have a symbiotic relationship with our communities. We are partners in this journey of CSR, gone are the days when it was just about giving and receiving, my organization is about uplifting our communities and empowering them with the necessary tools that will last a lifetime.

A great example of this is the UNZA ventilator project that we are supporting in partnership with Zambian Breweries. A huge part of the project is being managed by students at the School of Engineering who are putting together the first ventilator made in Zambia for Zambians. How rewarding will it be, when we will look back and see that as a nation we came up with local solutions to a local problem? This excites me.

 

Can you share a recent accomplishment you are especially proud of?

I am very proud of the work that we did in 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic first hit the country. Our CSR was mainly community-centric and was centered on spreading the right information to our communities about the pandemic. We noticed very early on that our communities were not too cognizant of the virus we thus went into markets, schools, and open areas to educate them on the virus. This led to an award that we received from the CSR network, for the company’s communications strategies within our communities.

 

If you had the power to make one major change at your company or in your industry, what would it be, in line with CSR?

At Lafarge Zambia, we have a CSR graduate trainee program called Step Up. The main aim of Step Up is to build a strong talent pipeline for key roles in the business. Even though this program has been extremely successful with an 85% success rate, there is one thing that I would change and it would be to have more women graduates applying to more technical roles. Our industry is predominantly male as there are few women in such technical and industrial positions in the Company. As our industry is becoming more eco-friendly and low carbon emission focused, I feel as though women are needed to drive this ambition and initiative globally. I was reading an article from the World Economic Forum titled “building a more sustainable world will need more women engineers” It went on to say that attracting and supporting more women in engineering benefits everyone by increasing the potential to develop inclusive, innovative solutions for the complex problems the world is facing. We need women on the negotiating table not just for inclusion and diversity purposes but also for innovative and effective solutions.

 

What is the best advice you have ever received in your career?

Never take no for an answer and always be yourself.

 

How can CSR activities be used to empower women?

They can be used to empower women with the necessary skills needed to make an impact in their homes and society. As mentioned earlier, we need to start engaging in more CSR initiatives that teach people how to be independent and less dependent. In my view, an initiative that teaches someone to fish is more impactful compared to one that just hands out the fish. As the effects of that initiative will be felt from generation to generation.

 

Describe your perfect day.

My perfect day is one where I feel like I have added some sort of value to my organization and community.

Celebrating Women in CSR – Mweembe Sikaulu

in CSR / Impact / Women's Month  by CSRNZ Media 0 comments

As part of International Women’s Month to celebrate the achievements of women, we continue our series to appreciate Women in CSR with another interview of Mweembe Sikaulu, the Communications and Brand Manager at Zambia Airports Corporation Limited (ZACL):

 

Briefly describe your role and responsibilities, and the number of years you have been CSR practitioner.

My current role is as the Communications and Brand Manager at Zambia Airports Corporation Limited and I am responsible for internal and external communications, branding, CSR, customer service and event management to name but a few. I have been a CSR practitioner for the past six years.

 

Tell us about someone or something (mentor, friend, hero, incident) who or that affected or influenced your CSR journey, and how.

I’m not sure that I ever had someone or something really influence my CSR journey, though certain aspects of what I do have always been a passion of mine. Since I was a child, I have always felt the need to help others and even recall a time when I was about seven years old and would stop my mother every time we saw a homeless person as I wanted to give them money. I am just grateful to have the opportunity as an adult to do more both in my personal and professional life.

 

How has CSR/CSI evolved at your organisation?

CSR has evolved in our organisation as it is a lot more structured and a lot more prominent than it had been in previous years. We have a CSR policy in place which guides us on many aspects including our focus areas. We are very clear about the spaces and areas we lend our support to and even began our own CSR traditions which have proven to be a success. We also entered into partnerships with certain non-profit organisations whose objectives were aligned with ours which proved to be very successful. It has been extremely fulfilling for my team and I to be on this journey while witnessing our CSR evolution.

 

Can you share a recent accomplishment you are especially proud of?

I am really proud that my team and I were able to accomplish a particular objective despite circumstances beyond our control. We managed to partner with certain companies that were kind enough to come on board at the eleventh hour and help us create a special day for some very adorable underprivileged children. I will eternally be grateful to these companies and their representatives for believing in our vision and helping us make it happen.

 

If you had the power to make one major change at your company or in your industry, what would it be, in line with CSR?

This is a tough one! Call me a dreamer but I suppose I would approve an unlimited budget so that we could make a difference on so many levels and in so many communities around the country.

 

What is the best advice you have ever received in your career?

Some of the best advice I’ve heard has been from world renowned public figures as opposed to people I have met, and a couple that have stuck with me are ‘love what you do’ and ‘never stop learning’.

 

How can CSR activities be used to empower women?

CSR activities can be used to empower women in so many ways. From literacy and education to health to skills development, there are so many areas that if given the right tools and support, women would positively affect their communities starting with their families. They say when you empower a woman, you empower a nation, so imagine what we could accomplish if we empowered more women.

 

Describe your perfect day.

My perfect day would probably vary depending on my mood and what is happening in my life at that particular time. On some occasions it might be a relaxing day consisting of sleep, good food, a good book and some peace and quiet. Another instance might see my perfect day being a lot more productive and social.

Celebrating Women in CSR – Yuyo Nachali-Kambikambi

in CSR / Featured / Impact / Women's Month  by CSRNZ Media 0 comments

As part of International Women’s Month to celebrate the achievements of women, we continue our series to appreciate Women in CSR with another interview of Yuyo Nachali-Kambikambi, the Head of Corporate Communications, Government Relations and CSR at Airtel Zambia.

 

Briefly describe your role and responsibilities, and the number of years you have been CSR practitioner.

My major role and responsibility as a CSR practitioner is to ensure that the Company I am representing is socially responsible and helping unlock the potential of the communities in which we operate. I have been a practitioner for 20 years now.

Tell us about someone or something (mentor, friend, hero, incident) who or that affected or influenced your CSR journey, and how.

I have always been intrigued by the CSR concept from the time I worked as a journalist. Having worked on the features ‘desk’ I always found it more fulfilling to write articles about how communities had been helped to change their environments or indeed been uplifted economically after interventions from companies through corporate social investment programs.

 

How has CSR/CSI evolved at your organisation?

I believe that while CSR or CSI remains the same in the real sense, it’s the focus that changes over time for any institution. For instance many years ago the focus could have been to make sure that people in the rural setting moved from having pit latrines to having flushable toilets, while now with the COVID 19 pandemic, the focus has shifted to understanding how best to help communities during these unprecedented times.

 

Can you share a recent accomplishment you are especially proud of?

I am still and am sure will be for a long time to come, extremely proud of my colleagues and co-workers at Airtel who came together during the peak of the pandemic last year and decided to contribute monies from their own salaries which enabled the company to buy over 2000 masks and over 2000 hand sanitizers which were handed over to help the Education and Health sectors.

 

If you had the power to make one major change at your company or in your industry, what would it be, in line with CSR?

One major change I would make in the Industry is have more companies realise that CSR is not a competition…CSR is about people….it is about lives and the communities we all live in, therefore collaboration and partnerships should be the norm to make even greater change and impact.

 

What is the best advice you have ever received in your career?

“When you don’t agree with your boss, say it…respectfully and honestly and you will always have a better conscious than thinking ‘I should have said something’ after the fact.”

 

How can CSR activities be used to empower women?

As we know women are usually the most vulnerable in societies but the most hardworking (i hope the men won’t come after me for saying this). But in all fairness, there is an age old saying that once you educate a girl, you have educated the whole village and I think this is true with empowerment programs. I know for a fact that women have excelled much more and looked after their nuclear families and beyond when empowered. It could be through giving them seed money for agricultural projects or simply adding skills to their knowledge which could be in the form of chicken rearing, fish farming or even batik making.

 

Describe your perfect day.

My perfect day is when my company does great CSR projects that not only make a difference in the communities but truly ‘changes lives’.

CSRNZ Celebrates Women

in Community Development / CSR / Featured / Impact  by CSRNZ Media 0 comments

The Corporate Social Responsibility Network Zambia (CSRNZ) is this month showcasing women who have played pivotal roles on the country’s CSR platform, in line with the International Women’s Month.

These are women who have exhibited exemplary commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate social investment (CSI) ideals and programmes for the improvements of livelihoods, thus contributing to sustainable development in communities. In today’s day and age, women have become unstoppable and excelling in every field possible.

Welcome to our series of interviews with Zambia’s leading female CSR practitioners, revolving around the evolvement of CSR/CSI in respective companies and the accomplishments arising thereof. Over the next 2-3 weeks, We will learn about what inspires these women and how they found their way to careers in CSR:

  1. Lomthunzi Mbewe – Community and Stakeholder Relations Manager, Lubambe Copper Mine Limited.
  2. Mweembe Sikaulu – Communications and Brand Manager, Zambia Airports Corporation Limited.
  3. Yuyo Nachali Kambikambi – Head of Corporate Communications, Government Relations and CSR, Airtel Zambia.
  4. Bridget Kambobe – Group PR and Corporate Affairs Manager, Trade Kings.
  5. Chanda Chime-Katongo – Public Relations, Communication and Women’s Banking / Marketing, Stanbic Bank Zambia.
  6. Wezi Njovu – Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications, UBA Zambia.
  7. Katongo Chilufya – Public Relations, Communications and Corporate Social Investment Manager, Atlas Mara Bank.
  8. Sonile Lintini – Communications and Sustainability Manager, IHS Towers Limited.
  9. Sarah Banda Ortiz – Corporte Affiars and Communications Manager, Lafarge Zambia Plc.
  10. Nsanshi Art Women – Kansanshi Mine’s women-run jewellery workshop, with a mission to support and provide financial support to vulnerable women and girls in Solwezi district.

2021 World CSR Day

in CSR / Impact / Partnerships  by CSRNZ Media 0 comments

Zambia, on 18th Feb 2021 joined 130 other countries to commemorate the World CSR Day. The commemoration was celebrated via a virtual meeting, officiated by Director of Community Development, Mr. Cosmas Lukupulo, standing in on behalf of the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services and moderated by Mulemwa Moongwa. Other panelists included Denise Clarke-Reeves, the Chief of Party USAID Let’s Read project, Brian Moonga the Country Director of World Bicycle Relief and Buffalo Bicycles Zambia, as well as Lee Muzala, the Executive Director of CSR Network Zambia.

The World CSR Day was launched on 18th February, 2012 in Mumbai at Taj Lands End by His Excellency Shri. Veerappa Moily, Honourable Minister of Corporate Affairs, Government of India, who inaugurated the program.

The Objectives of the World CSR Day are:

  • To provide a common platform to the corporate, government agencies, NGOs, civil society, academics and the other groups to share their expectations, aspirations and responsibilities.
  • To bring together representatives from various parts of the globe to share their experiences, challenges and opportunities.
  • To spread the message of CSR, that which makes a difference to the community at large.

Mrs. Clarke-Reeves opened the session with a presentation of the Let’s Read Project, highlighting their work with the Ministry of General Education (MOGE) aimed at improving reading outcomes for approximately 1.4 million children in pre-primary (kindergarten) through Grade 3 in public and community schools. The ultimate goal of the project is to ensure that students read with comprehension and fluency in one of Zambia’s seven official local languages of instruction. USAID Let’s Read is implemented in over half of all public primary and community schools in Zambia.

Learning to read in the early grades is the foundation for learning in all subjects. The MOGE recognizes that improving the overall quality of primary education requires improving basic reading skills in early grades. Over the past decade, reading assessments for early grades consistently show that over 70 percent of children are unable to read or write at the end of their second year of learning according to the 2014 Early Grade Reading Assessment.

Brian Moonga revealed that at the end of 2019, World Bicycle Relief (WBR) celebrated the 500,000th bicycle in the
field as part of the 1 million bicycles target. An outstanding achievement for the organization. He furthered shared on how beneficiaries are selected and how the communities benefit through transfer of skills in some individuals to offer maintenance services and repairs.

Director Lukupulo, in his keynote speech reminded the corporates on the important role they play in uplifting the lives of people in the communities they operate in. He explained that It is common practice nowadays to find commemorative or Important days that are observed in and around the world. Such days each year have a particular meaning or national or international significance. And World CSR Day is such a day, when we join other countries to remember, to celebrate and to appreciate efforts by companies in accounting for their actions and for making our communities a better place. It is also a day when we remind each other not to stop doing good, a day to encourage each other to continue being good corporate citizens.

Mr. Lukupulo stressed the fact that in the context of Community Development, we need to strive to improve access to education because through education, we will realise poverty reduction in the community, promote equality, peace and security, and ultimately reduce exploitation as education will help people to know more about their rights and responsibilities as well as the law in general.

Beene leaves home at 6.30am to ride to school on her new bike. Before she received her bike, Beene would have to begin walking the 8km to school at 4.30am in order to arrive before lessons started at 7.15am. She would arrive exhausted.

As part of CSR Network Zambia’s commitment to strengthening the CSR ecosystem in Zambia, the focus for 2021 is “Access to Education”. Education in every sense is one of the fundamental factors of development. No country can achieve sustainable economic development without substantial investment in human capital development at all levels. Education is indispensable to economic development and Zambia needs a balanced education system if Vision 2030 is to be realised.

Through the pledge to Leave No One Behind, Zambia, like other developing countries has committed to fast-track progress for those furthest behind first through the 2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. Education has been described as one of the greatest equalizers of our time , however, for rural children, education may be an equalizer but distance is a barrier! How do we work towards ensuring poverty alleviation in order to achieve the Vision 2030 and ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all in line with Sustainable Development Goal number four with all its seven targets?

It against this background that CSR Network Zambia has partnered with World Bicycle Relief and Buffalo Bicycles Zambia, to increase awareness of the plight of Zambian learners in rural places across the country by providing bicycles to eliminate the challenges relating to accessing education. Having identified distance as the greatest barrier to education for those living in rural areas, giving the learner a bicycle could reduce commute time by up to 75% between home and school. In the short term, bicycles help children attend school regularly and arrive better rested. In the long term, bicycles help children complete their education, preparing them for better jobs and reducing the likelihood of extreme poverty. On average, each additional year of education a child receives increases her or his adult earnings by 10%. And for each additional year of schooling completed by young adults, the country’s poverty rate falls by 9%. Some of the highest returns of all are associated with educating girls. This being the case, education must be available to all people to enable them survive and develop to their maximum potential.

This is the basis of the project that was launched by CSR Network Zambia during the meeting – Ride-2-School Cycling Challenges. The Ride-2-School Challenge is a call to stakeholders to participate by sponsoring bicycles to be donated to learners in (five) locations across the country. CSR network Zambia, in partnership with Buffalo Bicycles Limited and World Bicycle Relief is organizing the “Ride-2-School” Bicycle Challenge in the following regions:

  1. Livingstone dubbed “The Mosi-o-Tunya Challenge” (3rd April 2021)
  2. Lusaka dubbed as “Ba Lusaka Challenge” (1st May 2021)
  3. Siavonga dubbed “The Kariba Challenge” (5th June 2021)
  4. Solwezi dubbed “The Mabanga Challenge” (Aug/Sept 2021)
  5. Chingola dubbed “The Kopala Challenge” (Nov/Dec 2021)

Participation the Cycling Challenges is open to all – individuals and organiations. Cycling is a sport with minimal participant contact and therefore will adhere to set health and safety guidelines for participants. Companies can participate by financing the bicycles. Participation in the Cycling Challenge is open to teams sponsored by corporates as well as individual cyclists.

For more details, contact the CSR Network Zambia Secretariat by sending an email to projects(a)csrzambia.org or calling +260 977 843926.

wpChatIcon