By BENEDICT TEMBO
First National Bank (FNB) Zambia has announced one-year partnerships with KUPES Young Women’s Network and Posterity Solutions aimed at accelerating youth mentorship and empowerment initiatives.
KUPES is a non-profit organisation founded in 2014 devoted to the development of young women and girls.
It’s mission is to empower young women by educating and equipping them with skills and opportunities that will enable them become leaders actively participating in the shaping of their world in reducing poverty, ending violence against women, catalysing communities, and pioneering social and economic development.
Posterity was founded in 2022 with the goal of seeing a population with shared values that are aimed at concerted efforts towards national development.
The organisation aims to create a legacy of effective leadership by training today’s leaders to mentor and inspire the next generation.
Posterity is a call to positively influence cultural change to a whole persons’ growth concept and using personal development approach as a vehicle, thereby investing in the next generation of Zambian leaders.
Speaking on the strategic partnerships, FNB Zambia Head – Strategic Marketing and Communications, Kasali Mwaba-Kaingu commended KUPES and Posterity for the shared commitment to create a better world by providing real help, aligned to the bank’s ethos of ‘How can we help you?’.
“At FNB, we see ourselves as part of the solution to the societal challenges youths face. This understanding is under-pinned on the basis that the majority of FNB Zambia employees are youths.
Therefore, we make deliberate efforts to support not only our employees, but the communities we operate in so that we can collectively provide tangible and sustainable solutions to empower the youth to positive contribute to the growth and wellbeing of our society,” Mrs. Kaingu said.
“This is the second year that we are partnering with KUPES to support the work they do in helping young women and girls to realize their potential, demonstrating the bank’s confidence in these activities.
This year, FNB is particularly excited to commence the partnership with Posterity Solutions under the Ascend Men’s Mentorship Program, where we will reach young boys across the country with a tailored mentorship program, carefully designed for boys. We are happy to take lead on this initiative by investing resources in meeting the growing need for boys in Zambia to get inspiration and guidance that will help them to shape a successful path. FNB is passionate about working with like-minded organizations focused on creating positive societal impact and the investment in the two organizations over the next one-year period will go a long way in offering the help needed in our communities”, she added.
KUPES Young Women’s Network Founder Norena Chiteba said, “We started the KUPES activities in February 2015 with a membership of nine girls and have since grown to a network of about 3,000 members. This achievement would not have been possible without the support of organizations like FNB Zambia who share our vision of meaningful impact to support young women. We are excited to continue the partnership with FNB so that we can elevate our activities to reach more girls across the country”.
Posterity Solutions Founder, Mina Tavaris Mukuma said “The Ascend Men’s Mentorship Programme has been carefully crafted to empower boys to take up leadership positions through mentorship from a network of men who will receive the requisite training. Our focus is to create a legacy of effective leadership by training today’s leaders to mentor and inspire the next generation. We would like to thank FNB for starting what will become a movement of men’s mentorship, something that other corporate organizations can emulate”.
FNB Zambia’s focus on real help has seen the bank embark on different community initiatives that include among others:
• Delivery of financial literacy education in partnership with Project Concern Zambia for women empowerment groups, and as part of Financial Literacy Week in the 23 locations where the Bank has branch presence.
• Donation of sewing machines and a peanut butter-making machine to the Mother of Millions Sandulula Women’s Empowerment program in Kitwe, that works with formerly incarcerated women.
• Donation of sanitary material to Chikankanta Secondary School in partnership with Awanachi Magazine as the Bank seeks to address period poverty that continues to impact access to education.
• Building and handover of a 1 x 2 classroom block equipped with desks and an ablution block to a community school in Luanshya with an aim to increase literacy levels.
FNB Zambia’s vision is to create a better world by offering real help in the communities that the Bank operates in. In April this year, FNB celebrated 14 years of operating in Zambia and the Bank continues to position itself as a helpful, innovative, digitally led financial and lifestyle services provider, adapting to the evolving needs of the diverse customers.
The bank is built on offering real and intuitive help and this is reflected in how the Bank continues to innovate and re-invent its products and services, as well as its societal impact.
