Last Updated on: 1st December 2022, 12:25 pm
Stanbic gave items like triple-decker beds, mattresses, rice, maize flour, sugar, milk, cooking oil, among others.
By Nelly Otto
Jinja– December 1, 2022: The proverb, “A friend in need is a friend in deed” and so it was all smiles when Stanbic Bank Uganda (SBU) donated an assortment of items to the vulnerable children at the Precious Ones, a child care charity NGO, situated at West Zone C village, Mpumudde in Jinja City.
The items included triple-decker beds, mattresses, rice, maize flour, sugar, milk, cooking oil, soap, clothes and basins, among others were handed over by the officials of the bank led by the Regional Manager James Damulira and the Jinja branch Manager Bruno Agaba.
The NGO with about 100 children with ages from as low as one year to 14 is either orphans whose parents died of HIV/AIDs, or those abandoned by their parents due to the hard economic situation is led by Pastor Shamim Nabukera of Restoration of Christ Church.
Speaking at the handover ceremony held Sunday, Damulira said SBU is committed to supporting and uplifting the local communities in which it operates through what he calls Corporate Social Investment (CSI) and Employee Community Investment (ECI) programmes.
In line with the bank’s purpose statement dubbed, ‘Transforming Lives for A Better Uganda ‘Damulira who happily carried one of the babies said apart from education, they give a lot of focus on women empowerment.
“…we do not only give but reach out to schools and teach the young generation who are future parents and investors of tomorrow how to create jobs and offer solutions to local problems, we believe you are making a bigger contribution to the whole economy…” he said.
The Branch Manager Agaba told the community members who turned up to witness the ceremony that SBU has been running a Stanbic National Schools Championship in which more than 100 schools nationwide participate.
He said in the championship attention is put on areas of personal finance, business entrepreneurship and life skills towards the fulfilment of seven Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
On her part, Pastor Nabukera told her guests the facility has children from different backgrounds either abandoned or dumped by the mothers at her place when life becomes difficult.
She revealed that most of the children were produced by UPDF soldiers attached to the nearby Gadaffi Cantonment where they sneak to drink and socialise in Mupumude areas.
“…after impregnating the young mothers the soldiers abandon and some who are married begin threatening the mothers who end up being chased from homes by their parents or guardians…,” she said.
She listed nutrition, bedding and diseases as some of the biggest challenges the orphanage is facing due to limited funds which usually come from friends, well-wishers and partners.
On a light note the bank officials turned themselves into nursery and Sunday school teachers when they started leading the innocent looking children into songs of praise and worship.
It was interesting to see the bank officials known only for counting money and balancing books happily carrying and praying and dancing with the children who responded with excitement.