28 Apr 2014

First National Bank Botswana (FNBB) Letlhakane branch manager, Ms Elizabeth Botana says inadequate sanitation is a major cause of disease world-wide.

Ms Botana said this on April 25 when FNB Foundation trustee handed over a block of modern water system toilets to Seaseole Primary School in Letlhakane. She said improving sanitation was known to have a significant beneficial impact on health both in households and across communities.

She said pit latrines were no longer a safer option for sanitation purposes as they polluted underground water resources and could be a health hazard. She said the modern block brought new life, new devices and environmentally friendly operations that were easy to use.

Ms Botana said when it came to conserving water, some adjustments to the system could have a big impact. “We hope the school management and the students welcome the development and will practice all the water saving tips, I am glad to see our team having a hand in contributing towards better facilities to improve sanitation,” she said.

Ms Botana said FNBB placed a lot of importance in contributing to the upliftment of the community. She said the bank executed its corporate social responsibility (CSI) through the FNB Foundation.

Ms Botana said the FNB Foundation was one of the biggest corporate donors and a leader in CSI not only in the financial services sector but also in the country. Annually, she said the bank contributed one per cent of its profits after tax to the foundation.

She revealed that since its establishment in 2001, the foundation had invested more than P34 million in various projects, enriching and uplifting the lives of people in need across the country.  She said support is offered in areas of education, job creation, skills development, arts and culture, community sports and recreation and needy communities especially children.

“I am proud that FNB Foundation has made another milestone in development of better sanitation for our young community in Botswana and I assure that this is the beginning of good things to come to Letlhakane,” she said.

When officially opening the project, Letlhakane North West councillor, Mr Odirile Tawana said FNB Foundation had contributed immensely to the improvement of sanitation in the school and address a challenge that currently appear to the a great headache to council authorities of providing adequate facilities for the schools including toilets.

Cllr Tawana said government will continue to appeal to companies and individuals to assist with funding projects that will uplift the livelihoods of the community and even help in realising the vision pillars. He said as a result of shortage of funds government cannot execute some of the planned projects.

Mr Tawana said Seaseole Primary was one of the schools that were supposed to be covered through the backlog eradication project by constructing additional classroom blocks and toilets but the projects could not be implemented due to shortage of funds. Ends