26 May 2020

National Development Bank (NDB) staff and management have donated food hampers worth P70 000 to Francistown City Council towards the COVID-19 food relief initiative.

Handing over the donation, National Development Bank Francistown branch customer service manager, Ms Colleen Phiri said the hampers were bought with part of the funds raised by the bank employees.

Ms Phiri said management and staff of NDB country wide from four branches of Gaborone, Palapye, Francistown and Maun collectively contributed and donated about P363 000 worth of food hampers. The raised amount was shared amongst the four branches.

The donation, she said, was a response to a plea by President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi for contributions to assist in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

She said the donation demonstrated the bank’s social corporate responsibility towards the social upliftment of Francistown residents who were affected by COVID-19 pandemic.

Furthermore, she said that also demonstrated NDB’s spirit of togetherness in ensuring and adhering to extreme social distancing regulations.

She said the assistance was also extended to the bank’s customers who were given an opportunity to supply food hampers as a way of supporting their businesses. She said this had assisted their customers a great deal especially those whose businesses were affected by COVID-19 pandemic.

In his welcome remarks, Francistown City Council deputy Mayor, Mr Gaethuse Ramolotsana appreciated the donation, noting that government alone could not afford to assist all people affected.

Receiving the donation, deputy City Clerk- Technical Services Mr Lawrence Mokotedi said they were delighted to receive the food donation and assured the bank officials that the donation would benefit the deserving households.

 Mr Mokotedi further said council had so far assessed 18 040 households and 17 532 households were given their food basket.

He also said the council was about to complete food basket distribution and was still evaluating the exercise to ensure that deserving people had benefitted. Ends