07 Aug 2022

The Standard Chartered Foundation continues to roll out its corporate social responsibility initiatives amongst the youth.

The foundation recently commissioned the new two-year Futuremakers Botswana’s third programme in Gaborone

Speaking during the event, Standard Chartered Bank, Chief Executive Officer, Mr Mpho Masupe said the new programme, would  use P3.9 million to continue to upskill the youth for the years 2022/23.

 He said the initiatives were closely aligned to the company’ strategic stands, which were broadly themed around sustainability and lifting participation of women in society.

He explained that Futuremakers was a partnership programme between the bank and Young Africa Botswana, which provided entrepreneurship skills, training business mentorship and it is a one stop centre for businesses.

Mr Masupe said the theme for the event was, “It Works”, adding that they say it works because they had proof of the work that happened.

He said since its inception in 2022, the foundation had committed a total of P6 million to the programme, with 1280 beneficiaries having been served with eight programmes, exceeding the target of 1139. 

He said 89 per cent of the beneficiaries were now economically active.

Mr Masupe said they monitored and evaluated the programme continuously to ensure that their alumni walk away with the requisite knowledge and skills to become employable and start their own businesses.

The Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Entrepreneurship, Mr Lameck Nthekela noted that COVID-19 had a devastating impact and far reaching consequences on global economies and programmes such as Futuremakers would ensure the reskilling and re-energising the youth to be able to start and grow their businesses

Mr Nthekela said the programme, which was aligned to the Ministry of Entrepreneurship’s mandate of finding purposeful and innovative ways of engaging with private sector, would also help the government to live up to its promise of ensuring that no one was left behind.

He said the programme would also help the country to achieve Vision 2036 ideals of becoming self-sustaining, as well as improving its economic outlook.

Mr Nthekela thus challenged other stakeholders to form productive partnerships, saying their efforts would go a long way in preparing the youth for the future. Ends