A well-known African proverb has it that if you educate a man, you educate an individual; but if you educate a woman, you educate a nation.
Through its unique program dubbed Women Enterprise Window, Kush Bank is adopting this wise saying by being at the forefront of engaging women community groups for financial inclusion and empowerment. Recently, the Bank’s staff visited a women entrepreneur’s project supported by KONETA, where they build clay stoves, produce environmentally friendly charcoal and other handcrafts.
The women in Gurei are supported by KONETA through training for self-sustaining projects such as smokeless coal made from wastepaper and knitting of wool products and other craft initiatives. In their diversification and to ensure each member’s growth, the women have a basic VSLA / tabletop banking setup where they extend peer-to-peer loans and other facilities. During the visit, Kush Bank offered the women’s group a free account and shortly after the hiring of Women’s Empowerment Specialist, the Bank will engage the women to further understand their needs and craft solutions related to Capex loans and a mix of credit, grants, sponsorships, and donations.
Additionally, Kush Bank committed to making monthly donations of all its shredded papers, which are a key component to the production of briquets, as well as sawdust from its timber projects in Western Equatoria. This partnership with the women of Gurei is a stepping stone towards having the women of South Sudan become active contributors to the development of the country in these critical years of transformation and value setting.
Kush Bank’s CSR efforts revolve around the below United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:
- Goal 1: No Poverty – This involves targeting the most vulnerable, increasing essential resources
and services, and supporting communities affected by conflict and climate-related disasters. - Goal 4: Quality Education – This involves ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and
promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. - Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation – This involves ensuring the availability and sustainable
management of water and sanitation for all. - Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth – This involves promoting sustained economic growth,
higher levels of productivity, and technological innovation by encouraging entrepreneurship and
job creation. - Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities – This consists of improving the regulation and monitoring of financial markets and institutions, encouraging development assistance and foreign direct investment to regions where the need is greatest.
If you have an initiative that aligns with the above SDGs and you would like us to consider participating in making it a reality, please reach out to our CSR team on [email protected]
