LUSAKA, ZAMBIA – Stanbic Bank Zambia has pledged its continued support to the girl child and youths in general in the country.
Stanbic Bank Chief Executive Charles Mudiwa said the Bank has been working with youths in the past years supporting them with different programmes aimed at motivating them, uplifting their lives and preparing them for the future.
Mr Mudiwa spoke when 18-year-old Elizabeth Liswaniso shadowed him during an International Day of the Girl Child initiative recently.
Liswaniso was among the 50 girls countrywide that were shadowing different heads of organisations, institutions, ministers, managing directors and country directors of different institutions as part of commemorating the 2017 International Day of the Girl Child.
The girls who were organised by Plan International Zambia came from different partners that the organisation works with and shadowed leaders in Eastern, Luapula, Central and Lusaka Provinces.
Liswaniso who sat in for Mr Mudiwa was taken through all the departments at the Stanbic Head Office before heading to Parliament to attend a meeting with Mr Mudiwa.
“We are supporting women and girls at different levels. Young girls like you (Liswaniso), those growing up, professionals and employees of the bank,” Mr Mudiwa said.
He said the banks has had programmes with the First Ladies in the country from the time of the Rupiah Banda government.
“We invite youths both boys and girls from across the country for a week and on the last day they do shadowing like you. Some of the children have been successful and one is working at State house. We get youths from across Zambia some come to Lusaka for the first time.  We also have over 20 scholarships every year predominantly girl child,” he said.
He explained that the bank also offers scholarships, works with women under the Anakazi banking programme of entrepreneurship support to women and had partnered with some women organisations to offer discounts, training, access to finance, knowledge and networking.
And Mr Mudiwa said the bank had almost reached the 50-50 women and men representation and deliberately encourage assertiveness, confidence and articulate among women.
He also said the bank was supporting and building schools and supporting mother and child health by building mothers’ shelters in Mazabuka and one under construction in Chipata. “We are also working with the office of the vice president building a market in Chibombo,” he said.
Plan International Zambia spokesperson Lazarous Mwale said the shadowing was aimed at motivating the girls to aspire to take up leadership positions.
International Day of the Girl Child (Day of the Girl) is celebrated annually on October 11 to highlight issues concerning the gender inequality facing young girls. This year’s theme is “The Power of the Adolescent Girl: Vision for 2030.”