NDB conducts workshop in rural communities through employee volunteerism
With a view to making ‘Responsible Behaviour’ an integral part of the bank, two teams from NDB including staff from diverse departments conducted a workshop in a rural village in Anuradhapura.
Kaluwila Hidogama is a rural village in the Anuradhapura region where the main income is from farming. The community, which is one of the most impoverished areas in the city of Anuradhapura, faces many problems due to poverty. The needs are many including technical know-how, new equipment, as well as health issues. The farmers are from the lowest income bracket and there are about 200 families with around 600 people. The individuals are unaware of family planning and health.
The farmers are from the lowest income segment and the families face many challenges. The needs are many including technical know-how, new equipment, as well as health issues. Therefore the two teams from the bank including staff from diverse departments such as HR, corporate banking, finance, planning and MIS, bank strategy, recoveries and network management, selected this as their CSR project.
The project included a workshop as well as distribution of dry rations, equipment such as mammoties, as well as a special ‘Tikiri Peya’ children’s programme conducted by NDB’S own ‘Pancha Mama’. The workshops included a health and well-being session by Pushpa Ramyani, a session on motivation and mind-set change by Dilshan Lankathilake of HR and a session on ‘How to manage personal finances’ by NDB’S own micro finance expert Shalika Priyangani. Over 800 villagers and 150 children benefited from this project.
NDB commenced the ‘employee volunteerism’ CSR initiative in 2009. As a responsible corporate citizen, NDB believes that ‘community involvement’ goes beyond core business activities and with an objective of creating value through employee participation, the bank encourages its employees to volunteer their time and effort to give back to the community.
Employee volunteering programmes can allow workers to feel that the work they do is not only contributing to the overall success of the company, but that it is also helping out a charitable cause that is important to them. Whilst, inculcating responsibility towards the community and environment in all NDB employees, this initiative also motivates them to venture out on their own and implement their own projects.
In 2018, the bank’s employees were divided into 10 teams consisting of staff based at the bank’s Head Office and eight regional teams. The teams are in the process of completing the projects which all come under the umbrella of education, environment or entrepreneurship.