Equity Bank Kenya has been closely engaged in corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives since its launch in 1984. The award for Africa’s best bank for corporate responsibility this year is recognition of its position as a leader in the field.
The Nairobi-based lender describes its mission as a simple one: to empower its clients and stakeholders both socially and economically. It says it was the social aspect of this mission statement that saw it establish the Equity Group Foundation (EGF) back in 2008, with a mandate to create “shared value” for the most vulnerable citizens.
All the bank’s extensive CSR-related initiatives are channelled through the foundation’s six pillars: education and leadership development; food and agriculture; health; enterprise development and financial inclusion; social protection and energy; environment and climate change.
First and foremost is education. The point of this pillar is to “develop and inspire a generation of young leaders” able to generate the kind of social change and economic growth the country – and the continent – clearly need.
In