Outline:
CalBank’s Commitment to Education and Literacy
CalBank has reaffirmed its dedication to education by donating over 30 cartons of reading materials to schools across the country. This initiative is part of the bank’s 35th anniversary celebrations and in observance of World Literacy Day. The donation, carried out in partnership with United Way Ghana, highlights the bank’s long-standing focus on social corporate responsibility (CSR) in areas such as education, health, and philanthropy.
During the event, which took place at St. Justin Anglican Cluster of Schools in Ablekuma, CalBank’s Managing Director (MD), Carl Asem, emphasized that the initiative reflects the bank’s commitment to giving back to society. He explained that the decision to donate on World Literacy Day was rooted in the belief that education is a fundamental right and that the bank has a role to play in supporting it.
“We specifically chose this day as part of our CSR efforts. We normally focus on education, health, and philanthropy, but we go back in our 35th year to show that all the staff we have have been educated through these means. Today, we are giving back to society by donating these books to the young ones. It aligns with our objectives, hence the decision to make this donation,” he stated.
The donation included a wide range of learning materials, from kindergarten to junior high school level. These were sourced both from staff contributions and from the bank itself. Mr. Asem highlighted the importance of encouraging staff to give back to their communities and to recognize the value of education beyond personal benefit.
“Both the staff and the bank contributed to the donation. It was important that for giving out, we also needed to encourage the staff that it’s not only what they benefit from the institution, but their willingness to give back to society and the community in which we operate,” he said.
Targeting Deprived Communities
CalBank deliberately selected deprived communities across its nationwide network for the initiative. Over 10 regions have already benefited from the program, ensuring that support reaches children who need it most. The bank is committed to measuring the impact of the initiative in collaboration with United Way Ghana.
“It is important that we come back to do an assessment with United Way to find out how it has impacted on their reading, the enthusiasm about how they are willing to develop reading. This is how we impact, and because education is part of our social responsibility, it’s an area that we will continue to focus on. That is why I was willing to tell them that we will come back again. For our coming back, it’s not only to give; but to see the impact that it’s having on society,” Mr. Asem emphasized.
Partnership with United Way Ghana
Philip Kwame Benson, Project Lead in Education at United Way Ghana, underscored the significance of the collaboration with CalBank, which has lasted for three years. He noted that United Way Ghana ensures every child in Ghana has access to materials that support quality education, and CalBank has been a key partner in this effort.
“We did our needs assessment and found out that this school has a large population and one of the challenges they face is access to reading and learning materials. So we reached out to them, and they said today being World Literacy Day, they would come and show their support. That is why we are here today,” Mr. Benson explained.
He added that the intervention was timely and expected to produce measurable improvements in literacy and academic performance. “We expect that, at least, what we have brought will be able to solve some of the challenges they are facing. We expect that this will help them improve on their literacy going forward, and also reflect in their B.E.C.E results.”
Support from Local Authorities
Oduro Abankwaa, the School Improvement Support Officer (SISO) for Ablekuma Circuit, praised CalBank’s donation, calling it timely support for pupils in deprived communities. He acknowledged that many students in the area face significant challenges, including limited access to educational resources.
“This gesture is very important. When Mr. Carl Asem was speaking, he made mention of the fact that some of the learners are in need, and it is true. If you look at the kind of learners we have here, unlike other schools, some are in need, so these materials are going to benefit them and ease our burden a lot,” he said.
However, Mr. Abankwaa also highlighted ongoing challenges faced by schools in the circuit. “For the needs, there are plenty. One of them is the lack of furniture. Because of the large enrolment, we need a lot of furniture in our classrooms. Sometimes there is maintenance that we need to do—maintenance of our windows, doors, and electricals. Another challenge is our refuse dump. Because the enrolment is huge, they make a lot of waste, and how to manage it is a challenge.”