National Bank of Malawi grabs the Chartered Institute of Marketing CSI award

National Bank of Malawi (NBM) plc says its elated with the Corporate Social Investment (CSI) award it won at the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM)-Malawi Marketing Excellence Awards held at the weekend in Lilongwe.

NBM Corporate Affairs Manager Annie Magola said in an interview with Nyasa Times that the bank is excited that it has been recognized for its corporate social responsibility programmes by the professional marketing body for a second year running.

“Most of the projects we have done in 2017 have a great impact on the communities. I can give you an example of the supply of clean and safe water to primary schools and hospitals as a great initiative considering that it is targeting patients and the future leaders of this country, our pupils from primary schools,” said Magola.

She also said the bank introduced scholarships in public universities to under-privileged students as another initiative which will give opportunity to capable students achieve their ambitions and goals.

“At the beginning of this year, we launched a go green campaign where we partnered with Malawi Army and the Roman catholic Archdiocese of Blantyre is supplying and planting trees in over-deforestrated areas such as the Zomba Mountain because we realize the effects of wanton cutting down of trees,” added Magola.

Magola said the bank has a solid CSR policy which was approved by its board of directors and guides them in carrying out CSR activities every year in the areas of health, education, environment, natural disasters, economic empowerment and orphanages.

“Our policy allows us to spend up to 1% of our net profit for the previous year. In 2017 we had a generous amount to share with our communities. As a business we do not work in isolation, we work within communities across the country so the issues that affect the communities affect us as well hence our CSR activities,” said Magola.