UBA Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of the United Bank for Africa Plc, on Friday held the 2019 edition of its annual “Each One, Teach One” initiative, where the bank’s staff members in its subsidiaries across Africa deploy their time and skills to their host communities.
As part of the initiative, the bank’s staff were seen within their communities, teaching and assisting the less privileged, especially students and people living with disabilities.
Executive Director, Lagos and West Bank, Marketing, Ayoku Liadi, who represented UBA’s Group Managing Director, and the Chairman of UBA Foundation, Kennedy Uzoka, at the event in Lagos, expressed excitement at the initiative. As a corporate entity, he noted, UBA, through its Foundation has decided to give back as a family, beginning with imparting knowledge and skills to students and participants.
Now in its second year, the initiative, Liadi said, “is to help the underprivileged and young children learn vocational skills that will assist them along the path to financial freedom as they start businesses of their own. We have, therefore, created a platform to encourage people who have various skills and talents to pass this on to the younger generation.”
Addressing students at the Onikan Youth Centre, Liadi seized the opportunity to lecture participants on financial literacy, and the importance of students embracing the culture of financial cautiousness from a tender age.
“At UBA, we want students to inculcate the habit of savings, especially for the rainy day. It is important that you are cautious about the future, because nothing is guaranteed. Therefore ensure that you bear this in mind when you receive your pocket money and allowance no matter how little; because when you save today, it will go a long way to help you tomorrow.”
Students from Modupe Cole Memorial Childcare and Treatment Home; Standard Hallmark College, Mushin; Child Life-Line, Lagos and Moyin Rainbow Foundation, Lagos; were some of the students who participated at the event.
Chief Executive Officer, UBA Foundation, Mrs. Bola Atta, said the initiative going on simultaneously in 20 countries across Africa, aimed at impacting lives positively in a very meaningful way, and was driven by UBA staff members who were very happy to give back to the society.
“At UBA Foundation, we are constantly being asked by other staff members how they can help. A lot of people are genuinely interested in doing good. With the Each One Teach One initiative, you don’t need a huge sum of money, you just need to give of your time and talent to at least one other person. It is simple. It is effective and the impact is ginormous imagine how many people across 20 countries in Africa benefitted today from someone just taking a little time to help them acquire new skills or hone old ones. There is something really gratifying about giving back. It helps the communities and helps you grow as an individual.’ Said Atta
The thousands of UBA staff across the continent, according to a statement by the group, voluntarily committed their time to teach youths various activities such as foreign languages, photography, tae kwon do, fashion designing, martial arts, first aid, cooking, hairdressing, mathematics, reading, music and much more.
Photo caption: Executive Director, United Bank for Africa Plc, Ayoku Liadi; CEO, UBA Foundation, Mrs. Bola Atta; Head, Brand Management, UBA Plc, Lashe Osoba, flanked by students of various schools during the second edition of the UBA Foundation’s ‘Each One, Teach One’ initiative where UBA Staff teach and assist the less privileged, especially students and people living with disabilities across Africa, held in Lagos on Friday.
