Yemisi Izuora
The First Bank of Nigeria Limited, has announced that the 2019 edition of its Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability, CR&S, themed Ripples of Kindness, Putting You First, and billed for July 1 – 6, will cover the six geopolitical zones of the country.
The bank is also extending the programme to its business locations in Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Senegal, Sierra Leone, DR Congo and The United Kingdom.
The CR&S week is driven to amplify the bank’s culture of “Employee Giving & Volunteering Programme” with a focus on reinforcing the values of the Bank’s SPARK (Start Performing Acts of Random Kindness) initiative through a wide range of strategically designed activities. SPARK is a values-based initiative designed to raise consciousness that promote kindness to one another.
Amongst the activities to be carried out in the course of the week is the Nice Comments Day; a day set aside to foster words of encouragement, support and kindness to people around you, regardless of ones’ familiarity or close ties. The bank recognises that kind words are largely instrumental to lighting up one’s day and also bringing out the best in one.
Other activities in the course of the FirstBank CR&S week are visits to the less privileged homes as well as the promotion of the SPARK initiative in schools. The objective of the SPARK initiative in schools is to embed the values of SPARK amongst school children at a young age so it becomes part and parcel of them, forming a habit and nature as they develop into adulthood.
Through the values of the SPARK initiative – Compassion, Civility, Charity and Connection – , the Bank believes that every act of kindness is critical to promoting a peaceful co-existence amongst everyone in the society and building a prosperous society and nation at large.
On the Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability, CR&S, Week 2019, Folake Ani-Mumuney, group head, Marketing and Corporate Communications of FirstBank, said “Our 2019 CR&S week is aimed at reinforcing FirstBank’s corporate culture of encouraging giving and volunteering among its employees and the larger society. We believe that every act of kindness goes a long way in leaving an indelible impact in the life of people which indeed underscores why it is important for everyone to Start Performing Act of Random Kindness. No matter how little, every act of kindness indeed makes the world a better place.