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NEDNAMIBIA HOLDINGS LIMITED

As part of its commitment to Nedbank Group’s Deep Green aspirations, particularly with regard to being ‘highly involved in the community and environment’, Nedbank Namibia supported a variety of programmes during 2008.

CORPORATE SOCIAL INVESTMENT: EDUCATION

Ekondopeko
Ekondopeko, an Oshiwambo word meaning ‘strengthening’, is a joint Nedbank-Old Mutual initiative – in association with the Namibian Mathematics Institute. The programme aims to improve the standard of mathematics tuition at secondary- school level, and Nedbank has contributed a total of N$180 000 over the past three years, thereby enabling the fantastic results that have been achieved.

Since the inception of the programme in 2004, the Kavango Region has managed to double its percentage of students who score A-symbols in Mathematics. Better still, the Kavango Region is ranked joint first in terms of students having scored a C-symbol or better in Grade 12 Mathematics, when compared with the results of the remaining 12 educational regions in Namibia.

Old Mutual and NedNamibia Education Trust
Nedbank Namibia and Old Mutual pledged their full commitment to empowerment and transformation in Namibia when the Old Mutual Namibia and NedNamibia Education Trust was officially launched on 27 November 2008. The Education Trust was established with the objective of providing bursaries to trade union members and their dependants, and is part of the landmark broad-based black economic empowerment transaction announced by the Old Mutual Group in August 2006. Bursaries will be awarded on the basis of academic achievement and the financial needs of applicants and will provide funding to study on a full- or parttime basis for an undergraduate or postgraduate degree or diploma at an accredited higher-education institution in the SADC region. The first 10 recipients studying towards degrees in Medicine, Engineering, Computer Science and Accounting have already been announced.


ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT

ZERI Mushroom Development and Promotion Project
Nedbank, together with various stakeholders, launched the ZERI Mushroom Development and Promotion Project in the town of Mariental in the southern Hardap Region during 2008.

Nedbank’s donation of N$450 000 will ensure that the project realises its potential to enhance food production and create significant income-generating opportunities for small, micro and medium enterprises in the
region.

A number of other sites around the country – including Katutura, Gobabis, Okaku and now also Mariental – are producing mushrooms, and this project will soon be extended to at least one other region.

Nedbank SME Development Project
This initiative, managed by Polytechnic of Namibia’s Centre for Entrepreneurial Development, will be funded by Nedbank for the next two years at an overall cost of close to N$275 000. In 2008, for the first time, training was conducted at centres outside the Namibian capital, Windhoek, and saw small- and medium-enterprise (SME) business owners receiving education on various aspects of business development, business leadership, customer care, tendering processes and communication in business.

The training sessions in Windhoek continued, with SME participants being trained on four modules, namely SME management, customer care, bookkeeping, financial planning and budgetary control.

Women’s Action for Development
During 2008 Nedbank contributed to the efforts of Women’s Action for Development (WAD) through BBBEE partner dividend payouts and financial support of WAD field days. Thanks to WAD, approximately 5 000 unemployed individuals across all 13 regions of the country were trained in basic computer literacy, office administration and typing, catering, nutrition and kitchen hygiene as well as basic needlework during 2008 in order to strengthen their chances of finding job placements in the labour market or to become self- employed.
 
Namibian Women Summit 2008
The Namibian Women Summit has become an important event on Namibia’s social calendar, showcasing the achievements of women and empowering them with knowledge they can implement in their businesses and lives. A total of 285 women, including a number of regional councillors, mayors and deputy mayors from all 13 regions in the country participated in this year’s event, with Nedbank being one of the main cosponsors.

 

SPORT

Namibia Junior Golf Foundation
Nedbank’s support of the Namibia Junior Golf Foundation was continued in 2008 with an overall sponsorship of N$200 000 aimed at developing golf at grassroots level across the country.

The sponsorship focuses on providing young golfers, aged 19 and under, especially from previously disadvantaged areas, with training programmes and the opportunity to compete in tour cup tournaments across the country, as well as international competitions.

Two of the top boys from this foundation were sent to the Ernie Els Championships in George, South Africa, during 2008, while rising star, Bonita Bredenhann, ended among the top 10 of the girls division. Bonita was selected for the Namibia National Ladies side to compete in Egypt in 2008 and was also named Namibia’s Junior Sportswoman of the Year.

Victory Race Series
In 2008 Nedbank partnered Old Mutual in the Old Mutual Victory Race Series (VRS) for the first time. The VRS promotes the sport of running and provides a training opportunity for runners to participate both locally and internationally. This year’s series broke all entry records with close on 1 000 runners taking part, making it the biggest half-marathon in the country. As part of the bursary scheme associated with the event, junior bursaries were awarded to Lavinia Haitopi and Daniel Nghipandulwa to assist them in developing their academic and sporting talent to its fullest potential.

 

HIV/AIDS

Polytechnic of Namibia’s HIV/Aids and Alcohol Awareness Campaign 2008
Nedbank contributed N$25 000 to the 12th HIV/Aids and Alcohol Awareness campaign organised in 2008 by the Offices of the Rector and Dean of Students of the Polytechnic of Namibia. The theme for the year was ‘Responsible choices are cool’, and the aim of the campaign was to mitigate the impact of HIV/Aids and alcohol on the Namibian society and to equip students with skills to make responsible choices with regard to alcohol and possible exposure to HIV/Aids.

 

ENVIRONMENT

Climate Change Symposium
The African Union Heads of Mission Group in Namibia, together with Nedbank Namibia, hosted a symposium entitled ‘Climate Change – How prepared is Africa?’ The symposium formed part of the activities to honour Africa Day celebrations on 25 May and focused on climate change projections for Africa, while outlining strategies to help African communities and economies to mitigate against, and adapt to, the impact of climate change. Nedbank contributed N$30 000 as part of its strong commitment to enhance conservation and protect important habitats and natural resources in Namibia.
 
Go Green Fund
Namibia is one of Africa’s leaders in wildlife and environmental conservation and has adopted the United Nations Agenda 21 principles. However, funding of the initiative is limited, which makes private sector initiatives imperative.

Nedbank Namibia’s Go Green Fund strives to help to conserve species and cultivate awareness countrywide. For every home loan funded through Nedbank Namibia, the bank donates N$500 to the fund, while for every Nedbank vehicle finance agreement exceeding a predetermined amount N$150 is donated – at no cost to clients.

Some of the projects supported in 2008 were as follows:

STAFF PARTICIPATION

The year 2008 again saw Nedbank Namibia staffmembers taking an active role in supporting the communities in which the bank operates. Staff hosted a Nedbank Christmas Cheer programme at Rehoboth in the Hardap Region, where donations were handed over to the pediatric ward at the St Mary’s Hospital. Close to 80 children, most of them orphaned by or living with HIV/Aids enjoyed a proper Christmas party, received gift packs from staffmembers and were entertained by the Nedbank Singers.

Nedbank and NedPlan Insurance Brokers also donated N$5 000 to the SOS Children’s Village in the Khomasdal suburb of Windhoek. The money was raised via an art auction organised by NedPlan Insurance Brokers, the Frame Gallery and Charl du Preez Photography. So successful was the event that it will in future be an annual event aimed at bringing together clients and staff to raise funds for the SOS Children’s Village.

Nedbank’s Windhoek South Branch teamed up with the local publication, Consumer News, to bring joy and Christmas gifts to the children at the Megameno Orphanage in Windhoek’s Katutura suburb.