By Toyosi Olajide
As part of its effort to positively touch the lives of underprivileged children in Africa, Access bank has donated R360,000 to Nelson Mandela Children’s Trust Fund.
The Bank also successfully hosted its maiden Polo tournament held at the prestigious Val de Vie Polo Club in Cape Town, South Africa.
The event was held to create awareness and raise funds to support the education of underprivileged children in Africa.
The initiative through the Nelson Mandela Foundation (NMCF) in partnership with Fifth Chukker further deepened the Bank’s commitment towards impacting the environment and positively touching the lives of underprivileged children in Africa.
Group Managing Director, Access Bank Plc, Herbert Wigwe who led other top officials of Access Bank to the event, expressed delight that the Charity tournament is achieving its main objectives.
Wigwe said, “About 12 years ago, we decided to act and positively impact the lives of underprivileged children in Africa, including South Africa.
“The first Charity Tournament saw us impact 400 children and now, the number has grown to 12,000 children who have been educated across the northern part of Nigeria. Henceforth, every December will be dedicated to this course; we will set aside money to support underprivileged children in South Africa through the Nelson Mandela Foundation,” Wigwe said.
Chief Executive Officer, Access Bank South Africa, Sugendhree Reddy said, “This successful engagement was made possible because of the opportunities provided by the South African government to establish our presence in this relatively new market.
“Access Bank is here to deliver value and excellent service to customers in South Africa. Hence, we will collaborate with all stakeholders to create optimal solutions and serve as Africa’s gateway to the rest of the world,” he said.
The event saw hundreds of game enthusiasts throng the venue to watch the beautiful game of Polo, as teams competed for the Access Bank Gold Cup and Emily Aig-Imoukhuede Memorial Cup – commissioned by Fifth Chukker in memory of one of Nigeria’s most accomplished women and former President of the National Council of Women Societies, Emily Aig-Imoukhede.
Asides the R360, 000 donation received from Access Bank, NMCF also received funds generated from the sale of artworks at the event.
Access Bank has been at the forefront of creating awareness and supporting the education of underprivileged children in Africa through raising much-needed funds for organizations such as UNICEF.