SLB in corporate drive to warm the nation
As the icy grip winter tightens across Lesotho, many Basotho, particularly in remote and underserved areas face the harsh season without the basic necessities to stay warm. In response to this pressing need, Standard Lesotho Bank has once again stepped forward with a powerful display of corporate empathy and national pride through its highly anticipated Winter Drive initiative.
The Winter Drive is more than just a charitable effort but a heartfelt movement designed to bring warmth, comfort as well as hope to those affected by the biting cold.
The bank mobilizes its staff, partners and broader stakeholders to collect and distribute essential winter supplies, ranging from warm blankets and clothes to food parcels and heating equipment. These efforts directly reach orphanages, elderly homes and other vulnerable communities that often struggle during this unforgiving season.
What makes the Winter Drive truly special is its personal touch. Employees of the bank actively participate in the campaign, not only contributing goods but also visiting beneficiaries to offer emotional support and encouragement.
Public Eye reporter, ‘Mantšang Khutlisi (PE), sat down with Marketing Manager-PR, Comms and Sponsorships, Manyathela Kheleli (MK),to discuss the bank’s role regarding the Winter Drive initiative.
Below is an excerpt of the interview.
PE: How does Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) fit into Standard Lesotho Bank’s overall mission and brand identity?
MK: Social responsibility for us, is that, we looked them as part of our obligations more than anything else, looking further to do business with Basotho to the extent possible, so as to plough back into communities to make a difference more especially to vulnerable communities. We are fulfilling our obligation as a business in the country to make a difference.
PE: What are the key pillars or focus areas of the bank’s broader CSR strategy in Lesotho?
MK: Broader pillars include health and wealth, we also are in to education as well as environment, we also have another leg that we do for sponsorships where we look after arts and sports.
PE: How does the bank identify and prioritize the communities and needs it supports through its CSR initiatives?
MK: We work with organizations that are fully registered, in the country, legally so but in instances where we get to work with orphanages or care facilities in general, we work in partnership with the Ministry of Social Development.
PE: What specific societal challenges in the country is the bank most committed to addressing through its CSR efforts?
MK: In would mostly be in the area of health and welfare. We are currently under health working on a very ambitious project to bring the first ever cancer hospice in the country that is currently under construction and the value there of is in access of M5 million in monetary terms and our contribution together with what we got from our partners in kind and in cash is in the region of M2 million, a very unique model that has helped us to reach that milestone.
On the other hand, under health and welfare, we do have a budget but we are also working with customers as well as staff of Standard Lesotho Bank to run what we now call the Winter Drive.
With the Winter Drive, we called upon our staff as well as customers across all branches of the country and people of good will to donate gently used clothing and when they do that, we are also going to use our budget to purchase blankets to support three groups of the vulnerable, first starting with the elderly, people with disabilities as well as orphanages.
PE: What specifically prompted Standard Lesotho Bank to launch this major Winter Drive initiative focused on foodstuffs and clothing?
MK: Looking at our terrain, Lesotho is the coldest country on the African continent, and looking at the statistics, one understands that from high unemployment, it gives a picture of the level of need that is required in our society so we see them every day that there is a need when you compare one who has something to wear and some form of sources of heat and to those who have nothing at all that the numbers are polarized.
It is the responsibility of those who have to support the others so that they can have something combat the harsh weather conditions.
PE: Was there a particular observation, data point, or community feedback that highlighted the acute need this winter?
MK: Yes, statistics are there of poverty data line, we know as a country we are way below when it comes to that, so it means the peopleare there.
PE: How does this Winter Drive align with the bank’s assessment of the current socio-economic challenges facing vulnerable Basotho, especially during winter?
MK: Obviously there is a correlation there, in a sense that the statistics are there to prove it. Not so long ago, we saw thousands and hundreds of youth queuing in numbers looking for opportunities, and those opportunities are few, so this is one way of saying we see you and maybe what we are doing is a gesture of hope, and to say regardless of the challenges they are facing, there are some organizations and people under the umbrella of Standard Lesotho Bank that do still care.
PE: Beyond immediate relief, what deeper impact did the bank hope to achieve with this specific drive – in terms of dignity, hope and community solidarity?
MK: We obviously want to go a long way because one’s dignity is a secret. We believe in helping the needy and also maintain dignity to such so that they get a glimmer of hope to say it is not all doom and gloom, and we hope to motivate them as well or the betterment of the world regardless of their strength and social standing.
PE: Why was the focus chosen specifically on both foodstuffs and warm clothing, how does this address the multifaceted nature of hardship in winter?
MK: Winter is expensive for everyone and it does not matter how rich one, so if one is already vulnerable they become more disadvantaged meaning the consumption of food and energy is much higher so it means while in winter, the body demands more. It means when it is winter, one is worse off so we believe this is the right intervention.
PE: How did the bank identify the beneficiaries and ensure the aid reached those most in need?
MK: We are running this campaign where we started as staff and we are going to continue till the 19th now inviting our customers as well as members of the public. We are also in an engagement with the Ministry of Social Development they are the experts, they are the one who have database of all the organizations throughout the country that specializes with vulnerable people and when we approached them, they welcomed us with open arms and affirmed that the intervention that we are doing is exactly what this country needs. We bank on their support.
PE: What were the biggest logistical or operational challenges in organizing and executing a drive of this scale?
MK: This is a test and learn in a sense that we did it last year and it worked very well but was not this big, we worked with staff and also collaborated with Blue Ribbon and South African High Commission last year, this year we are going big.
PE: Can you share a particularly memorable story or moment encountered during the collection or distribution process?
MK: We have not distributed now, but there are a lot of memorable stories as last week we were doing a drive by Tower Square, a lot of people did not have an idea of what was going on, but were touched. People drove back home during lunch to collect and donate so the response has been overwhelming, it demonstrates that when we do initiatives such as this one, even inviting the members of the public, our customers come in numbers to support us, because they see the good in what we are doing.
PE:How crucial were partnerships – NGOs, community groups, internal staff – to the success of the Winter Drive?
MK: We started this with staff and the support was great, they are even more enthusiastic, they do not only contribute but also volunteer themselves. We are working together in harmony towards one goal to bring smile to the needy.
PE: How were bank employees engaged in the initiative, what role did volunteerism play?
MK: Accountability and transparency comes in the partnership that we have with the Ministry of Social Development, they were very open minded and gave us all the necessary information so we are well informed and have no doubt that contributions that we got from the community are going to be put to good use to the relevant people.
PE: How did the bank balance the need for swift action with ensuring transparency and accountability in the process?
MK: We work with the relevant stakeholders to ensure that there is transparency and I must say, we have been in this collaboration warmly and fairly so without any setbacks.
PE: How does Standard Lesotho Bank measure the success and tangible impact of its CSR initiatives like the Winter Drive?
MK: We do surveys and we are driving the very same campaign and other campaigns of such nature when doing activities even of socials, we notice the comments that are coming out from Basotho and those positive feedbacks, the response is overwhelming and positive and that is a good measure of success.
We have received feedback from our social media platforms, very positive feedback where we see one responding in saying they are backing the initiative which the bank is doing and they are rooting for it in all ways, some saying they are even going to contribute.
PE: What mechanisms are in place to ensure transparency regarding the collection, use and distribution of donated items/funds?
MK: We work with the Ministry of Social Development as they are our main stakeholder in all this since they have all the statistics and so they help us a lot in the collection of the needed data.
PE: Based on the response to this drive, are there plans to make the Winter Drive an annual or recurring event, how might it evolve?
MK: We are growing from strength to strength, we began as staff and now we are extending to public and we can see it is positive. In the future, this is going to be even much bigger than Standard Lesotho Bank itself because the government through the Ministry of Social Development have indicated interest to mobilize the entire government going forward by all indications, it is going to be a national event.
PE: Looking beyond winter relief, how do initiatives like this feed into the bank’s longer-term community investment goals?
MK: This is just but one as I have indicated we have other projects across a number of different pillars, health and welfare are but a few as we are also in education as well as youth entrepreneurship which is a very import aspect, so with that pattern, we are always at the pulse of Basotho’s requirements as well as needs in general.
We do try to support, because it would be irresponsible of us to do the winter drive and seat back and say we have helped them then so we no longer help. It is a part and parcel of our daily activities.
PE: What message does Standard Lesotho Bank hope the Winter Drive sends to the Basotho nation about the Bank’s role and commitment to the country’s well-being?
MK: It is a reflection that Basotho where ever they are that they should know as we have demonstrated it many times across different activities that no one is ever alone, we are always there through it all and what is most important is the lives of Basotho and make them better than yesterday.
That is what is driving Standard Lesotho Bank and also in keeping with our purpose. We say Lesotho is our home, we drive her growth. There is still hope and there are still organizations such as Standard Lesotho Bank that care.
