As the country marks the 2019 Children’s Day, leading Nigerian Bank,
Guaranty Trust Bank Plc (GTBank) has launched a nationwide initiative,
tagged #BeatTheDistance, to improve educational outcomes for children in
rural communities by easing the difficulties they face with mobility to
school and back. Through the initiative, the Bank is providing students
in remote parts of the country with bicycles to reduce the time and
energy they expend in getting to school whilst helping to boost their
attendance and focus on academics.
One of the biggest barriers to education for millions of children in
Nigeria’s rural communities is often the physical act of getting to
school, which could be as far as 10 kilometres away from home. The
challenge of covering such distance twice every day on foot, coupled
with the responsibility of doing chores in the morning, significantly
curtails school attendance rate, increases the chances of students
dropping out, and hampers academic performance. By providing them with
bicycles, the Bank aims to empower the children most affected by these
challenges beat the distance, not just to school, but between their
present realities and immense potential.
Organized as part of the GTBank CSR Action for Rural Empowerment Scheme
(GTBank CARES), the initial stage of the #BeatTheDistance initiative
will focus on children in 20 rural communities across the Taraba, Enugu
and Ondo States. Jerry Hannatu, a student of Government Technical
Training School, Jalingo, is one of the first beneficiaries of the
initiative. Before receiving the bicycle from GTBank, he had to trek for
an hour and half to get to school. Now, his 10 kilometre journey to
school takes him about a quarter of that time. Jerry and other
beneficiaries like him will now be able to spend less time travelling to
school and more time in the classroom improving their academic
performance and attaining the skills and knowledge to reach their full
potential.
Commenting on the Bank’s #BeatTheDistance initiative, the Managing
Director and Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Bank plc, Mr
Segun Agbaje, said; “Children are our greatest hope for a better future,
and it is our duty to ensure that every child has access to quality
education regardless of their socioeconomic background or geographic
location. As an institution that is passionate about empowering young
people to reach their full potential, this initiative reflects our
commitment to building a society where distance is no longer a barrier
to education for any child, and in every community.”
He further stated that “At GTBank, we will continue to leverage our
unique capabilities and broad networks to help people and communities
thrive. Whether we are intervening in public education, investing in
underserved communities, promoting the Arts or working to protect the
environment, we are constantly looking for creative and impactful ways
to touch lives and give back to society.”
GTBank is regarded by industry watchers as one of the best run African
financial institutions across its subsidiary countries and serves as a
role model within the financial service industry due to its bias for
world class corporate governance standards, excellent service quality
and innovation. The Bank, through its clearly defined Corporate Social
Responsibility, champions education for all, empowers under-served
people and communities, expands access to healthcare, promotes African
Art and advocates for environmental protection. In 2018 alone, the Bank
carried out more than one hundred CSR projects across the 36 states and
Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria, impacting the lives of hundreds of
thousands of people and supporting some of the most underserved
communities in the country.