As the country marks the 2019 Children\u2019s Day, leading Nigerian Bank,
\nGuaranty Trust Bank Plc (GTBank) has launched a nationwide initiative,
\ntagged #BeatTheDistance, to improve educational outcomes for children in
\nrural communities by easing the difficulties they face with mobility to
\nschool and back. Through the initiative, the Bank is providing students
\nin remote parts of the country with bicycles to reduce the time and
\nenergy they expend in getting to school whilst helping to boost their
\nattendance and focus on academics.<\/p>\n
One of the biggest barriers to education for millions of children in
\nNigeria\u2019s rural communities is often the physical act of getting to
\nschool, which could be as far as 10 kilometres away from home. The
\nchallenge of covering such distance twice every day on foot, coupled
\nwith the responsibility of doing chores in the morning, significantly
\ncurtails school attendance rate, increases the chances of students
\ndropping out, and hampers academic performance. By providing them with
\nbicycles, the Bank aims to empower the children most affected by these
\nchallenges beat the distance, not just to school, but between their
\npresent realities and immense potential.<\/p>\n
Organized as part of the GTBank CSR Action for Rural Empowerment Scheme
\n(GTBank CARES), the initial stage of the #BeatTheDistance initiative
\nwill focus on children in 20 rural communities across the Taraba, Enugu
\nand Ondo States. Jerry Hannatu, a student of Government Technical
\nTraining School, Jalingo, is one of the first beneficiaries of the
\ninitiative. Before receiving the bicycle from GTBank, he had to trek for
\nan hour and half to get to school. Now, his 10 kilometre journey to
\nschool takes him about a quarter of that time. Jerry and other
\nbeneficiaries like him will now be able to spend less time travelling to
\nschool and more time in the classroom improving their academic
\nperformance and attaining the skills and knowledge to reach their full
\npotential.<\/p>\n
Commenting on the Bank\u2019s #BeatTheDistance initiative, the Managing
\nDirector and Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Bank plc, Mr
\nSegun Agbaje, said; \u201cChildren are our greatest hope for a better future,
\nand it is our duty to ensure that every child has access to quality
\neducation regardless of their socioeconomic background or geographic
\nlocation. As an institution that is passionate about empowering young
\npeople to reach their full potential, this initiative reflects our
\ncommitment to building a society where distance is no longer a barrier
\nto education for any child, and in every community.\u201d<\/p>\n
He further stated that \u201cAt GTBank, we will continue to leverage our
\nunique capabilities and broad networks to help people and communities
\nthrive. Whether we are intervening in public education, investing in
\nunderserved communities, promoting the Arts or working to protect the
\nenvironment, we are constantly looking for creative and impactful ways
\nto touch lives and give back to society.\u201d<\/p>\n
GTBank is regarded by industry watchers as one of the best run African
\nfinancial institutions across its subsidiary countries and serves as a
\nrole model within the financial service industry due to its bias for
\nworld class corporate governance standards, excellent service quality
\nand innovation. The Bank, through its clearly defined Corporate Social
\nResponsibility, champions education for all, empowers under-served
\npeople and communities, expands access to healthcare, promotes African
\nArt and advocates for environmental protection. In 2018 alone, the Bank
\ncarried out more than one hundred CSR projects across the 36 states and
\nFederal Capital Territory of Nigeria, impacting the lives of hundreds of
\nthousands of people and supporting some of the most underserved
\ncommunities in the country.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As the country marks the 2019 Children\u2019s Day, leading Nigerian Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc (GTBank) has launched a nationwide initiative, tagged #BeatTheDistance, to improve educational outcomes for children in…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":66956,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-66954","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n