FBC Holdings won the prestigious Best Corporate Social Responsibility of the Year Diamond Award at the 2023 National Exceptional Marketing Awards(EMA) presentation ceremony held at a local hotel recently.
The award bears testimony to the FBC Group’s commitment to foster creative and innovative ways of making a positive impact on the wellbeing of the local communities in which it serves. The group is a responsible corporate citizen which always disburses funds towards sustainable, value driven and mutually beneficial corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in the fields of education, health, arts and culture, environment and planet.
Commenting on the award, Roy Nyakunuwa (Head-FBC Group Marketing) said FBC is a responsible corporate citizen that prioritises giving back to the community. “this award resonates with what the FBC brand represents with regards to enabling the social wellbeing of the communities that we serve. As the FBC Group, we are well- placed to foster sustainable, creative and innovative ways of making a positive social impact as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives. FBC Holdings has ingrained Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as an integral facet of the group’s sustainability strategy. Therefore, we are proud of having fulfilled this fundamental social obligation through investing significantly in community-driven sustainable corporate social responsibility initiatives. It a demonstration of the human face of our business.” he said.
“The FBC Group’s CSR initiatives are informed by the evolving stakeholder needs including the general wellbeing of the community, as the entity aims to deepen the sustainability thrust and contribute towards national, regional and global priorities. The community-based initiatives are driven by the recently adopted sustainability approach and the FBCH Climate Positive Agenda, which promotes community resilience, self-reliance and sustainability through CSR initiatives in line with sustainable development goals,” added Mr Nyakunuwa.
FBC Holdings has demonstrated a strong tradition of giving back to the society. The group donated farming implements worth more than Forty Thousand United States Dollars (USD 40,000) to Shungu Dzevana Children’s Home, pledged to build a parking shade for the agricultural implements and offered for the payment of school fees for the vulnerable children at the orphanage. The farming implements consists of a brand new 75 Horsepower Tractor, 20 disc Rhome Harrow, 4,8m Open Trailer, Cutter, 3 Disc Plough.
In Masvingo Province, FBC constructed a modern classroom block at Gurungweni Primary School in Chikombedzi . The block consists of two (2) classrooms. On average, one classroom can accommodate forty-five (45) learners. This implies that the donation will benefit at least Ninety (90) leaners in one year. In the next ten (10) years, Nine Hundred (900) learners will benefit from the Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) initiative. The FBC Sponsored classroom block will benefit 40 villages and save learners (especially the girl child) from walking a minimum distance of 8km to access the nearest Secondary School. FBC also constructed two classroom blocks at Charlsewood Primary School in Chamanimani.
FBC Holdings also embarked on a nationwide Tree Planting Program as part of the institution’s sustainability efforts aimed at promoting Environmental Protection and Climate Resilience. The group planted more than four thousand (4000) trees at FBC premises and country-wide learning institutions. As part of this initiative, FBC has embarked on the “Trees for Food” initiative in partnership with various schools around the country.
The FBC Corporate Social Responsibility programs resonates with key Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) namely;
- SDG 1- No Poverty
- SDG 2 (Zero Hunger)
- SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being)
- SDG 4- Quality Education
- SDG 9- Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
- SDG 10- Reduced In equalities
- SDG 17- Partnerships for the Goal The EMA awards were introduced by the Marketers Associations of Zimbabwe(MAZ) in the year 2012 to encourage and celebrate excellence across the marketing process within the business spectrum. These awards recognise organisations and people who have achieved outstanding success in their planning and implementation of marketing and related area strategies annually.
