Community

Bank Rakyat sponsors social welfare programmes and contributes financially to a variety of causes. The amount set aside for these activities increases every year.

Almost all programmes involve the participation of the local branch. A lot of thought goes into the planning to ensure that the activities and contributions benefit a cross-section of the population, with a focus on rural areas.

A core activity is the hosting of examination seminars for students sitting the UPSR, PMR and SPM, in collaboration with Berita Harian. This programme is in line with the Bank’s objective of enhancing the economic status of its members. Places are offered to children of the Bank’s members and those from the school co-operatives.
In 2005, a total of 30 seminars were held at 30 locations throughout the country. More than RM300,000.00 was spent on this programme in 2005.

Further assistance for educational advancement was given in the form of scholarships to children of members to pursue their studies up to diploma and first degree levels.

In addition, the Bank pays an annual business tithe. A sum of RM12.0 million was paid in all states in 2004. Students from several schools all over the country received support from this Islamic obligation.

The Bank also acts as a tithing agent which means that it plays a role in
encouraging the payment of tithes and thus, helping to increase the amount collected, while also spreading further the services it offers to the Islamic community at large.

As part of the ‘duit saku.com’ programme initiated by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), the Bank has so far adopted 184 schools in order to promote financial awareness and thrift. Activities held include organising relevant discussions and briefings at these schools, as well as participation in exhibitions organised by BNM to promote the programme.

In line with this effort, the Bank also plays an active role in the distribution of ‘Buku Wang Saku’ (BWS) to students. BWS, published by BNM, emphasises accounting and financial education for secondary students. To ensure that this programme succeeds, the Bank has allocated a substantial budget for 2006.

Bank staff take part in the Community Service Programme held at eight locations in the country. The activities carried out included the cleaning of cemeteries and repainting of orphanages and mosques.

Community

Gender awareness in Kuapa aims to enhance the active and effective participation of women in decision making throughout the organisation. Measures have been introduced to ensure that a minimum number of members of the various councils and committees are women. Further special seminars and workshops are organised for women on a wide range of issues, for example nutrition, child care, health and credit facilities.

Kuapa has also supported income generating activities to supplement their incomes and to make them less dependent on their men as well as provide money for the family during the off season whilst the cocoa is growing. For example they have set up a project making soap from the potash produced from burnt cocoa husks. This soap is then sold, generating additional income from the waste cocoa materials. They have also provided women with machines for cracking palm kernels for cooking oil, this is far faster than the traditional method of using stones to crack the kernels.

Kuapa supports other community projects through the Kuapa Kokoo Farmers’
Trust fund.

The Co-operative Group was one of the first major UK retailers to sell Fairtrade products and in 2002 converted all of its own brand chocolate to Fairtrade. All the cocoa was bought from Kuapa Kokoo in Ghana and processed through The Day Chocolate Company. This doubled the amount of Fairtrade chocolate in the UK overnight and demonstrated successful co-operation between the organisations.

Community

Healthcare Education: In order to assist in the fight against obesity, which is at the root of numerous diseases including hypertension, certain cardiovascular problems and diabetes, they offer CAD 500,000 in financial support to the Chair on obesity research and CAD 600,000 to the Bertrand-Fradet cardiology Chair at Université Laval.

Grand Tournée: In order to build bridges between the French-speaking, English-speaking and Mohawk communities in their region, the Châteauguay, Christ-Roi de Châteauguay, Kahnawake and Mercier – Saint-Isidore Desjardins caisses granted CAD 15,000 in financial aid to organize the Grande Tournée 2005 des jeunes de Châteauguay et de Kahnawake bike tour.

Mutual Assistance: Desjardins Mutual Assistance Funds, which originated from a collaborative effort between a group of caisses and various budget consulting organizations, help people in financial difficulty that have no access to credit by offering budget management advisory services and emergency loans, if needed.

The Desjardins Jeunes au travail program, started in 1996, consists of young people between 15 and 18 enjoying paid, supervised 180-hour summer internships in a business, including job search and interview training, in order to enhance their employability.

Community

Healthcare: During 2005 the group’s Natexis Banque began to support efforts to combat malaria, something of a forgotten disease in the developed world but which kills over two million people every year. To this end, it began by pledging its support to the Franco-African day of action against malaria, which was organized by the ‘Plan France’ NGO. In addition, two projects to combat malaria led by other NGOs received the support of Natexis Banque.

Culture: The Banque Populaire Foundation’s activities are focused in three areas:

• Culture - by supporting young musicians in the early stage of their career;
• Social Action - by helping young disabled people to pursue a life-changing project or to join the business world;
• Maritime preservation - see Environment, above.

Almost 300 prizes and bursaries have been awarded since the Foundation was set-up in 1992.