In Uganda, this COVID-19 season has allowed us to witness the potential of CSR at the national level As a young indigenous African man in Uganda, walking into my first job for induction training in 2007, I pondered with excitement about my new career and status.
I envisioned myself working for the rest of my life in that larger than life environment. Little did I know that this mighty institution in the international banking space would be the avenue and preparation ground for me to discover my true passion and purpose in a completely different sector- community development.
It was that organization’s vibrant corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy that required and supported all staff to identify and implement community initiatives dear to them. I knew from that day, that I had found my opportunity to contribute to my country by supporting as many disadvantaged people as possible, especially youths and women. For me, community engagement was not just a performance requirement but a passion and it bothered me that many colleagues at work shunned this opportunity considering it a waste of time. For close to 10 years, I was a community champion initiating and participating in close to 70 community projects ranging from; tree planting, sports for empowerment, financial literacy, fundraising events for children living with cancer, blood donation among others. I am proud to say I have participated in events that have saved hundreds of lives, empowered thousands of women and youths, and made a tangible contribution to save our environment. I was so proud to associate with my employer that I always found myself at the forefront of most staff welfare activities and organizing strategic sessions right from an early stage of my career. It is this respect for my employer that made me work overtime to deliver on my targets. Statistics today show that the younger generation of workers is more attracted to socially responsible and impactful organizations as opposed to bottom-line oriented organizations.
Today, I run a youth empowerment social enterprise helping thousands of youths become professional entrepreneurs and employees in their respective fields. We also help organizations run effective community engagements among targeted vulnerable groups. Therefore, I can personally testify to the positive ripple effect of a well understood and executed CSR policy on an organization and the community it operates in.
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is becoming a growing concern among business enterprises in modern times […]