Banco Comercial e de Investimentos (BCI) hosted, in the auditorium of its headquarters in Maputo, the B4R Workshop: Strategic Partnerships with the Private Sector, for Results for Children, an initiative of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). The meeting brought together companies and private sector institutions in a space for dialogue, sharing and commitment. In promoting it, BCI reaffirmed its vocation as a driving force, making room for the joint construction of sustainable solutions and for the defence of a cause that goes beyond borders and statistics: the right of every child to a dignified, healthy and promising future.
More than a business forum, the event became a moment of awareness and shared responsibility, in which the private sector was invited to see itself as a co-author of a fairer and more inclusive future.
In his address, Francisco Costa, Chairman of the Executive Committee (CEO) of BCI, stressed that social responsibility is part of the Bank's DNA. He added that, when reason and heart meet, BCI chooses to invest in the areas that generate the greatest positive impact: food, education and health, with special attention to children. “These have been the Bank's great priorities, with particular attention to children,” he said, adding that well-being begins at home, in the dynamics of maternity, in the care given to families and in a working environment that values life.
The CEO of BCI also evoked a sense of intergenerational urgency, reminding the audience that the Sustainable Development Goals demand more than intentions: they require more action. “There is an urgency: to act today, with today's children, without losing sight of the future,” he said. His words resonated with serenity and inspiration, reviving the certainty that a fairer and more sustainable country is built step by step, with simple, concrete gestures that give shape to dreams and make progress a shared reality.
The workshop was held in two discussion panels. The first, led by representatives of Mozambique's mobile telephone operators, focused on the potential of digital inclusion and learning as tools for income generation. The second, focusing on children's rights and responsible business practices, included the participation of BCI's own CEO, who argued for a model of economic growth combined with ethics and sustainability.
In her address, Mary Louise Eagleton, UNICEF Representative in Mozambique, stressed that social progress depends on the combining of efforts and consistency of purpose. She explained that UNICEF's current cooperation programme (2022–2026) rests on fundamental pillars: nutrition and health; education and skills; protection from violence and abuse; water and sanitation; and social inclusion. She acknowledged that challenges remain, from limited access to basic services to poverty and early marriage, but reaffirmed her conviction that, with solid and committed partnerships, it is possible to open paths of hope and build a better future for all children in Mozambique.
In this context, BCI once again establishes itself as a trusted partner, investing in initiatives with social impact and promoting partnerships that give the economy a human meaning. Alongside UNICEF and other institutions, the Bank takes on the purpose of helping the children of Mozambique grow up with freedom, health and hope.
Because the future is born in a child's gaze and takes shape in the actions of the present. Every gesture today is a real investment in a more promising tomorrow.
