From its inception, the bank has taken on the challenge of being a benchmark partner to the communities where it operates, with a view to promoting their social and economic development, in line with the strategy set out. Promoting culture and stimulating the creative industry is one of our great pillars of citizenship. Our heart is African, and art and culture have always been in our DNA, as shown by our commitment to contributing to a society without inequalities and with high levels of social, cultural and economic development. Preserving our art is keeping our history alive. Our history is our identity and that is what defines us as a country. We aim to always be at the forefront of promoting culture, as well as opening paths to building a more inclusive narrative of the history of modern art.
“We have supported Xiquitsi since 2017 and, since then, have followed the project’s growth closely”
We have supported Xiquitsi since 2017 and, since then, have followed the project’s growth closely. This is not an ordinary initiative; it is quite singular, as it is a platform of social inclusion that gives life and hope to children, adolescents and young people, without questioning their social condition. It is a way of showing that we all deserve and are all equal through an art as unique as music. There are just over 100 children aged 6 to 15, and another half made up of young people at the start of their careers who often have no vision of their future lives. At Xiquitsi, they can have multiple possibilities and we have recorded success stories of young people who gained access to scholarships abroad.
Society tends to look at the banking sector as being associated only with finance. By having such a close relationship with Xiquitsi, we show another side of ourselves, which ends up presenting our pillars of citizenship and what else we believe in, such as inclusion, support for culture and equality. Values that are so important for sustainable development and by which the bank is guided.
In addition, creativity is one of the skills that new times demand, so that we are all prepared, passionate and ready. We take this theme further, not only in terms of support for culture and art, but also in terms of innovation and how to make things happen from the inside out. We also seek to involve our customers in our citizenship projects, inviting them to attend art exhibitions that have had or have our support, communicating our actions and, in the specific case of Xiquitsi, concerts. Learning, teaching, rehearsing and effectively practising citizenship can happen in many spheres of everyday life, can involve people of different ages and should have such a transformative impact that its implications extend beyond the personal or local context and play a positive role in building the foundations of a better world. It is extremely important to understand that we are an institution that works with people for people and, therefore, establishing these relationships, being able to dematerialise and complement them with our daily lives is, without a doubt, a force that inspires us.
The greatest benefit of the investment that Absa makes in Xiquitsi each year is seeing the project grow and its students develop. Children who once looked at the project as an opportunity to have a daily meal are today children with an outlook, and a way of being, turned towards the future, with dreams to achieve. In our passionate, courageous and well-prepared way of seeing the world, we know that resilience is among the greatest strengths an institution like Absa must have, and this has been evident in recent years. Investing in culture and in projects like this cannot be measured like the return on the sale of a credit card. However, when we invest in culture and in projects like this, we go far beyond thinking about immediate returns or a financial return; we think about the future we are making available to talented young people, and the fact that we are able to convey an aspirational message and the will to make things happen is without doubt immeasurable.
Our budget provides for a portion earmarked for citizenship, that is, for social actions as part of its Social Responsibility, where we assess the positive impact that these initiatives can bring to the country’s future. However, we believe that support can go beyond funding, by placing various tools at the disposal of those who need them, thus helping to make things happen. We try to find viable and feasible alternatives to help bring to life the initiatives that bring real value to the communities where we operate.
