Gorongosa National Park and the partnership with Absa
Interview with Rui Barros, Managing Director of Absa Bank Mozambique
We would like you to tell us about Absa’s involvement in social projects, in particular with Gorongosa Park.
We are a bank that reaches every province in the country, one of the oldest and certainly one of the most emblematic: in other words, the Bank is a citizen of Mozambique. We have an identity we are proud of and a responsibility we have always honoured. That responsibility, besides meaning that we do our job well and satisfy our customers, also means looking around us and getting involved. That involvement can be direct or indirect, as when we support organisations that are on the ground – as is the case with Gorongosa National Park – and that help fulfil our purpose, doing better than we would be capable of doing ourselves. But it can also take a non-educational and training form, or a form of more tangible action and contribution, with initiatives in the moment. In the specific case of our partnership with Gorongosa National Park, our vision is to meet several sustainable development goals, namely: the eradication of poverty and hunger; gender equality; promotion of decent work and economic growth; reduced inequalities; sustainable production and consumption; climate action and protection of life on land.
Why is it important for Absa to create these partnerships?
First of all, there are those who can do better than us what we would like our contribution to society to be. That is the case with Gorongosa National Park and, as such, a partnership makes perfect sense. Naturally, a partnership generally seeks to find, in the joint strength of two or more parties, a combined strength greater than the sum of the parts. Clearly, that is the case here too. And that is also why we continue to consider such partnerships very important in a very different field, such as the one we have had for several years with the Xiquitsi Project, supporting the arts and young people.
How long has the partnership with Gorongosa Park existed, and what do you consider to have been the main goals achieved during that time?
This is a commitment we made more than three years ago, when we became members of the Park’s Business Club, and today we proudly reaffirm our full commitment to continuing to work to consolidate this partnership. During this period we have had the opportunity to share ideas and support projects as they have been developed. We have also promoted the principles that unite us with the Park – including through the bank’s social media – and these have had a very positive reaction from our community of followers.
“In the specific case of our partnership with Gorongosa National Park, our vision is to meet several sustainable development goals”
In what way does promoting the Park promote Mozambique’s growth?
The work being done in the Park is not only what we see when we visit or in news reports. It is also work that sets an example! An example that Mozambique knows how to do things at the level of the best in the world. And if, with its fantastic work, which is recognised internationally, the Park reaches beyond our borders and carries the name of Mozambique high – which will undoubtedly foster its growth – it is also here at home that this example should be felt, and where the impact should be greatest. Because other projects can take inspiration and create, in their own fields, other great examples of international standard made in Mozambique. This internal driving force is truly the most important for the country’s growth.
The Park has brought a number of products to the public, including coffee. Does your institution have any platform that helps to promote them in some way?
The specific case of coffee is very close to our hearts. At the time we decided to join the Gorongosa National Park Business Club, this project was taking its first steps. That part of the mountain had been inaccessible because of the conflict that had taken place there, and it was precisely then that the famous agreement between the parties was reached, which allowed access to the coffee plantations once again. I may even have been one of the first people to visit them, with the Park’s technicians. We have always cherished this project, because it is also a symbol of resilience and of women’s empowerment, since it was the women of the area who kept tending the plantation during the years the conflict lasted, and only that way was it possible for the project to succeed. This closeness is also reflected in the way the bank has been sharing with customers and partners not only the coffee but also Gorongosa honey, among other quality national products, distributing them in various initiatives among our customers and partners.
Was it important to link Absa’s services with Gorongosa’s natural products?
As I said, our support aims, above all, to contribute to the long-term sustainability of this project and to its promotion, showing publicly that it is a cause we believe in and that deserves to be supported. Gorongosa’s natural products are a symbol of what the land can give us and also of how dedication and ingenuity make it possible to create sustainable solutions, from the point of view of a healthier life but also financially. This link with our philosophy, our values and our purpose is very important.
How much importance do you attach to the development of national products?
Consumption of local products is paramount to the development of any economy. Mozambique has a potential domestic market of significant size and, as such, national products can achieve scale by being distributed on the local market. Besides generating income (and a positive impact on the country’s Gross Domestic Product), the production in question employs national labour, and this will allow those families to increase their consumption in future, creating the demand needed for national companies to grow even more. It is, in fact, a virtuous circle in which, over time, demand and supply feed each other, supporting mutual growth.
What is the outlook for growth of the partnership with the Park?
Gorongosa National Park is an ambitious, sustainable and integrated project that respects the environment and works for the benefit of communities, values that we at Absa Bank Mozambique also uphold and that we encourage all of society to follow, particularly our employees, partners and customers. We would therefore like our partnership to bring other institutions and individuals closer to this project. In everything we do, we know we are being watched and, therefore, promoting this initiative may also help it gain more support.
We follow the growth plan of Gorongosa National Park and will always be interested in helping with new challenges. Indeed, that is precisely why we signed a multi-year agreement from the outset, as we see this partnership as long-term and growing together.
