On Wednesday, 27 October 2021, proudly Pan-African bank, Absa, launched the Possibilities Unearthed project as part of the bank’s focus on its role in society by creating a sustainable vegetable garden at the Franschhoek Primary School.
The new project forms part of the bank’s commitment to the development of the communities in which it activates its sponsorships and aims to educate people about maximising their available resources to address the persisting issue of food insecurity.
According to the innovative multi-partner initiative for improving food security and nutrition analysis, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), there are currently 9.34 million people in South Africa who face high levels of acute food insecurity. The deteriorating food security is mainly driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as high food prices, drought and economic decline.
The bank wants to use the new project to impact the lives of its customers as well as communities and Absa Executive for Vehicle and Asset Finance, Faisal Mkhize, believes that the new Possibilities Unearthed project will bring the bank closer to its customers.
“As an action-oriented bank that is focused on creating a meaningful impact in communities, we decided to embark on a journey that will inspire South Africans to get their hands dirty and work towards fixing their own immediate future – starting out by using their unearthed space and planting a sustainable garden,” Mkhize said.
“We hope to roll out this project throughout the country to ensure that it has the desired maximum impact, which will help change the face of our country,” he added.
Franschhoek Primary School is one of the first school to benefit from the new project during the Absa-sponsored BCX Challenge, which is taking place in the nearby Paarl Valley.
School Principal, Mariana van Heerden, had the privilege of planting the first sustainable garden at her school premises and looks forward not only to the changed school landscape, but also the pyschological impact that planting a garden will have on the children.
“This is a great opportunity for us as a school. It will help us teach our learners key life skills that will augur well for their development going forward. We thank Absa for coming up with this project that will go a long way to helping alleviate the scourge of poverty,” she said.
The project will give Absa a platform to get everyone involved in a meaningful way to create shared value for their communities.
Absa’s aims to roll out Possibility Unearthed during key Absa-sponsored events in communities that are most vulnerable to food insecurity.
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