08 September 2018
Maybank Won Best CSR Initiative for R.I.S.E!
PETALING JAYA, 8 September 2018 – The 2018 JCI Malaysia Sustainable Development Award (JCIM SDA) Grand Award Ceremony & Charity Gala was held at Grand Ballroom, New World Petaling Jaya Hotel.
The JCIM SDA is granted to sustainable projects conducted by Malaysian companies and organisations that advance any of the United Nation Sustainable Development Goal (UNSDG). The objective of the JCIM SDA is to raise awareness of UNSDGs to the public as well as to recognise Malaysian companies/organisations that have organised projects that help advance these goals. There are 17 categories to compete for based on the UNSDGs and Maybank’s Reach Independence & Sustainable Entrepreneurship (R.I.S.E) won best project under the ‘no poverty’ category.
All entries were audited by the members of Chartered Accountant Australia and New Zealand, and evaluated by a panel of independent professionals judges namely Professor Datuk Dr Denison Jayasooria, Co-Chair of Malaysian CSO SDG Alliance & Principal Research Fellow Institute of Ethnic Studies (KITA); The Economic Planning Unit (EPU) Judging Committee, Ministry of Economic Affairs Malaysia; Ms. Juanita Joseph, Head of the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator (RCO) in Malaysia; and Ms. Yasmin Rasyid, Founder and President of EcoKnights & Vice Chairman Malaysia Environmental NGOs (MENGO). All nominations were judged under three sections namely project background, project impact and project sustainability.
Reach Independence & Sustainable Entrepreneurship (R.I.S.E)
There is a noticeable economic disparity for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) with the rest of the society. Maybank Foundation attempts to close the gap between the unprivileged and the public by championing an economic empowerment initiative to support them, increase their income and educate them to become financially independent. We adopted UN’s Sustainable Development Goals vision in our programmes in order to positively impact communities in markets that Maybank operates and humanise financial services.
The practical training provides the participants with the knowledge on how to run a business and its skills such as financial goals, operating planning, budgeting and tracking, and sales and customer analysis. Mentoring system is also provided. KPIs were set to ensure the programme left an impact on the communities. The programme projects that 40% of the participants would achieve the average of 100% increase in income. 70% of the participants are expected to be Persons with Disability and the remaining 30% are from the marginalized communities.
R.I.S.E programme focuses on increasing the participants’ income to alleviate other problems caused by poverty. When the income increases, there is a positive multiplier effect in the community in terms of education, healthcare and nutrition. Maybank provides the participants a way for them to sustain themselves and in turn, boost the education level, healthcare level and the nutrition for the surrounding communities and eventually, the nation. The skills obtained from the programme can also be used to equip other people through peer learning and knowledge sharing, linking them with common knowledge to succeed in entrepreneurship.
Maybank, in accordance to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals intends to mend this. Within the first few months, R.I.S.E participants are able to increase their income to an average of 200% per participants, exceeding the initial 100% increase set by the management. Increased income enables the participants more levity in spending or saving money, reducing the income disparity between the rich and the poor in the country and stabilising the economic balance.
