Trust Bank Gambia Limited on Wednesday held its 11th annual Excellence in Millennium Awards presentation, at the Laico Atlantic Hotel in Banjul.
The awards ceremony, which was presided over by the Minister of Basic and Secondary Education, Fatou Lamin-Faye and Trust Bank Managing Director, Pa Macoumba Njie, saw the presentation of awards to the 10 most outstanding students in last year’s (2012) Gambia Basic Education Certificate Examinations (GABECE).
The awards, according to Trust Bank officials, were meant to recognise the students for their outstanding performance in GABECE, as well as make them role models that others can emulate.
Seven of the awardees are from the Gambia Methodist Academy, namely Oumie Ceesay, Saihou Ceesay, Aji Fatou Fox, Bernadette M. Mendy, Fatoumata Sabally, Susan Dacosta, and Ebrima Comma, while the other three awardees are Salieujang Jallow, Pa Matarr Ndow, and Muhammed Fadera from St. Augustine Upper Basic School, SOS Herman Meiner, and Brikama Upper Basic School, respectively.
Each of the winners went home with a brand new laptop, a student savings account, with an amount of D3000, and a certificate of excellence.
The Bank also awarded a cheque for D15,000 to the Gambia Methodist Academy for its outstanding performance.
Double simcard mobile phones from the RLG Company and laptop bags were also presented to each of the awardees, by the Unique Solution, who also provided an indefinite internet service to the winners.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister of Basic and Secondary Education, Fatou Lamin Faye commended Trust Bank for demonstrating their cooperate social responsibility in complementing the efforts of the government in its drive to provide quality education for all.
She noted that the revised education policy 2004-2015, mainly focus on ensuring that the right to quality education for all is upheld and that education for all, with its ramifications and the education-related MDGs are achieved.
While describing the gesture as a step in the right direction, she said, the encouragement is not only necessary for enhanced performance but also the reduction of the cost burden in education from parents, particularly the poor.
She said the recent studies as commissioned by the ministry has revealed that the cost of education borne by households in the country is unacceptably high across all levels of education, and hence the gradual introduction of school grants in public school, with effect from September 2013.
“Benefits of this added value to education service delivery can be conspicuously traced to the corporate social responsibility of Trust Bank Ltd, whose contribution to the socio-economic advancement of this country is beyond measure,” Faye stated.
Her ministry, she said, is very encouraged by such meaningful partnerships which have brought about cascading impact of a range of interventions on the provision of quality and relevant education for all.
She then congratulated the awardees on the enviable performance, urging them to maximally utilise the support provided under the scheme.
For his part, Trust Bank’s Managing Director, Pa Macoumba Njie said “At Trust Bank, not only we are preoccupied with delivering targeted banking solutions, but we also remain passionately committed to the promotion of quality education as prerequisite to national development.”
As such, he added, this excellence awards programme is to recognise and motivate students for their record performance in exams.
The Trust Bank boss further stated that this year they have again included a laptop in the package, because they strongly believe that ICT will continue to gain particular significance in the future of these students, both as learning tool and as a pre-requisite for their future professional lives.
He congratulated the students on the well-deserved awards and then encouraged them to continue to work hard in their subsequent programmes of study, while also recognizing the invaluable role played by principals, teachers, parents as well as guardians for providing the much-need support to the students.
He further said that the bank recognised the tremendous efforts of the Department of State for Basic and Secondary Education and all its stakeholders in the national pursuit for excellence in education.
Pa Njie also reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to their social responsibilities, noting that in partnership with the government and other stakeholders, they would continue to fulfill their role in key sectors of society.
“Trust Bank contribution to the education sector will continue with our annual donations to schools, at speech and prize-giving days, including the convocation ceremony of the University of the Gambia,” said MD Njie.
“It is our bank’s continued resolve to strengthen partnership with the Department of State for Basic and Secondary Education, in a bid to provide quality education, which is an indispensable pre-requisite for national development,” he added.
Papa Yusupha Njie, Chief Executive Officer of Unique Solution lauded the long-standing relationship between Trust Bank Limited and Unique Solutions.
According to him, Unique Solutions, in partnership with RLG have trained 100s of young Gambians to equip young school leavers with skills and employment.
Youth employment, he stated, is a big issue in Africa, noting that the awards will go a long way in supporting the students in their educational career.
Saihou Ceesay, who delivered the vote of thanks, on behalf of the awardees, commended Trust Bank and their parents for contributing immensely to their success.