(AFP Photo)
Barclays Bank has created a first in its call on youth to participate in playing the board game Monopoly with the help of the bank’s employees to concept better understand banking.
The bank has sought to devise a new tool as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) tools to deliver banking awareness for young people in Egypt. Barclays believes it is tough educating young people away from technology, an important factor in attracting a large number of youth to the sector, according to Community Relation Senior Manager Rania Hassanein.
Hassanein said Barclays has already started using Monopoly as a simulation for youth to act in the roles of banking staff. Additionally, the Bank’s employees have participated as volunteers to help young people understand the game.
“A number of young people from universities, schools and graduates participated in the Monopoly game with the aim of creating financial literacy through teaching them how to manage their own business,” Hassanein added. “For this game, all departments of the bank represented in the game in order to bring them the idea of financial regulation as well as acquiring them the financial management skills through a specialized bank.”
She explained that approximately 40 Barclays Bank employees volunteered as part of the game helping youth players. The employees, moreover, volunteered outside working hours, with departmental managers providing mentorship awareness.
Hassanein added that this programme has been implemented in collaboration with Egyptian NGO, the Gozour Foundation for Development. The objective is to increase awareness of e-banking services among employees and customers of banks and simplify electronic procedures and transactions.
Also as part of its CSR programme, Barclays Bank has also been working in conjunction with the Gozour Foundation to provide training to nurses for their recruitment in government hospitals.
“In accordance with our CSR, we are currently working with the Gozour Foundation on training and qualifying 500 nurses in Institutes of Nursing in Egypt through agreement with the Ministry of Health to recruit them after training in governmental hospitals and clinics,” Hassanein revealed.
She added that the goal of this programme is to qualify and recruit nurses as most qualified nurses find better job opportunities in the Gulf. The Bank helps to stem this outflow of qualified professionals, to remain in the healthcare sector in Egypt.
Barclays Bank is also involved in the Dar Al Orman Charity Association’s project rehabilitating villages in the governorates. Besides, one of the most popular activities of the bank is Barclays premier league (BPL).
BPL is a programme which aims to provide new banking service to attract clients and youth interested in sports.
