By Simon Deng
Dozens of graduates picked up their certificates following a successful training in financial inclusion offered by Alpha Commercial Bank.
The group, including finance managers at nongovernmental organizations, underwent the training for four months in two batches.
“We are hence proud to present certificates to 21 practitioners who have completed their course and met the quality standards set by the Accrest Online University Education and Alpha Commercial Bank,” Elizabeth Githaiga, the Bank’s Business Development Director said at the graduation yesterday.
“Seven participants completed their course in the September to December 2023 batch, while another group of 16 have completed their training in the February to May 2024 batch,” Githaiga said.
Alpha Commercial Bank is a South Sudanese joint venture national bank with the objectives to play a role in growth and development of the financial sector in South Sudan, assist the nationals, access affordable financial services, spearhead financial inclusion of the South Sudan people, as well as partner with other commercial banks, both in South Sudan and within the region, to promote financial deepening, offer affordable credit business to nationals, promote a saving culture, which will trigger development, training, capacity building, focusing mainly on agribusiness, youth, women, and the gas sector, according to Githaiga.
“Our vision is to be the leading financial institution in South Sudan, providing excellent services to our customers, and delivering superior shareholder value,” she said.
Jembi Emmanuel, a manager at MGurush Corporate Humanitarian Sector was enthusiastic after receiving his certificate yesterday.
“We are here for the graduation of village saving loan association (VSLA) groups, how to transfer the VSLA from the local one, from the local practice to digitalization,” Emmanuel told The Dawn at the event.
“I achieved a lot of things and the most important is the idea of how to transfer my community from the local ways of transaction to digitalization, it is an awareness of how to use digital finance,” he said.
According to Adut Mayor, a Relationship Officer at Alpha Bank, such training spurs digitalization in the country.
“It was very nice training on digitalization in South Sudan,” Mayor said.
“It will make South Sudanese deal with mobile money. Now I know how to deal with money through digital platforms like MGURUSH, MoMo and I appreciate the training so much,” she said.
The Bank’s Business Development Director Elizabeth Githaiga said her bank has a mission of being the catalyst for economic growth and empowerment in South Sudan through advancing financial penetrations, inclusion, creating wealth, stimulating growth, and enabling people to achieve their dreams.
“We have actively collaborated with development partners and technology companies to support the semi-informal financial sector, which is popular in South Sudan and exists in the business, savings, and growth associations, SACOS, and cooperatives,” Githaiga said.
“There are over 5,000 VSLAs supported by the UN and the humanitarian sector across the country, of which we aim to build their capacity in financial literacy, value chain management, entrepreneurship, and bringing into the global economy,” she said.
“We have realized that, as good as our intentions are, the capacity of the group members and the facilitating institution to use digital platforms was low and only developing.”
