Jong Rabo in Tanzania
Each year Jong Rabo organises a study trip. In celebration of its tenth anniversary, a special
country was chosen - Tanzania. Fifty Jong Rabo employees rolled up their sleeves and
started helping to build a school. The Word spoke to one of the organisers, Edwin de Ron.
Wedding cake
Banking matters
SMS
Jong Rabo
Tanzania
Reception ceremony
Instruction
TEXT Carolien Gruintjes
"Over a period of three days, we painted water
towers, built fences and laid the first couple
of layers of bricks for the new school building.
The day of departure came far too soon. In the
farewell ceremony the village wanted to stress
its partnership with Rabobank with a wedding
cake. Only this cake was a little different than we
had expected - a goat roasted on a spit".
"lt was then time to go to the NMB. As well as
granting microcredits, the NMB provides advice
on banking matters. People in Tanzania handle
these matters in a very different way to us. When
their salary is deposited, they immediately with-
draw it. They really live from day to day".
'The NMB encourages people to save money
and tries to educate them in simple financial
matters. For instance, people used to come to
the bankon foot to askif their salary had been
deposited, which was terribly time consuming.
Today, the moment the money has been de
posited into their bank account, an SMS is sent
to the account holder. Believe it or not, almost
everyone here has a mobile phone".
"Jong Rabo is an association for everyone within
the Rabobank Group up to the age of 36. One
of the activities that Jong Rabo organises is the
annual study trip to a country where Rabobank
is operational, such as Italy or England. The fur-
thest country up to now has been Russia".
'This year Jong Rabo is celebrating its 10th
anniversary: The perfect time to do something
special for a country where Rabobank is active.
Working with the Florentina Foundation, we
were able to help build a school in Tanzania.
We also visited the National Microfinance Bank
(NMB), in which Rabobank is a shareholder".
'The day after we flew from Schiphol to Arusha,
we visited the Elisabeth Centre for the first time.
There was a welcoming committee with all the
children, women and sisters from the village.
Watching the children singing and dancing
brought a tear to the eye for many. It was very
moving".
"After the instructions, we set to work. It was
quite something to see 50 bank employees roll
their sleeves up. Some of them may have done
the odd DIY job, but this was completely new".
