Empower yourself with CRDB Bank's IMBEJU program

Today, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa urged young people and women throughout the country to take advantage of the economic empowerment program launched by CRDB Bank in collaboration with the ICT Commission (ICTC) and the Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) to enhance their business innovations. The Prime Minister made this call during the CRDB Bank Investment and Finance Seminar, also known as the "CRDB Bank Investment Day," which coincided with the launch of the CRDB Bank Foundation charity and the iMBEJU program, which aims to provide training, advice, and enabling capital to young people and women. The Prime Minister said that the program has come to provide a complete solution to the challenges faced by young and women-owned businesses in the country by building their capacity to run their businesses, especially through the strategically planned training that will be provided in collaboration with ICTC, COSTECH, and other stakeholders in women's empowerment programs through groups. "The truth is that the problem of the failure of small businesses is not the lack of funding. The capital is there, and our financial institutions are ready to finance, but the risk of complacency is high because many small businesses have failed to manage themselves. I thank CRDB Bank for seeing this and attaching the iMBEJU program to advice and training," he said. The Prime Minister urged young people and women to make good use of the capital they will be given by investing in the areas they have identified through their business plans while emphasizing the need for honesty. He also urged government institutions to provide opportunities for young people who have come up with innovative solutions to community challenges, citing the example of young people who have developed a system for guiding traffic on the roads being given opportunities by the Ministry of Infrastructure. The Prime Minister congratulated CRDB Bank for coming up with the program, saying it aligns with the government's vision to promote innovation among young people and women to create jobs and drive development in the country. The Prime Minister assured young people that the government is with them in making their innovations productive for themselves and the community at large. Speaking at the event, the Minister of Information, Communications, and Technology, Nape Nnauye, said the iMBEJU program would encourage the establishment of new products and services that are in line with the environment and the real needs of Tanzanians. Nape urged young people to use the opportunity to come up with innovative ideas that can compete within and outside the country. The Minister of Construction, Communication, and Transport in Zanzibar, Dr. Khalid Salum Mohammed, urged young people and women from Zanzibar to make good use of the iMBEJU program. He highlighted that the Zanzibar Revolutionary Government has continued to improve the environment for stimulating innovation and growth of start-up businesses, ensuring that enabling programs like iMBEJU are successfully implemented. Explaining the reasons for the establishment of the iMBEJU program, the Vice Chairman of the Bank's Board, Prof. Neema Mori, said that the program is part of CRDB Bank's efforts to promote development and economic inclusion for young people and women. Prof. Mori added that iMBEJU is part of a sustainable program that will be implemented through the bank's subsidiary, the CRDB Bank Foundation, which has been tasked with designing, initiating, and managing sustainable community empowerment projects On his part, the CEO of CRDB Bank, Abdulmajid Nsekela, said that the iMBEJU program aims to empower many young people and women to grow their businesses and become economically self-sufficient, while also contributing to the country through payment of business taxes and job creation. He added that the bank, in partnership with the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) and the Tanzania ICT Commission (TCRA), will provide training on business management, in addition to the TZS 5 billion that has been set aside for the program. The program targets women-owned businesses, as well as young start-up businesses in various sectors, with an emphasis on technology innovations.

To participate in the iMBEJU program, the Director-General of the CRDB Bank Foundation, Tully Esther Mwambapa, said that young people and women will need to undergo training and, upon graduation, will be connected to an iMBEJU account before receiving funding. "For young start-up businesses, applications will be submitted through the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology and the Tanzania ICT Commission websites, and they will undergo various stages of training. For women, they will undergo training at our branches before being granted funding," Tully said. Speaking on behalf of young entrepreneurs, the CEO, and founder of HACK IT company thanked CRDB Bank for introducing the IMBEJU program while encouraging other young people to use the opportunity well so that it can benefit even more young people. The CRDB Bank Investment Day seminar this year 2023 was attended by more than 7,000 participants, mostly young people who participated online from all parts of the country, both on the mainland and the islands. The seminar involved various discussions on how to increase empowerment for young people and women, and to promote technological innovation.