Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD) has been recognised by the Ministry of Religious Affairs for its contribution in developing and empowering the underprivileged society through its corporate social responsibility initiatives.
During the Majlis Ilal Hijrah held at The International Convention Centre, BIBD was awarded for the outstanding initiatives in the BIBD Special Entrepreneurial Empowerment and Development Scheme (BIBD SEED) and the BIBD Advocating Life-Long Learning for an Aspiring Future (BIBD ALAF) programme.
Present to receive the award from Minister of Religious Affairs Yang Berhormat Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Badaruddin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman was BIBD Deputy Managing Director Hajah Noraini Haji Sulaiman.
“Alhamdulillah, we are humbled and honoured to receive the recognition from the ministry and at the same time, would like to express our appreciation and gratitude to our stakeholders and strategic partners for giving the opportunity for BIBD to expand our societal contribution through BIBD SEED and BIBD ALAF,” said Hajah Noraini.
She added: “The less fortunate sections of our community deserve equal opportunities and access to a better quality of life and education therefore we feel that it is our duty as a responsible corporate citizen to help their cause and develop them into highly skilled talents who will contribute to the growth of Brunei’s economy.”
Launched in August 2020, the “Special Entrepreneurial Empowerment and Development Scheme” (BIBD SEED) is an award-winning programme that aspires to enhance the livelihood of underprivileged mothers or women in Brunei Darussalam by empowering and facilitating their development as competitive, resilient, and successful entrepreneurs in the local landscape and able to penetrate international markets.
A collaboration with the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, and Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, the various other GLCs such as DARe, Royal Brunei Culinary, the BIBD SEED programme also aims to create more opportunities in Brunei Darussalam, especially for the targeted asnaf, and support their progress towards becoming highly skilled individuals as that can break the poverty cycle and be self-sustaining in their business endeavours.
The BIBD SEED programme signifies BIBD’s commitment towards social inclusion (SDG10) for nation-building, not just as a financial institution, but also as a responsible corporate citizen contributing towards the success of Brunei and its society.
This aligns well with BIBD’s support towards realising Vision 2035, while reinforcing our Maqasid Shariah values and UNSDG reference of our BIBD Sustainability Framework.
Meanwhile the BIBD ALAF is another award-winning initiative which aims to provide the necessary support to realise His Majesty’s Vision 2035 of turning Brunei Darussalam into a nation widely recognised for its people’s quality of life and the accomplishments of its well-educated citizens.
The programme has produced tangible results and milestones and is seen as a highly effective programme that empowers less-fortunate students to break the poverty cycle and contribute to the nation from their respective fields of expertise in the future.
The BIBD ALAF programme is a manifestation of BIBD’s belief in the value of life-long learning, which meets the objective of Brunei Vision 2035 – to develop a nation widely recognised for the accomplishments of its well-educated and highly skilled people.
This programme also shows BIBD’s commitment as a Partner in Progress, taking a whole of-nation approach to capacity-building by partnering with the Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) and the Ministry of Education (MoE), along with support from local corporates and members of the public.
BIBD ALAF programme is part of BIBD’s support for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), specifically SDG-4, which is to ensure high-quality education for all and further underscores our Maqasid Shariah values to ensure we continue to preserve the life of our future generations.
THE BRUNEIAN | BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
