Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD) was on Thursday recognised by the Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) for its contribution in developing and empowering the underprivileged society, through its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

During the Ilal Hijrah ceremony at the International Convention Centre (ICC), 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.

Minister of Religious Affairs Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman presented the award to BIBD Deputy Managing Director Hajah Noraini binti 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 gratitude to our stakeholders and strategic partners for giving the opportunity for BIBD to expand its societal contribution through BIBD SEED and BIBD ALAF,” said Hajah Noraini.

“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 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, who are able to penetrate international markets.

A collaboration with the MoRA, Ministry of Home Affairs, and Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, as well as other government linked companies (GLCs) such as Darussalam Enterprise (DARe) and Royal Brunei Culinary, the BIBD SEED programme aims to create more opportunities in the Sultanate, especially for the targetted asnaf, and support their progress towards becoming highly-skilled individuals. This will allow them to break the poverty cycle and be self-sustaining in business endeavours.

Meanwhile, the BIBD ALAF is another award-winning initiative that aims to provide the necessary support to realise Brunei 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, which has produced tangible results and milestones, is seen as being highly effective in empowering less-fortunate students, also allowing them to break the poverty cycle and contribute to the nation from their respective fields of expertise in the future.

BIBD showcased both initiatives at the Ilal Hijrah ceremony on Thursday.

-- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin