Denis Manuel
I have travelled to almost every part of Namibia and only a few towns are doing well when it comes to town development in terms of infrastructure, employment creation as well as empowerment amongst the inhabitants of that town. The development of the town does not necessarily depend on the town council alone but it is a collective of various stakeholders who have to come together to make sure the well being and growth of the town are well programmed.
In this regard, the stakeholders being referred to here are the businesses that are being operated in that vicinity.
Perhaps I should define what corporate social responsibility means because it is disillusioning to see companies collecting money from people, yet they tend to turn a blind eye to plough back into the community.
Corporate social responsibility is a form of private business self-regulation, which aims to contribute to societal goals of a philanthropic, activist or charitable nature by engaging in/or supporting volunteering or ethically oriented practices.
In the lamest term, corporate social responsibility is a management concept, whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and interactions with their stakeholders.
We should perhaps put CRS initiatives into consideration to at least have a positive impact on the world through direct benefits to society, nature and the community in which a business operates. CSR demonstrates that you are a business that takes an interest in wider social issues, rather than just those who impact your profit margins, which will attract customers who share the same values.
Therefore, it makes good business sense to operate sustainably.
Moreover, it is disconsolate to see many companies flourishing; yet, they do nothing for the society they operate from.
It is the little things that matter in our daily lives. There are many school kids who go to school barefoot, some on an empty stomach and some schools have dilapidating buildings that are not conducive at all to learning.
Street lights also turn out to be one of the big challenges that I have observed, and this also helps increase crime rates in these areas, as the darkness can be used as a hideout for these culprits.
In addition, this is something companies may not know that a company may experience internal benefits through the initiatives.
Knowing their company promotes good causes, employee satisfaction may increase, and retention of staff may be strengthened.
In addition, members of society may be more likely to choose to transact with companies that are attempting to make a more conscious positive impact beyond the scope of their business.
However, I do understand the negative impacts Covid-19 has had on our lives, but this does not mean we should shy away from our responsibility – because, at the end of the day, our daily operations are still ongoing.
Although CSR programmes have generally been most common among large corporations, small businesses also should participate in CSR through smaller-scale programmes, such as donating to local charities and sponsoring local events.
People involved in the business sector, please let us help the relevant authorities like town councils in the municipalities where possible to help with the development of our towns.
*Denis Manuel is a producer at the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation and a multi-media practitioner. All sentiments expressed in this article are his views.