NMB KIJIJI DAY EMPOWERS RESIDENTS & COMMUNITY GROUPS IN WETE, PEMBA

North Pemba Regional Commissioner has urged the residents and community groups in the Wete district to effectively utilize the financial education and inclusive banking services, including affordable insurance and loan services provided during the NMB Village Day festival. This event was held in Gando village a few weeks after the opening of the new NMB Wete branch.

This call was made by North Pemba Regional Commissioner, Ms. Salama Mbarouk Khatib, while inaugurating the NMB Village Day a platform managed by the bank aimed at delivering financial education and inclusive services to marginalized Tanzanians, particularly those residing in underserved areas.

NMB opened a new branch in Wete last month, preceding the NMB Village Day held last weekend a forum that brought together locals and members of various community groups from Gando and Junguni villages, areas noted for a tendency to hoard cash at home.

Various topics were addressed in the seminar that involved more than 10 community groups with over 200 members from Gando and Junguni villages. The seminar was led by NMB Relationship and Deposits Manager, Ms. Monica Job, NMB Zanzibar Regional Sales Manager, Mr. Muhsin Nahoda Mohamed, and NMB Zanzibar Cluster Manager, Ms. Naima Said Shaame.

Speaking to the residents during the NMB Village Day opening, Ms. Salama emphasized that the residents and community groups in these villages and the entire North Pemba region should seize the opportunities offered by the festival and the new NMB Wete branch by opening accounts, depositing their money, and benefiting from insurance, affordable loans, and other services.

In the presence of Wete District Commissioner, Mr. Abdallah Rashid Ali, Ms. Salama noted that the residents and community groups of Gando have commendable financial income records, but their money is often kept at home, which poses a security risk. Therefore, they should use the knowledge acquired from the seminar to change this practice.

"Recently, NMB opened a branch in Wete to provide inclusive financial services. This is an opportunity for citizens to utilize and ensure they open accounts, especially for children, youth, and students for their educational development. For the citizens and community groups, money should not be kept at home, as it might be spent even on unnecessary expenses," she stated.

"Therefore, those who have habits of hiding money, those who tuck their cash in mats, and those who put it under their mattress are urged to open NMB accounts, deposit their money to not only keep it safe but also benefit from loans, insurance, and various opportunities."

On her part, NMB Zanzibar Cluster Manager, Ms. Naima Said Shaame, commended the residents of Gando and Junguni for having numerous community groups that include women, men, and youths, and noted that the NMB Village Day aimed to educate and ensure all participants benefit from their services and opportunities.

"We are here to ensure that the knowledge and opportunities we have reach you and are used effectively. Intelligence lies in having an income, and it does not have to be large, as even those with substantial income started from this level," Ms. Naima mentioned, explaining that saving is not dependent on the leftover money after expenses but should be the first allocation in anyone's budget.

Meanwhile, Wete District Commissioner, Mr. Abdallah Rashid Ali, expressed gratitude and appreciation to NMB for their readiness to reach out and provide inclusive financial services, affirming that the opening of the NMB Wete branch is evidence of this commitment, and urged citizens to utilize the branch to boost their individual, group, and district economic growth.

"I also thank the residents of Gando and Junguni for turning out in large numbers to participate in NMB Village Day. Our message as the government is to ensure you make the most of the opportunities arising from the bank's presence in our district," the DC stated, expressing confidence that the participants would be positively influenced by the financial education provided.

Speaking after the seminar, Chairman of the Tuwe Sote Cooperative Group of Gando village, Mr. Seif Kassim Hamad, acknowledged that his group, which engages in seaweed farming, has greatly benefited not only from the financial education and inclusive banking services provided during the NMB Village Day but also from the bank's affordable agricultural loans offered earlier.

Ms. Riziki Salum Khaalfan, a resident of Gando Chaoni and a member of the Nyota Njema Group, expressed gratitude to NMB for the seminar but went further to request that the bank help increase the value of seaweed prices and open up local and international market opportunities.

Meanwhile, Warda Juma Kassim from the Tuwezeshane Group in Gando Sokoni, which engages in tailoring and embroidery, mentioned that the biggest challenge hindering the prosperity of groups and members is the lack of capital and knowledge of their activities, alongside limited access to reliable markets.