In many Ghanaian communities, many schoolgirls face a quiet challenge that has the capacity to disrupt their education: managing their menstrual health without reliable access to sanitary pads.

When this challenge catches a young girl unprepared, it can affect her confidence, participation in class and, at times, attendance.

In 2025, a group of Absa colleagues responded to this challenge and provided support to young girls in Chorkor, a coastal community in Accra.

The group, ‘Women in Risk & Credit’, together with their male colleagues across Absa Bank Ghana’s Credit and Risk function, raised funds to purchase sanitary pads for 200 girls across three schools: Extra O Primary and Junior High School, New Universal Primary and Junior High School, and Edegray Primary and Junior High School.

Beyond the donation, the team also engaged with school leadership and staff to deliver a menstrual health education session, providing practical guidance and building girls’ confidence.

Nana Essilfuah Tamakloe, Director for Marketing and Corporate Affairs at Absa Bank Ghana, said, “Colleague volunteerism is one of the key strategies we employ to bring our Force for Good commitment to life.

"When colleagues immerse themselves in the communities we serve, we identify needs more clearly and respond with support that is practical and sustainable.”

Using Chorkor as an example, she highlighted that while the menstrual health initiative supported girls with essential supplies and education, another colleague-led effort in the same community focused on improving the learning environment at Chorkor Presby School.

The Customer Experience team completed Phase One of its Force for Good project by commissioning 40 new desks for students who previously had to sit on the floor.

With Phase One complete, the team has indicated that the next phase of its support will focus on modernising washrooms to improve hygiene and health for learners.

Other colleague-led projects in 2025 displayed the same spirit of ownership and impact.

The Sustainability team engaged 161 students of ‘Our Heritage School’ in an interactive session on sustainability principles, combining career motivation with a hands-on recycling activity called “Waste to Worth.”

The initiative aligned with Absa’s broader sustainability pillars of Climate Action and Diversity & Inclusion.

The bank’s Corporate and Investment Banking team, led by Managing Executive Dr Ellen Ohene-Afoakwa, also handed over a fully refurbished ICT laboratory to Derby Avenue Roman Catholic School.

Funded entirely by colleague contributions, the project created an upgraded digital learning space with 30 new desktop computers, ceiling fans, classroom furniture, and blinds.

Beyond these examples, Absa colleagues supported key Force for Good initiatives throughout 2025, contributing over 3,000 hours to skills development, financial literacy, and community impact. In all, more than 1,000 colleagues volunteered during the year.

One example is Absa’s Money Matters financial literacy programme, which supported engagements that reached over 126,000 students across 159 senior high schools.

Absa colleagues also contributed to addressing basic community needs, including access to safe water. In 2025, 23 boreholes were handed over in rural communities, improving access to clean drinking water and contributing to better health and livelihoods for an estimated 42,000 people.

In addition to these in-person initiatives, Absa continues to expand skills development through the ReadytoWork programme, its proprietary educational and skills development programme that equips young people with the knowledge and skills to transition smoothly from classrooms to the world of work.

Young people can choose their learning pathway based on their needs and complete it online using a computer, tablet, or mobile phone. Across YouTube and Facebook, the initiative’s bi-monthly webinar series reached approximately 1.7 million views and more than 13,000 tertiary students across eight schools.

In addition, over 1,000 young people are actively registered on the ReadytoWork platform.

This year, Absa Bank remains committed to working with communities and partners to deliver its Force for Good initiatives.