As part of its Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR), Ghana’s leading financial institution, the Royal Bank has donated items to the Senior Correctional Centre, formerly Accra Borstal Institute which houses over 200 juvenile offenders.

The items worth over Gh¢10, 000 include detergents, toiletries, paints, implements, sanitary items and cleaning materials.

Presenting the items at a clean-up campaign over the weekend at the centre, the banks Head of Strategic Planning, Research and Corporate Affairs Dr. Kwame Baah- Nuako said the bank through its foundation sets target of working in some specific areas in communities to improve health, sanitation, education and water challenges in the country.

According to Baah- Nuako it is in this regard that the bank decided to visit the Correctional Centre in to help inmates and staffs clean their environment and also interact with the juvenile offenders.

“It is important that we are seen as part of the community, and also given back to the community which make us. The Royal Bank is not even three years but we believe the little that we have we can make great impact through CSR in our small corner,” he said.

Mr Baah- Nuako also noted that the foundation has refurbished Kokomlemle Autism Centre here in Accra and is in the process of handing over iPads and computers to the centre to enhance teaching and learning.

He however mentioned that, the bank is embarking on a mission of providing potable water to rural communities in the country. This he said the Royal Bank has will construct sixty (60) bore holes each year across the country.

This he disclosed, his outfit has so far commissioned ten bore holes already with five in the Greater Accra Region and another five in Eastern Region.

Receiving the donated items on behalf of Accra Senior Correctional Centre, the Greater Accra Assistant Public Relation Officer -Ghana Prisons, Sgt. Francis Agbomadzi, lauded the Royal Bank for showing leadership. This he said will help reform, rehabilitate and re-integrate the inmates into the larger society.

He however cited that there are numerous challenges facing the centre, stressing lack of Clinical Psychologists, lack of teaching and learning materials, lack of drugs for the infirmary and lack of sponsorship to help the inmates attain higher education.

Sgt. Agbomadzi hinted that key among all the challenges is lack of funds to cater for feeding of the juvenile offenders as inmates live on GH¢1.80 a day on government subvention. Currently the Centre is hosting 126 inmates here in Accra with 6 months to 3 years jail term.