By Amin Kef Sesay
The Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS) headed by its Minister, Hon. Alpha Osman Timbo (Esq) and SOS Labour Ghana Limited, under the dynamic leadership of HE Rev. Dr. Princess A.K. Ocansey, also Principal Legal Migration Consultant to the Government of Sierra Leone have on the 18th June, 2021 successfully conducted a Pre- Departure training session on Financial Literacy/Financial Inclusion targeting Sierra Leone female Migrant Domestic Workers who will be going to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the first time to work.
The training took place at the MLSS- SOS Labour Ghana Migrant Training Camp in Makeni City, Northern Sierra Leone.
The training was part of a commitment to secure the required Social and Financial Security for Sierra Leone Migrant Domestic Workers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The aforementioned Pre-Departure training, which was facilitated by top management officials of Rokel Commercial Bank (SL) Limited, created awareness on the significance of financial prudence, inclusion and ignited a new sense of hope among the participants.
Educational and motivational presentations were done by experienced RC Bank facilitators one of which was a senior female banker of RC Bank, who in her presentation, stated that Financial Inclusion does not mean holding bank accounts but to use monies in those accounts for transactional purpose.
She underscored that there are individuals who have monies in the form of salaries going into their bank accounts but at the end of the day withdraw all what they have, keep them at home and use them from there. According to her that is not part of Financial Inclusion further revealing that accounts are operated for three main purposes which are transactional, speculative and precautionary also disclosing how the transactional purpose is geared towards daily spending. She implored them to utilize the monies they earn judiciously.
The Managing Director of Rokel Commercial Bank, Dr. Walton Ekundayo Gilpin, gave an incisive lecture on what encompasses Financial Inclusion and towards the end of the day promised the participants that anyone of them to first open an account at the bank will have fifty thousand Leones free, a pronouncement which was greeted by a wild jubilation by the participants.
Rokel Commercial Bank (SL) Limited (formally Barclays Bank) was established in 1917 as Barclays Bank DCO with 100 percent shares owned by the parent company.
In 1917 , it was incorporated locally and renamed Barclays Bank of Sierra Leone Limited 25 percent shares owned by Sierra Leoneans and 75 percent Barclays Bank International. The rationale behind this move was to encourage Sierra Leoneans to participate as owners and develop confidence in the Bank.
Moreover, Sierra Leone Ministry of Labour and Social Security has as its Vision to stimulate remunerative and productive employment and promote dignity of employees and employers through decent work.
On the other hand it has as its Mission to develop and implement policies and programmes on employment creation, workplace harmony, safety and health at work and all- inclusive social security system.
The SOS Labour Ghana is a limited liability company registered and licensed in Accra, Ghana and Alberta, Canada. It is a job placement specialist company specialising in placing redundant and excess African workers in excellent and well- paid job positions overseas.
Currently, SOS Labour has 11 client companies in Canada, and contacts with recruitment agencies and companies in the United Kingdom (UK) and Australia, and is actively working to create ties with recruitment agencies abroad, particularly Spain and Norway respectively.
The training on Financial Literacy/ Financial Inclusion and Bank Account Opening for Sierra Leone female applicants seeking housekeeping jobs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, was said to be timely and important as it formed part of the commitment to secure their required social and financial security.
