The economic impact of COVID19 remains a great concern everywhere. On May 26, 2020, the Graça Machel Trust partnered with ABSA Kenya through a series of virtual convenings that seek to support entrepreneurs during this unprecedented environment. During the Leading through Change Webinar, high-level representatives from the Absa Kenya Leadership team and expert speakers offered insights on how businesses can navigate through the pandemic. They called upon businesses to enhance their abilities to make the appropriate decisions for Business Continuity during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
Graça Machel Trust and Absa Kenya: Leading Through Change Webinar
“ No crisis will last forever, even if you are in the middle of a storm, it feels like it will never end. I do empathise and sympathise with businesses who are in the middle of the pandemic without knowing how they will pay wages or survive, or pay dues…but with every cloud, there is a silver lining. Given this environment, businesses will have to think about how they will run their businesses online, and look at operating models and ways of developing products and how these products will be delivered to customers” – Jeremy Awori, CEO, Absa-Kenya.
Graça Machel Trust Interim CEO and Programmes Dr.Shungu Gwarinda moderated the session and touched on the dimensions of change that leaders have to manage in order to deal during the pandemic. Expert Speaker Carol Musyoka and Absa Kenya Chief Executive Officer Jeremy Awori shared reflections on how leaders need to manage staff in this new normal and highlighted some useful strategies that businesses can use to navigate through the pandemic.
Key strategies for navigating through uncertain times
- Reading and learning from sources from external industries as well as within is essential. Take lessons from outside of one’s comfort zone.
- Developing strategic partnerships is another way to work in the future for better solutions.
- Listen to the key stakeholders and staff. When looking at ideation of where to change, look within the organisation.
- Do not rely only on ‘path dependency’- Decision-making processes may change along the way.
- To remain successful, keep scanning the environment for the facts and changes and make assumptions around how facts will inform the future environment
- Keep focusing on the environment, adapt and adjust. Protecting your capital and being liquid is key.
The Trust supports and mobilises civil society networks on issues of ending child marriage, ending violence against children, ending female genital mutilation and promoting children’s rights, to carry out advocacy and action across Africa. Special focus is placed on Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia where child marriage continues to be a problem largely driven by poverty, gender inequality, harmful traditional practices, conflict, low levels of literacy, limited opportunities for girls and weak or non-existent protective and preventive legal frameworks.
Education is a fundamental right for all children, which is also a vehicle for social, economic and political transformation in communities, countries and the African continent at large. Recent studies indicate a lack of progress in some of the critical commitments aimed at improving education quality, access, retention and achievement, particularly for girls. In most African countries, girls may face barriers to learning, especially when they reach post-primary levels of education. By implementing multi-dimensional approaches to education which includes core education, personal development, life skills and economic competencies, the Trust partners with funding partners, governments, civil societies and the private sector to improve education access.
The Nutrition and Reproductive, Maternal, New-born, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition, (RMNCAH+N) of the Children’s Rights and Development Programme aims at promoting the Global Strategy for women, children and adolescents’ health within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda. The strategy emphasises on the importance of effective country leadership as a common factor across countries making progress in improving the health of women, children and adolescents.
Through its Early Childhood Development (ECD) plan, The Trust will seek to put into action the new science and evidence Report that was presented by Lancet Series on Good and early development – the right of every child. This will be achieved by mobilising like-minded partners to contribute in the new science and evidence to reach all young children with ECD. The Trust’s goal is to be a catalyst for doing things differently, in particular, to rid fragmentation and lack of coordination across ECD sectors. In response to evidence showing the importance of political will in turning the tide against the current poor access and quality of ECD. Even before conception, starting with a mother’s health and social economic conditions, the early years of a child’s life form a fundamental foundation that determines whether a child will survive and thrive optimally.