Before we actually dive into the imperatives of the Law of MSMEs Success Foundations-LMSF, allow me to delve a little into MSMEs & Corporate Investment-CSI.
It was just the other day when I heard the CEO at the CEEC calling upon MSMEs to not shy away from CSI. What? A Zambian MSME doing CSI? How? I thought that was for the big corporations who are actually looking for where to spend their money out of profit reserves accumulated over time? Not really my dear reader. CSI 101 is more about sustainability attitude than having too much to spare. The Christian Bible which I believe to be canonical declares that “it is more blessed to give than to receive” in Acts 20:35.
As for NS-CGMA, we “accidently” realised a couple of years ago that it is actually good practice to pick on a public benefit cause that impacts positively even if one is just still building their business.
We have chosen to support a non-profit entity known as Worldview Institute Zambia Limited. It is an educational institution that seeks to interrogate worldviews simply because someone said a long time ago that ideas have consequences!
We do also believe that ideas have consequences and are the bedrock of any society and its look and feel or culture which in turn determines both the pace and quality of the human development index-HDI. It is argued that worldviews are the lens through which a person and people group perceive what the ultimate reality is and it is therefore not surprising that a worldview shall inevitably have effect on the quality or lack of it vis a vis HDI.
But what is a worldview anyway? One Chuck Colson argues that the short answer to that question is that a worldview is the sum total of one’s belief leading certain courses of actions.
NS-CGMA believes in education and in particular in helping people think about what they think ultimate reality is so that they seek to operate only from helpful paradigms because let’s face it some worldviews are HDI friendly just as much as others are development unfriendly!
The community engagement program of aiming to plant 1 million trees by 2030 has especially attracted us as a business to support the worldview institute (Z) Limited-WvZL.
You ask how? We support WvZL tithe style and so we are able to give financial and non-financial support. The financial support is given as K1,500 per month in a good month while book-keeping services and office facilities are provided for free to the public benefit organisation-PBO. Other support is using our network to canvass support from in-country as we engage people and entities alike!
So far, through our networking we have engaged and are building helpful relationships with a number of supporters, donors and volunteer teams enabling over 10,000 trees.
These trees are not just saplings—they are symbols of life and the shared responsibility we bear as stewards of this earth given to us.
The success of this Program Think Green would not have been possible without the collaboration of our partners, whose resources, expertise, and belief in Program Think Green
The company we keep and are nurturing include the following in addition to others not specifically mentioned.
- Office of the Vice President of the Republic of Zambia
- Ministry of Green Economy and Environment
- Permanent Secretary-Ministry of Defense Norman Chipakupaku
- ZANACO
- Bridging Gap Solutions-BGS
- Pharmanova
- Wonderful Group of Companies
- ZARI-Zambia Agriculture Research Institute
- Offices of the District Commissioners in Lusaka Province
- MCGMA
- NS-CGMA
- Conrad Grey
- African Methodist Episcopal Church
- Hot FM group
- ZNBC
- KBN TV
- MEGA Aerobics
- Manda Hill Mall Management
- National Sports Council Secretariat
- Hon. Collins Nzovu
- Engineer Bernard Chiwala of Moriah Gardens
WvZL has also made strides in community education, training individuals on sustainable forestry practices and the importance of environmental preservation. These efforts ensure that our work is not just impactful but sustainable, empowering communities to become champions of change long after the last sapling is planted.
The Institute replaced 30 manhole covers using concrete in response to the rampant vandalisation of the steel covers at Chilenje Market as a good corporate citizen given to public benefit goods and services.
WvZL is cognizant that, as much as they celebrate their 10,000 trees donated and planted, the journey is far, far from over. As a matter of fact, this year alone the institute needs to plant 200,000 trees to stay on course given their ambitious program and local funding sources.
It is now common knowledge that climate change, deforestation, and environmental degradation remain daunting challenges in the world today. The work ahead requires us to be bolder, more innovative, and more inclusive as responsible stewards of the planet.
This tree planting program by the WvZL ties into the relevant Environmental, Social and Governance-ESG agenda that the global business world has begun to pay attention to because sustainability is closely associated with meaningful ESG interventions. NS-CGMA refuses to be left behind simply because it is an MSME!
This article is therefore, a clarion call to fellow MSMEs who have hitherto shied away from CSI because of their size to think and look around again. They may be pleasantly surprised that they could in fact be more community friendly in ways that are both cost effective and non-financial and therefore be micro participants in the global imperative of sustainability consciousness that CSI invites when embraced.
Let’s together as MSMEs make the positive difference we were meant to make! We at NS-CGMA are of course ready to either partner with you on Program Think Green of the WvZL or indeed just to explore together alternative ways you may want to join the sustainability movement!
Napita mukwai!
The Author is Partner at NS-CGMA in charge of Management Accounting
Victor PM NYASULU, CA Zambia, FCMA, CGMA, LLB
All things MSMEs
Before we actually dive into the imperatives of the Law of MSMEs Success Foundations-LMSF, allow me to delve a little into MSMEs & Corporate Investment-CSI.
It was just the other day when I heard the CEO at the CEEC calling upon MSMEs to not shy away from CSI. What? A Zambian MSME doing CSI? How? I thought that was for the big corporations who are actually looking for where to spend their money out of profit reserves accumulated over time? Not really my dear reader. CSI 101 is more about sustainability attitude than having too much to spare. The Christian Bible which I believe to be canonical declares that “it is more blessed to give than to receive” in Acts 20:35.
As for NS-CGMA, we “accidently” realised a couple of years ago that it is actually good practice to pick on a public benefit cause that impacts positively even if one is just still building their business.
We have chosen to support a non-profit entity known as Worldview Institute Zambia Limited. It is an educational institution that seeks to interrogate worldviews simply because someone said a long time ago that ideas have consequences!
We do also believe that ideas have consequences and are the bedrock of any society and its look and feel or culture which in turn determines both the pace and quality of the human development index-HDI. It is argued that worldviews are the lens through which a person and people group perceive what the ultimate reality is and it is therefore not surprising that a worldview shall inevitably have effect on the quality or lack of it vis a vis HDI.
But what is a worldview anyway? One Chuck Colson argues that the short answer to that question is that a worldview is the sum total of one’s belief leading certain courses of actions.
NS-CGMA believes in education and in particular in helping people think about what they think ultimate reality is so that they seek to operate only from helpful paradigms because let’s face it some worldviews are HDI friendly just as much as others are development unfriendly!
The community engagement program of aiming to plant 1 million trees by 2030 has especially attracted us as a business to support the worldview institute (Z) Limited-WvZL.
You ask how? We support WvZL tithe style and so we are able to give financial and non-financial support. The financial support is given as K1,500 per month in a good month while book-keeping services and office facilities are provided for free to the public benefit organisation-PBO. Other support is using our network to canvass support from in-country as we engage people and entities alike!
So far, through our networking we have engaged and are building helpful relationships with a number of supporters, donors and volunteer teams enabling over 10,000 trees.
These trees are not just saplings—they are symbols of life and the shared responsibility we bear as stewards of this earth given to us.
The success of this Program Think Green would not have been possible without the collaboration of our partners, whose resources, expertise, and belief in Program Think Green
The company we keep and are nurturing include the following in addition to others not specifically mentioned.
- Office of the Vice President of the Republic of Zambia
- Ministry of Green Economy and Environment
- Permanent Secretary-Ministry of Defense Norman Chipakupaku
- ZANACO
- Bridging Gap Solutions-BGS
- Pharmanova
- Wonderful Group of Companies
- ZARI-Zambia Agriculture Research Institute
- Offices of the District Commissioners in Lusaka Province
- MCGMA
- NS-CGMA
- Conrad Grey
- African Methodist Episcopal Church
- Hot FM group
- ZNBC
- KBN TV
- MEGA Aerobics
- Manda Hill Mall Management
- National Sports Council Secretariat
- Hon. Collins Nzovu
- Engineer Bernard Chiwala of Moriah Gardens
WvZL has also made strides in community education, training individuals on sustainable forestry practices and the importance of environmental preservation. These efforts ensure that our work is not just impactful but sustainable, empowering communities to become champions of change long after the last sapling is planted.
The Institute replaced 30 manhole covers using concrete in response to the rampant vandalisation of the steel covers at Chilenje Market as a good corporate citizen given to public benefit goods and services.
WvZL is cognizant that, as much as they celebrate their 10,000 trees donated and planted, the journey is far, far from over. As a matter of fact, this year alone the institute needs to plant 200,000 trees to stay on course given their ambitious program and local funding sources.
It is now common knowledge that climate change, deforestation, and environmental degradation remain daunting challenges in the world today. The work ahead requires us to be bolder, more innovative, and more inclusive as responsible stewards of the planet.
This tree planting program by the WvZL ties into the relevant Environmental, Social and Governance-ESG agenda that the global business world has begun to pay attention to because sustainability is closely associated with meaningful ESG interventions. NS-CGMA refuses to be left behind simply because it is an MSME!
This article is therefore, a clarion call to fellow MSMEs who have hitherto shied away from CSI because of their size to think and look around again. They may be pleasantly surprised that they could in fact be more community friendly in ways that are both cost effective and non-financial and therefore be micro participants in the global imperative of sustainability consciousness that CSI invites when embraced.
Let’s together as MSMEs make the positive difference we were meant to make! We at NS-CGMA are of course ready to either partner with you on Program Think Green of the WvZL or indeed just to explore together alternative ways you may want to join the sustainability movement!
Napita mukwai!
The Author is Partner at NS-CGMA in charge of Management Accounting
Victor PM NYASULU, CA Zambia, FCMA, CGMA, LLB
