Farmers from the Southern Highlands regions who grow forest products, food crops, and run businesses – including community groups, cooperatives (AMCOS), savings and credit groups (SACCOS), and village savings and loan groups (VICOBA) – have been encouraged to make good use of the NMB Kijiji Day platform to boost their economic growth.
NMB Kijiji Day is an event organized by NMB Bank to help people in remote villages understand financial services and banking. This year, it also focuses on educating villagers about clean cooking energy. The aim is to reach 2,000 villages across Tanzania.
The call was made by Frank Mganga, the representative of the Executive Director of Njombe District Council, during the NMB Kijiji Day event held at Image Primary School Grounds in Kidegembya Ward.
The event brought together people from both Kidegembya and Katembwe wards to take part in seminars and fun activities, including a sports bonanza.
Mganga thanked NMB for bringing the event to these wards, which have often been overlooked in terms of banking services, despite having many people and farmers who grow forest products like timber, as well as crops like tea, maize, and potatoes.
“The large number of people attending today, especially since many of them live in rural areas, shows they are eager to learn through this important platform for improving their lives.
They have enjoyed everything from jogging and sports to the seminars for community groups,” said Mganga.
He added, “The people hope this event continues so they can learn more about banking services that can help grow their businesses.
We thank NMB for choosing this location, and I encourage residents of Kidegembya and Katembwe to take full advantage of the opportunities provided by NMB Kijiji Day for their development.”
Wogofya Mfalamagoha, the manager for NMB’s Southern Highlands region, along with branch managers from Njombe, Mafinga, Makambako, Makete, and Wanging'ombe, explained that NMB is committed to reaching rural communities with financial solutions. They do this by using agents and inviting local businesses to participate.
“We see many students attending NMB Kijiji Day. Our bank cares about children, which is why we offer special accounts for kids and young people.
I urge parents to open accounts for their children so they can develop a habit of saving,” said Mfalamagoha.
“We also offer group accounts for community organizations and NMB Pesa accounts, which can be opened with just a small deposit. We want to ensure no one is left out.
Local businesses should use this opportunity to register as our agents, so people who open accounts today can access services,” he added.
Felix Payovela, the Chairman of Image Village, thanked NMB for coming to their area and asked them to keep coming back. He said the presence of NMB agents in the village would encourage residents to save money.
“The large turnout and the many account openings show that we need NMB to return regularly. This event has shown that NMB not only knows how to manage our money but also treats their customers with kindness,” Payovela concluded.
At the NMB Kijiji Day, apart from the seminars, there was a football competition where eight teams participated. Wanginyi FC from Wanginyi Village won the match, beating Mlangali FC 1-0.
Other sports activities included tug-of-war for both men and women, with fans of the popular Tanzanian football teams, Simba and Yanga, joining in.
Employees of Njombe District Council also faced off with NMB staff in a friendly match. The event also featured sack races, chicken chasing, and performances by local choirs and traditional dancers.